People: The overlooked pillar of sustainable events

An Offstage with Soundings® recap of our session at IMEX Frankfurt 2025

By Tracy Judge, Founder & CEO, Soundings

The Intersection of People and Sustainability 

Sustainability is no longer just about carbon, waste, and materials. It’s about people. And at IMEX Frankfurt this year, we brought that message forward, because while environmental metrics dominate most conversations, social sustainability is still underrepresented. Yet, it’s people who bring our events to life. And it’s people who are most impacted, positively or negatively, by how those events are designed, staffed, and led. 

This session explored how companies like Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Encore are embedding social sustainability into workforce strategies, rethinking how we hire, who we hire, and why it matters. Together with Candice Beckman from Encore and Carmen Schuler from BCG, we unpacked what it truly means to build a more human-centered, inclusive, and equitable event ecosystem. 

Reframing Sustainability: From Carbon to Culture 

We kicked off by challenging a common assumption: that sustainability is only about environmental impact. BCG’s approach exemplifies a broader, more people-centered view. Carmen shared how BCG intentionally staffs talent within the destination, not just to reduce emissions from long-haul travel, but to invest in local economies, cultural understanding, and team well-being. 

It’s a strategy that reflects a critical evolution: treating workforce decisions as part of a company’s broader sustainability mission. When you think about sustainability holistically, your hiring practices, supplier choices, and team structure become part of your impact story. 

Partnerships That Reflect Values 

Every decision we make about who we work with is a chance to reinforce (or dilute) our values. Carmen spoke about BCG’s process of selecting partners who share their commitment to ethical work conditions, DEI, and cultural integrity. 

Candice highlighted Encore’s global footprint and the importance of cultural alignment when collaborating across markets. From language barriers to regional nuances, working with local teams not only drives operational efficiency, it builds stronger, more culturally attuned experiences. These kinds of partnerships multiply impact: when values scale, so does trust. 

Fair Work, Local Hiring, and Inclusion in Action 

Encore’s journey to becoming a Great Place to Work globally wasn’t accidental, it was intentional. Candice shared how Encore’s employee resource groups (ERGs) have created space for connection, support, and advocacy across regions. Initiatives like the Wave program (Women in Audio Visual Events) are opening technical pathways for women in roles traditionally dominated by men, shifting both representation and opportunity in the industry. 

BCG and Encore’s women’s networks, veteran support programs, and DEI initiatives also show up in how events are designed and staffed. These programs create visibility, voice, and access… not just in offices, but on the ground at events around the world. 

And when we talk about freelancers, especially in an industry that’s 77% female, flexibility is a lifeline. Freelance models allow caregivers, parents, and others with nontraditional schedules to stay active in the workforce. It’s not just about labor strategy. It’s about equity, leadership continuity, and dignity. 

Human-Centered Metrics: What Are We Missing? 

As companies race to measure carbon and emissions, we challenged the audience to ask: what about people? Are we tracking local hiring? Pay equity? Gender and racial representation in leadership and onsite teams? 

Carmen and Candice both acknowledged that while environmental metrics often require expensive tech to track, many people metrics are right at our fingertips… we’re just not pulling them. With the right frameworks and partnerships, we can start reporting on human-centered sustainability today. 

Encore’s customer journey tool, for instance, helps create consistency and transparency across global activations, ensuring inclusive staffing practices can scale. BCG is also examining leadership diversity and working toward measurable progress, recognizing that leadership transformation is both essential and ongoing. 

The Role of AI: A Tool for Equity and Access 

We closed by looking ahead: how AI can be used to promote fairness, not just efficiency. AI enables skills-based hiring by filtering for capabilities, not résumés. It creates personalized learning paths that empower underrepresented groups to upskill. And with thoughtful design, AI systems can help us track representation, advancement, and pay gaps. 

It’s not a silver bullet, but when used with intention, AI can democratize opportunity and help close the inclusion gap. 

Final Takeaway: Action Starts With Mindset 

If there’s one shift companies can make immediately, it’s this: treat social sustainability with the same rigor, strategy, and priority as environmental sustainability. 

People are the reason our events exist. They’re also the ones who power every touchpoint of an experience. By investing in talent, equity, and inclusive partnerships, we don’t just create better events–we build a more resilient and human-centered industry. 

To everyone who joined us at IMEX Frankfurt, thank you for showing up with openness and curiosity. This conversation is just beginning. Let’s keep building, more intentionally, more inclusively, and more sustainably… together. 

What’s one way you or your organization are putting people at the center of your sustainability strategy? I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, or examples in the comments below. Let’s learn from each other and keep this momentum going. 

Tracy Judge, MS, CMP
CEO & Founder, Soundings

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