The 63rd ICCA Congress, which took place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, from 20-23 October 2024, is the first global event to achieve the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Standard certified by The PLEDGE on Food Waste, a first for the association, providing a blueprint for large-scale global events in the future. 

Building on the legacy of the Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy, which was established at the 2023 ICCA Congress in Bangkok, ICCA took the lead in 2024 by committing to achieve the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Standard at the ADNEC Centre, Abu Dhabi’s premier conference venue.

With the support of LightBlue Consulting as a technical expert, and in partnership with ADNEC and the Capital Catering team, the results obtained speak for themselves: more than 200 kitchen, service, and stewarding staff were trained on best practices; 1,115 kilograms of food were diverted from landfills; 371 kilograms of food were saved during the event; and 928 meals were redistributed by Ne’ma, representing 928 kilograms of CO2 equivalent. In addition, an average 163 grams of food waste per delegate per meal was recorded through LightBlue’s FIT Food Waste Tech. 

All efforts to train staff, rescue and redistribute food, segregate waste, and effectively transform it were documented, measured, and audited, enabling the ICCA Congress to achieve the remarkable score of 87.5% compliance at the ADNEC Centre. Due to operational challenges, some points were deducted on the separation, transformation, and monitoring sub criteria. The certification for the Congress was limited to covering food operations at the ADNEC Centre only. 

Senthil Gopinath, CEO of ICCA: 

“Sustainability has become a cornerstone of ICCA’s mission, and achieving the Zero Food Waste to Landfill certification for the 63rd ICCA Congress is a proud moment for our community. This milestone reflects our dedication to innovation and raising the bar for the global events industry.” 

Khalifa Al Qubaisi, CCO of the ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, part of the ADNEC Group:

"Achieving the Zero Food Waste to Landfill Event Standard at the ICCA Congress underscores our commitment to sustainability within the events industry. At ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi, we strive to set benchmarks for world-class event experiences while prioritising environmental responsibility. This milestone reflects our dedication to aligning with global best practices and contributing to a sustainable future for our industry and community."

Ben Lephilibert, Co-founder of The PLEDGE on Food Waste: 

“The certification of the 63rd ICCA Congress as the first Zero Food Waste to Landfill event is a monumental step for the MICE industry. By transforming ambition into measurable impact, ICCA has proven that even large-scale events can lead the way in sustainability. We’re proud to have worked with ICCA, ADNEC, and Capital Catering to create a replicable framework that inspires other organizations to adopt similar commitments.” 

Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB):  

“On behalf of TCEB and Bangkok, the host city of ICCA Congress 2023, I congratulate Abu Dhabi and ICCA on this remarkable success. It is a milestone of our commitment to creating a new chapter of sustainability for our industry. We trust that the achievement encourages stakeholders in the global meetings industry to collectively observe the practice, making it our standard in contributing to a better world” 

This achievement underscores ICCA’s role as a leader in event sustainability. By aligning environmental goals with measurable business value, the 63rd ICCA Congress sets a new industry standard and inspires the global business events community to move toward the adoption of more sustainable practices.  In the future, ICCA aims to support the establishment of a benchmarking system in the industry and is working on the development of a practical toolkit to prevent food waste with LightBlue.

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For more information or media enquiries, please contact Claudia.b@iccaworld.org  

NOTES TO EDITOR:

About ICCA

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) is a global community and knowledge hub for the international association meetings industry. Founded in 1963, ICCA specialises in the international association and governmental meetings sector, offering unrivalled data, education, and communication channels, as well as business development and networking opportunities. Today, ICCA is one of the most prominent organisations in — and advocates for — the world of international meetings. Initiatives such as the ICCA Association Community offers associations across the world education, connections, tools, and resources to help them organise more effective and successful meetings with the global network of ICCA member suppliers.  

About The PLEDGE on Food Waste 

The PLEDGE on Food Waste is the global leading third-party certification enabling restaurants, hotels, and cafeterias to reduce food waste, reduce costs, gain recognition, and nurture the local ecosystem of solution providers. 

Marco Sandri, Global Manager: marco@thepledgeonfoodwaste.org  

About LightBlue Consulting

LightBlue is an UN-awarded Food Waste Prevention tech and consultancy reconciling Sustainability with Business Excellence. Active since 2012, LightBlue has developed unique solutions—technology, capacity building, certification—to cut on food waste and boost profitability of commercial kitchens and restaurants.  

contact@lightblueconsulting.com 

About Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy 

The Bangkok Protocol on Sustainable Gastronomy is ICCA's Legacy Initiative, which collaborates with TCEB based on food sourcing and food waste management practices at ICCA Congress 2023 in Bangkok. The Bangkok Protocol is a 3-year initiative to develop a strategic framework to guide the global meeting and events industry on Sustainable Gastronomy. The framework considers where the food ingredients are from, how the food is grown, how it gets to the plates at the events, what cultural aspect and authenticity it portrays, and how the food waste is limited and managed.