From Conference to Community: ITM 2025 Marks Four Years of Purposeful Impact

The 2025 The Institute of Travel Management (ITM) Conference at Celtic Manor marked the fourth consecutive year of collaboration between ITM and Event Cycle, continuing a shared commitment to sustainability and social impact in corporate travel events. Under the leadership of Stacey Dean, ITM took as many steps as possible to ensure the event left a lasting legacy not just for delegates, but for the surrounding community.

Asset Dissolution Meets Storytelling

As with previous years, Event Cycle provided a full asset dissolution service, ensuring that materials used during the conference were diverted from waste streams and redistributed to benefit local charities, community groups and schools.

Building on the previous years of integrating local influences, culture and community into their annual conference, this year’s event once again wove social storytelling into the delegate experience. A creative sponsor interaction game saw exhibitors become part of a ‘social impact challenge’, with each sponsor stand featuring a token to obtain a piece of a 3D puzzle, which, when assembled, created the famous Welsh Dragon from the country's flag. The puzzle pieces were crafted by REMO, a charity that repurposes salvaged materials while providing training and employment opportunities. The challenge encouraged teams to network with sponsors and each other as well as create a centrepiece for the conference’s gala dinner later that day. 

In addition to the dragons in the centre of the dinner tables, Event Cycle also sourced lavender centrepieces to accompany them. Lavender that was locally grown a few miles down the road at Pugh’s Garden Village. Beautiful, low-impact, and rooted in place. 

Reuse before repurposing.

In a bid to extend the life of the dragons and other event materials before they were considered for repurposing (as well as influence other events with sustainable practices), ITM and Event Cycle coordinated with BCD Meetings & Events, who were hosting a conference at the same venue the next day. The plan: to share the dragons and locally grown lavender centrepieces for a second time before being sent to their final home. 

The final destination for the dragons was Somerton Primary School, where each class planned to take part in a creative activity, designing their own Welsh dragons. The initiative was planned to culminate in a school-wide ‘Dragons’ Den’ competition combining creativity, teamwork, and presentation skills, while embedding a piece of the conference into students’ imaginations.

From Centrepieces to Care Homes

As for the lavender, this was sent to Aria Care Home, a residence for elderly individuals with dementia. The plants were arranged by the residents in their communal garden and rooms, offering not only beauty and scent but a joyful and grounding activity for those living with memory loss.

Local Entertainment with a Cause

Another element featuring local, social influence and impact was found in the entertainment. Working with their charity network, Event Cycle sourced a remarkable piece of Welsh cultural heritage for the conference’s opening and closing moments. The Pontnewydd Male Choir, a charity and one of Wales’ longest-standing choirs, were contracted to perform two 15-minute sets at the conference, bringing the passion of Welsh song to the delegates, while supporting a non-profit organisation that has preserved musical tradition for 120 years.

Giving Graphics an Afterlife

Not stopping there, graphics from the event’s backdrop were turned into tote bags by an upcycling programme supporting women with limited access to employment before they were then donated to a Welsh organisation called Tasty Not Wasty. The charity works to prevent waste from food surplus through cooking and distribution for the community. They also help the homeless, isolated families and put on free wellbeing events. The bags they received will be saved specifically for Christmas surplus deliveries, as they need strong bags to deliver food parcels to 1000 households on Christmas Eve. 

ITM and Event Cycle: Four Years of Lasting Impact

From Birmingham to Brighton and across to Wales, the ITM Conference continues to evolve, embedding sustainability and social value into every detail. With each passing year, the partnership between ITM and Event Cycle shows how events can become powerful vehicles for change, supporting local communities, reducing waste, and setting a new standard for purposeful conferencing.

Want to know how to recycle event materials at your next event?

Contact us: www.eventcycle.org