On April 10, the SITE Florida & Caribbean chapter gathered in Miami for an Earth Day event that felt intentionally different—in the best way. From the moment you arrived, there was a clear sense of purpose behind every detail of the experience.
The setting set the tone: a 5 Green Key certified venue, the 1 Hotel South Beach. As Paula Lombardo, Director of Sustainability & Community Relations, shared, “Sustainability is about people, planet, and profit.” That philosophy was embedded throughout the event.
What stood out most was the forward-looking approach to both content and audience. I had the opportunity to connect with long-time SITE member John Buschman, Co-Director of the Global Sustainable Tourism Program at Florida International University (FIU), who brought students from his program to attend. This created a dynamic environment where emerging professionals could learn and engage, while seasoned incentive travel leaders could invest in the next generation.
It’s one thing to talk about sustainability in our industry. It’s another to design experiences that actively reflect it. A key focus of the event was glass waste, an often-overlooked issue in meetings and events. While glass is 100% recyclable, nearly one-third of glass waste in the U.S. still ends up in landfills, largely due to contamination and inconsistent recycling practices. For the meetings industry, where beverage service is constant, this represents both a challenge and a significant opportunity to reduce environmental impact through smarter sourcing, reuse, and recycling strategies.
The chapter aligned the event with five United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
- SDG #3: Good Health and Well-Being
- SDG #4: Quality Education
- SDG #5: Gender Equality
- SDG #12: Responsible Consumption and Production
- SDG #13: Climate Action
The takeaway was clear: sustainability isn’t a standalone initiative. It’s a strategic lens, one that elevates experiences, strengthens business outcomes, and ensures the long-term vitality of the incentive travel industry.
A Model for the Incentive Travel Community
As the global voice of incentive travel, SITE chapters play a critical role in shaping the member experience and advancing the business case for incentive travel at a regional level. This event is a strong example of how local action can drive global impact.
If there’s one call to action, it’s this: connect with your local chapter and explore how you can contribute to a more sustainable and more resilient future for our industry.
