A conversation with Anna Abdelnoor

Ahead of the show, IMEXscoop caught up with IMEX speaker and isla CEO, Anna Abdelnoor. 

When you look at the events industry in 2026, what does real sustainability progress actually look like—and what are we still kidding ourselves about?

When new images of Earth from NASA’s Artemis mission were released earlier this year, many noticed how different our planet looks from those first 1970s images. The damage we’re doing visible. It’s no longer abstract. 

In the events industry, sustainability is now a procurement expectation—but we’ve largely stopped there. We're still telling ourselves that doing more of the same—just slightly better—is enough. It isn't. 

What’s needed now isn’t incremental improvement, but transformation as a strategy. At an industry level, that means collaborating and creating new solutions together—ones where waste is designed out and low-carbon experiences are designed in. 

Your IMEX session, The Truth About Sustainability Progress, promises evidence, not optimism. What’s one benchmark from TRACE that tends to surprise event planners the most—and why?

That travel doesn't always dominate an event’s footprint. For trade shows with a high proportion of international attendees, travel is usually the largest contributor. But for other events, food could have the biggest impact, or the materials being brought in.

Real progress starts with understanding your event and where emissions are actually coming from. Figure out what it is for your event, and focus your effort there.

From the Temperature Check Europe findings, what are the top gaps you’re seeing between intention and operational reality?

Operational reality leads to outcomes. For example, switching to compostable cups is a well-intentioned and visible action. But it doesn’t always deliver a meaningful outcome. When the focus shifts to operational reality—where the budget is going, which elements contribute most to an event’s footprint—that's when real change happens. Emissions come down. Waste comes down. Often, costs come down too, because genuine efficiency is being built in.

If an organizer has limited time, budget and influence, what are the three actions that usually deliver the biggest emissions reduction fastest?

First, cut swag and offer a digital alternative, such as a coffee voucher. You only provide what’s actually used, saving money and emissions.

Second, choose plant-first catering and offer protein as an optional add-on. This can reduce emissions by up to 95% and save costs. 

Third, rethink ground transfers. Where possible, remove shuttles and offer guided walking routes or credits for e-bikes and e-scooters. 

The IMEX Sustainability Strategy, that you’ve led is positioned as measurable and within reach—not some distant 2050 plan. What does this mean in practice?

Events don’t happen by accident; they’re designed to guide how people move, decide and act. The strategy applies that same discipline to sustainability. The question becomes: what outcomes do we want, and how do we design for them?

Progress comes from deliberate adjustments repeated consistently in areas event planners already have control.

What did IMEX’s stakeholder survey reveal that genuinely changed the direction of the strategy? Was there anything you expected stakeholders to say, but they didn’t?

One of the most significant insights was the gap between practitioners and leadership. Sustainability is still largely being left to event planners to solve, rather than treated as a core business priority. Strengthening leadership alignment became a central strategic goal.

One genuine surprise was the level of consensus around IMEX setting exhibitor sustainability standards. More than 80% of respondents supported this, including exhibitors and suppliers. 

You talk about “outcomes over optics.” If organizations need to communicate progress publicly, how do they do it with honesty and credibility?

Sustainability reporting should work like financial reporting: what was done, what the data shows, the context behind it and how we’re going to adjust course. That's it. Credibility comes from substance not statements.

For anyone attending IMEX, what’s the one thing they could do to reduce the environmental impact of their attendance?

For anyone traveling from within Europe, the most impactful action is choosing the train over a plane. The isla team has taken the train from London to Frankfurt for the past three years, including bringing our booth with us. We stop for lunch and a cold beer in Brussels, and use the journey time for final planning before the show. 

If there was one IMEX education session you could attend (apart from your own!) what would it be, and why? 

I’ve got two! First Skills for Planet Training: Empowering the Design Sector for the Green Transition, which talks about the Design Council’s exceptional work on aiming to equip one million people with the skills needed to design the future we want. 

And second, What Remains When Stability is Gone? Three Anchors to Clarity, Credibility and Execution. We’re not in the same world order we were even a year ago. Building skills to navigate constant change is critical for everyone.

What are you most looking forward to about attending IMEX Frankfurt this year?

Too much coffee, not enough water and seeing industry friends. And sharing new insights from TRACE, talking about the IMEX Sustainability Strategy, and absorbing as much as possible from the education program. 

Anna Abdelnoor at IMEX

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