At the 11th Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards, the story “Meet with Purpose: Discover Halifax’s Sustainable Business Events Movement” earned 1st Place in the Business & Marketing Category. Led by Discover Halifax in Halifax, Canada, the initiative demonstrates how destinations can transform business events from short-term economic activity into long-term drivers of sustainability and community benefit.
“An inspiring approach that uses the business events sector to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration among stakeholders, helping destinations better manage tourism flows while balancing community needs, sustainability, and long-term destination well-being.”
The Challenge
Business events represent a major pillar of the tourism economy, yet the industry has traditionally measured success through room nights and visitor spending rather than meaningful social or environmental outcomes. For Discover Halifax, the challenge was threefold: balancing tourism growth with climate and community priorities, responding to rising expectations for more sustainable events, and competing globally as a mid-sized destination with limited resources. Without clear frameworks or incentives, many events struggle to move beyond small “green” gestures toward delivering measurable, long-term impact.
The Solution
In response, Discover Halifax launched Meet with Purpose, a comprehensive framework that helps event planners design business events that deliver real environmental and community value. The initiative combines three core components: a Sustainable Events Guide offering practical guidance across every stage of planning, from transportation and accommodation to food sourcing, waste reduction, and community engagement; a Sustainable Business Events Incentive Fund providing financial support for planners who adopt sustainable practices or create legacy projects benefiting the local community; and a clear Theory of Change, developed in collaboration with more than 30 stakeholders, including hotels, venues, NGOs, government representatives, and sustainability experts, to link business events with broader goals such as environmental resilience, inclusive local economies, and community wellbeing.
The Impact
The initiative is already reshaping how Halifax approaches the business events sector. Key outcomes include:
- A destination-wide sustainability framework for events
- Engagement of 30+ local stakeholders across the tourism ecosystem
- New funding streams supporting impact, legacy, and innovation projects
- Practical tools helping planners translate sustainability commitments into real action
What Other Destinations Can Learn
Just as importantly, the initiative has increased knowledge and capacity for sustainability across the local tourism industry, laying the foundation for long-term change. Halifax’s story highlights several lessons for destinations seeking to strengthen sustainability through tourism marketing and business events:
- Start with collaboration: Engaging stakeholders early builds ownership and ensures initiatives reflect real local priorities.
- Connect global standards with local identity: International frameworks matter, but success comes from grounding them in what makes a destination unique.
- Incentivise action, not just intention: Providing funding and recognition can motivate event planners to move from ideas to implementation.
- Think beyond economic impact: Business events can be powerful platforms for community projects, environmental initiatives, and social change.
By turning conferences and meetings into opportunities for collective impact, Halifax offers a powerful example of how tourism marketing can help shape a more sustainable future for destinations worldwide.
Share your destination’s good practice
🌍 Congratulations to Discover Halifax for sharing such an inspiring example of how business events can create real benefits for communities and the environment. Stories like this are what the Green Destinations Top 100 Stories Competition celebrates. We encourage destinations around the world to share their best practices and join the 2026 edition, inspiring others and showcasing their leadership in sustainable tourism.
