"We very much welcome that there will soon be a uniform international standard to measure the sustainability of planning and implementing events," says Anke Pruust, Deputy Managing Director of the GCB. "As the association of German meeting and convention providers, we attach great importance to this and we represent the interests of our 250 members in the German Standards Committee Sustainable Event Management. Among our members there are many businesses that are pioneers and set a good example for 'green meetings'. Their commitment will be confirmed by an international standard, as this will not only give them valuable encouragement but will also allow them to benefit from the transparency enabled by the new environment standard world-wide," says a convinced Pruust.

Around 30 states support the standard-creating ISO/PC 250 Committee actively or as observers. The integration of numerous interest groups ensures that the standard will offer an internationally recognised framework for staging green events, under which planners, buyers and suppliers can realise sustainable processes and offers in future. ISO standard 20121 will monitor venue management, supplier selection, communication and transport from the sustainability aspect and will apply to all types of events - be it exhibitions, sports contests or concerts.

Supporting the new ISO standard is just one of several initiatives that help the GCB position itself as a pioneer for 'green meetings'. The GCB takes account of sustainability when organising its annual general meeting and other in-house events. Its website www.germany-meetings.com has a separate 'Green Meetings' area offering comprehensive advice on sustainable event planning including a CO2 Calculator that was jointly developed with CO2OL in September 2009.

The GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. markets Germany as a destination for conventions, meetings, events and incentives both on a national and international level, and is the place to contact for all customers who are planning events in Germany.

Its 250 members include leading hotels, convention centres and destinations, car hire firms, event agencies and service providers of the German meetings and conventions industry. Maritim Hotels, Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH and darmstadtium science and convention centre are Preferred Partners of the GCB. As Strategic Partners, Deutsche Lufthansa, Deutsche Bahn and the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) support the work of the GCB.

The GCB is an interface between organisers of meetings and conventions and suppliers of the German meetings market, offers advice and support for planning and organising events, and provides contacts and addresses. Its website www.germany-meetings.com features an online search facility for meeting venues, newsletter, Germany guide and a lot more.