This year’s GDS (Global Destination Sustainability) Forum and Impact Day held in Szezecin, Poland, aimed to build the capacity of every delegate to improve the sustainability and event impact strategies in their destinations by tapping into the expertise, experiences and tacit knowledge of their peers. The informal but innovative meeting design elements created new connections, unlocked new insights, and kick-started numerous new initiatives. One key challenge identified during the event: all too often we struggle to meaningfully involve and empower young and future leaders in the most important strategic work. As one explained the reality of not being heard: “we have the voice; we need the ears”.
The venue choice influenced the delegates’ understanding of how events and destination sustainability relate to economic development and inward investment strategies. The first two factors only make sense when taking full account of the latter two. Scandinavian investment in this Polish region as a manufacturing base and logistics hub is changing the opportunities for business events development. Experiencing this reality and talking to key local players are very different from reading about it.
GDS also celebrated excellence and change-making through their Awards Evening.
