Maritz’s Elevate 2026 Achieves Sustainability Certification from the Events Industry Council

This year’s event reaches BRONZE-level certification for environmental and social responsibility.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 21, 2026) – The Events Industry Council announced today that Elevate 2026, an annual brand event for Maritz clients, suppliers and team members, has achieved BRONZE-level certification for the EIC’s Sustainable Event Standards. Maritz is a leader in the meetings and event management industry.

“Achieving BRONZE-level certification for Elevate 2026 demonstrates what’s possible when meaningful event experiences are paired with a shared commitment to sustainability,” said Jim Russell, Global Head, Business Events Solutions at Maritz. “We’re so proud of the work our teams and partners have done to make measurable progress, reduce our environmental footprint and create a positive impact in the communities where we meet.”

The EIC Sustainable Event Standards were created through a global collaborative process with participation from subject matter experts in all sectors. They provide a framework for collaboration and a strong focus on guidance and metrics, so that event professionals at all stages of their sustainability journey have support to implement and measure sustainable practices.

The standards specify performance criteria in the areas of organisational management; marketing; communications and engagement; climate action; water management; materials and circularity; supply chain management; diversity, equity and inclusion; accessibility and social impact. To date, more than 300 professionals have participated in the review of the standards. The venue standard is one of several comprehensive standards for more environmentally sustainable events.

“Maritz's certification of Elevate 2026 demonstrates how organizations can integrate sustainability into every stage of the event planning process,” said Amy Calvert, President and CEO of the Events Industry Council. “By achieving BRONZE-level certification, Maritz has shown an ongoing commitment to measuring its impact, engaging stakeholders and advancing responsible business event practices. We congratulate the Maritz team on this achievement and their leadership in the events industry.”

Elevate 2026 was held May 11-14 at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. Maritz’s certification aligns with its mission to achieve Net Zero impact across its entire organisation by 2050. More information can be found here: Elevate 2026 - Community Impact

Since measuring began in 2021, Maritz has reduced its event impact, embedded sustainable standards into event design and enhanced contributions to the local communities hosting its events. Overall, they have reduced their organizational footprint by 28%.

The Alliance for Audited Media, a not-for-profit auditing organisation, performed the independent third-party certification of the event’s compliance with the Event Organiser standard.

“Maritz's achievement reflects its thoughtful approach to event planning that incorporates environmental and social responsibility alongside business objectives,” said Richard Murphy, CEO, President and Managing Director of the Alliance for Audited Media. “We congratulate Maritz on this achievement and its ongoing efforts to make sustainability an integral part of the event experience.”

Contact:

For all EIC media enquiries, additional comments and request for interviews, please contact Steve Dobbins, Events Industry Council

Tel: +1 323 578 2671 / Email: media@eventscouncil.org

ABOUT EVENTS INDUSTRY COUNCIL

The Events Industry Council’s worldwide federation includes 30+ Association Members and 30+ Corporate Members with global operations and event teams in countries around the world. EIC’s collective network touches an estimated half a million event professionals and more than 70,000 organisations across the global business events ecosystem.

EIC is the global champion for event professionals and event industry excellence. It promotes high standards and professionalism in the events industry with the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) programme and signature programme activities. The CMP credential is recognised globally as the badge of excellence in the events industry. The qualifications for certification are based on professional experience, education and a rigorous exam. Learn more at www.eventscouncil.org.

ABOUT MARITZ

Maritz is a 132-year-old leader in business and human performance that elevates human potential through tailored solutions in channel partnerships, loyalty, employee rewards, sales incentives, automotive and meetings & events. They use deep knowledge of behavioral science, combined with data insights and analytics, to solve business challenges for Fortune 500 clients. For more information, visit www.maritz.com.

Contact:

For all Maritz media enquiries, additional comments and request for interviews, please contact Deborah Cohen.

Tel: +1 901 359 0679 / Email: deborah.cohen@maritz.com

ABOUT THE ALLIANCE FOR AUDITED MEDIA

As the leading global not-for-profit media assurance organization, the Alliance for Audited Media advances transparency, accountability and trust across media and advertising. From cross-media audits and data verification to industry certifications in areas such as brand safety, measurement, retail media and ethical AI, AAM validates the data and processes that power today’s media. Through impartial assurance and forward-thinking frameworks, AAM helps organizations demonstrate credibility and authenticity in a rapidly evolving media ecosystem. Learn more at auditedmedia.com.