SINGAPORE EXPO is set to serve as a live testing ground for a research partnership between the EarthCheck Research Institute and venue operator Constellar, aimed at developing clearer ways to measure the long-term impact of business events.
The agreement, backed by congress association organiser ICCA signed during IMEX Frankfurt, focuses on developing a shared framework to assess the environmental, social and economic outcomes of events – an area where industry standards remain uneven despite growing commitments to sustainability.
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ICCA’s involvement positions the project as part of a broader push by the association to move the sector towards more consistent definitions of “event legacy” – an idea that campaigners say is widely discussed but rarely quantified.
Working with EarthCheck’s expertise in benchmarking and certification, the collaboration is intended to produce practical tools that destinations, venues and organisers can use to measure and improve outcomes.
Professor David Simmons, chair of the EarthCheck Research Institute, said the industry had reached a point where stronger evidence was needed.
The business events sector has made genuine progress in sustainability, but progress needs to be matched by credible measurement. If we want to understand what works… we need frameworks grounded in evidence.”
– Prof David Simmons, EarthCheck
The research will be based in Singapore, with Singapore EXPO serving as a live test case. Operated by Constellar, the venue will be used to trial how impact indicators can be applied in a working environment, from reporting to operational decision-making.
Singapore EXPO has been positioned as a suitable pilot site due to its existing sustainability infrastructure, including a solar photovoltaic system that can meet up to 95 per cent of its annual electricity demand. The venue also has reported reductions in Scope 1 and 2 emissions – the Greenhouse Gas categories to benchmark a company’s carbon footprint.
Constellar’s group chief executive, Chua Wee Phong, said the project reflected growing expectations that venues demonstrate measurable value alongside environmental performance. “At Singapore EXPO, sustainability is not separate from commercial performance – it is part of how we create long-term value,” Chun said.
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ICCA chief executive Senthil Gopinath framed the partnership as a shift in how the sector approaches accountability. “Ambition around sustainability has never been higher, but ambition alone is no longer enough,” he said. “This is about giving our industry the tools it needs to measure what truly matters.”
The initiative comes as governments, clients and investors increasingly demand clearer evidence of returns from business events, beyond traditional measures such as delegate numbers or economic impact.
Main image… From left: ICCA chief executive Senthil Gopinath; EarthCheck consultant Melissa Hamilton; Chun Wee Phong, of Constellar, and Ong Huey Hong, of Singapore Tourism Board gather after the signing at IMEX Frankfurt
