Sustainability

A Community at SITE

Overview of the SITE Sustainability Community

SITE’s Sustainability Committee became an active community in 2020 following Vancouver, BC SITE Global Conference. The late Miek Egberts, founding chair of the committee, with her poignant beliefs in Sustainability, propelled this committee to start advocating Sustainability Principles to our global chapters. Her passion for the balance between humans and mother nature along with enthusiastic committee members as Ambassadors & Mentors together inaugurated the SITE Sustainability Chapter Certification. The certification process was created as an internal guide & process to bring about awareness of our industry’s global impact.

Mission & Vision

Our Mission: To advance sustainability awareness and certification for incentive travel & motivational experiences with SITE Global Chapters, communities, and members.

Our Vision: To be the leading industry voice for sustainability transformation of incentive travel & motivational experiences through the implementation of standard practices in planning and delivering events that support environmental, societal and economical endeavours, locally, regionally and globally while promoting our pillars of people, planet, purpose and profits.

Our Purpose

To create a global community and advocate global citizenry by educating the incentive & motivational industry to reduce carbon & water & food footprint, lower the impact of climate change and positively impact environmental, societal, and economic endeavours, locally, regionally and globally.

2026 Update from Co-Chairs

As we enter 2026, we proudly mark the 7th year of the SITE Sustainability Community and implementation of our mission to elevate sustainability across the incentive travel and events industry. The past year reflected meaningful progress, strong global engagement, and growing leadership across SITE chapters worldwide.

2025 Highlights

IMEX Frankfurt – Sustainability Education:
Ana-Maria Cartas delivered a standout presentation, “Sustainability Claims Decoded: Smarter Venue Choices,” equipping attendees with practical tools to evaluate sustainability claims and make informed venue decisions.

Industry Leadership Panel at IMEX America
MaryBeth Reeves joined fellow SITE Community Chairs on the panel “Putting Trust Into Play: How Incentive Travel Leaders Build Community,” highlighting the role of trust, transparency, and sustainability in strengthening incentive programs.

Thought Leadership Publication
SITE published the Sustainability White Paper, “Empowering Impact: How Madrid’s Legacy & PLUS Platform Are Setting a New Standard for Sustainable Incentives and Events,” reinforcing SITE’s role as a thought leader in sustainable event design.

Stijn Huijbers led the SITE Sustainability Dinner at IBTM Barcelona, fostering conversation and collaboration among global stakeholders.

Global Chapter Engagement
SITE Canada successfully hosted a zero-waste Golf Tournament in Toronto, led by Liz Akey, demonstrating measurable waste reduction in action. Biodegradable golf balls anyone?

The Northern California Chapter achieved sustainability certification, further expanding SITE’s network of recognized sustainable chapters.

Looking Ahead to 2026

In 2026, the SITE Sustainability Community will deepen its commitment through:

Continued educational presentations at IMEX America and SITE Events
Re-Verification of all SITE chapters, ensuring sustainability remains a core focus worldwide

Development of a centralized Sustainability Resource Library, featuring:
Chapter sustainability achievements
Articles and research papers
Carbon tracking tools
Sustainability education and best practices

Our Purpose

We remain committed to “walking the talk” of our Purpose Statement:

To create global communities and advocate global citizenry by educating the incentive and motivational industry to reduce carbon, water, and food footprints; lower climate impacts; and positively influence environmental, societal, and economic outcomes locally, regionally, and globally.

Sustainability Committee

Co-Chair

MaryBeth Reeves

McVeigh Global Meetings and Events

Atlanta, GA, USA

Co-Chair

Mackenzie Dierks

ITA Group

West Des Moines, IA, United States

Committee Member

Ana-Maria Cartas

Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI)

Committee Member

Candy Campbell Scott

Longmont, CO, United States

Committee Member

Catherine Pascaud

Servitours

Paris, France

Committee Member

Harith Wickrema

Harith Productions

St. John, VI, USA

Committee Member

Julianne Cassidy

Failte Ireland

Dublin, Ireland

Committee Member

Katrin Naumann

another konzept

Barcelona, Spain

Committee Member

Liz Akey, CMP

E.M.A. Marketing Ltd

Oakville, ON, Canada

Committee Member

Sheba Gurm

Four Seasons

West Des Moines, IA, United States

Committee Member

Stijn Huijbers

Hilton

London, United Kingdom

Committee Member

Brian Hunt

Motivation Excellence, Inc.

Polka City, IA, United States

Committee Member

Richelle Fichter

MC&A, Inc.

Las Vegas, NV, United States

Committee Member

RSakina Zerrel

Fii Airways

Seattle, WA, United States

Committee Goals

Promote the SITE Sustainability Committee as an educational & resource to the wider SITE community
Publish sustainability related content via this webpage
Work with all chapters to provide support for and validation of their sustainability effort

Content and Education

SITE Sustainability Community attends SITE Canada Golf Tournament

This event was more than just a golf tournament—it was a demonstration of how thoughtful choices can make a meaningful difference. Thank you to everyone who helped us swing into sustainability action with the return of the exciting and hugely successful Annual Golf Tournament. Thank-you to Natalie Lowe, Founder of TSEF – The Sustainability Events Forum for compiling the detailed report. Read more about the tournament here with insights from committee member, Liz Akey.

SITE Global Plant-Based E-Cookbook

On Earth Day 2023, we planted the seeds of inspiration and nurtured collaborations resulting in our Global SITE Plant-Based E-Cookbook. Our cookbook is available to all SITE members and the community at large.

Access here.

EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

SITE is proud to announce the launch of a new sustainability guide, largely focused on the EU’s recent Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.

Funded by SITE Foundation, this member-driven project initiated by industry stalwart Bruce Bolger is one of the first guides of its kind prepared specifically for MICE professionals.

With sustainability gaining increased attention across the business travel landscape, Bolger’s work is particularly timely, with its overview and commentary on new reporting standards set out by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).