Halifax is redefining what it means to host a business event through its Meet with Purpose framework
March 2026 update: We are pleased to share that our entry, Meet with Purpose, won in the category of Business and Marketing at the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards! Great work to everyone involved, and congratulations to the winners and nominees from across all the categories.
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Discover Halifax has created a roadmap to help business events contribute to community well-being and environmental stewardship, an example of how destinations can make events more sustainable without losing sight of local character.
The initiative began with a challenge familiar to many destinations - how do we balance economic opportunity with social and environmental responsibility? Business events are a driver of tourism spending, but their broader potential to strengthen communities and leave lasting benefits can often go overlooked. The Meet with Purpose project set out to change that.
At its core are two tools: the Guide to Hosting Sustainable Business Events in Halifax and a Sustainable Business Events Incentive Fund. The Guidhttps://discoverhalifaxdmo.com...e gives event planners practical steps tailored to the destination, such as prioritizing local suppliers, reducing waste, or building community partnerships. The Incentive Fund supports events that take extra steps, offering small grants for sustainable practices or legacy initiatives that align with local priorities.
The project took shape through extensive collaboration. Discover Halifax drew on research from destinations like Copenhagen and Vancouver, and then spent months consulting with local venues, hotels, community organizations, and municipal staff. Each phase focused on listening and adapting, translating those best practices into something that reflected Halifax’s strengths, including its walkable downtown, coastal setting, and community values.
By the end of 2024, the result was a framework that not only guides event planners, but connects them to a wider network of partners committed to sustainability. The approach has helped build a shared sense of responsibility within the business events sector.
And Meet with Purpose has recently been recognized internationally. The project was selected as part of the 2025 Green Destinations Top 100 Stories competition, celebrating good practice stories from destinations all over the world to be shared as inspiring examples to others.
While still evolving, Meet with Purpose influence is already being realized, and a new recognition program, local supplier directory, and community connections guide are being added to make sustainable choices easier. More importantly, the process has sparked new conversations about how business events can leave something behind, beyond economic impact.
For Halifax, the real success lies in that shift. The framework has shown that sustainability can grow naturally from local collaboration, and that even small destinations can play a meaningful role in reshaping the future of business events.
For more information on sustainable event planning, visit BusinessEventsHalifax.com/Sustainable-Events.