BEFuture Receives 2026 IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award

Dienstag, 02.06.2026

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The European project BEFuture has been awarded the 2026 IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award during IMEX Frankfurt. The award recognises collaborative initiatives that contribute to advancing sustainability, inclusion and innovation within the global business events industry.

Four people are smiling and posing together on a stage in front of a striped curtain backdrop. A woman in a bright orange outfit holds a transparent, triangular award in the center, flanked by two women in elegant evening wear and a man in a dark suit on the right.

Sònia Serracarbassa and Evelyne Bardyn of BEFuture, with Amy Calvert, President of the Events Industry Council, and Ray Bloom, Chairman at IMEX. Picture: BEFuture

Led by the Agència Catalana de Turisme, BEFuture focuses on supporting sustainable transformation across the meetings and events sector through innovation programmes, cross-border cooperation and stronger links between the events industry and technology ecosystems. The recognition follows the project’s closing event in Ghent in February 2026 and highlights its efforts to develop practical approaches for improving the long-term resilience and impact of business events. According to the project consortium, the award reflects both the outcomes of the initiative and broader efforts within the European events sector to advance sustainability and innovation.

European Partnership Supports Sustainable Event Development

BEFuture brings together organisations from across Europe, including Visit Flanders, the European Tourism Futures Institute at NHL Stenden University, Linkeus, B.Link, the Verband der Veranstaltungsorganisatoren e.V. (VDVO), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca and Tipik. Through collaborative projects and knowledge exchange, the initiative aims to support the development of sustainable solutions for the meetings and events ecosystem. The IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award is presented in partnership with the Events Industry Council and recognises projects that demonstrate measurable contributions to the future development of the sector.