GSTC at the Sustainable Brands 2026 Tokyo Marunouchi

The GSTC at Sustainable Brands 2026 Tokyo Marunouchi event was held on February 18–19, 2026 at the Tokyo International Forum, marking the 10th anniversary of the Sustainable Brands Tokyo conference under the theme “Adapt and Accelerate.” It brought together business leaders to explore brand transformation, innovation, regenerative practices, and cross-sector collaboration, with a strong focus on environmental and social performance.

GSTC’s Role:
- Emi Kaiwa, GSTC Finance Director, presented insights on the GSTC MICE Standard, a global framework guiding sustainability in the meetings and events sector.
- She emphasized its importance in helping stakeholders strengthen sustainability performance and integrate responsible practices into long-term planning.
- GSTC also announced that its Food & Beverage (F&B) Standard will be released soon, closely linked to MICE and hotel sustainability.

Seminar on MICE & Restaurant Sustainability:
- Organized by Mr. Shimotaya, Executive Director of the Sustainable Restaurant Association Japan (SRA).
- Included Japanese regional and restaurant case studies showing how local actors are embedding sustainability into F&B strategies to enhance their positioning in the MICE market.

Regional Impact:
- The discussions highlighted Asia’s growing alignment between sustainability standards and market expectations.
- Destinations are increasingly recognizing the value of structured approaches to responsible event management.

Broader GSTC Work:
- The event tied into GSTC’s ongoing efforts to advance sustainability across the tourism value chain, especially within the MICE segment.

This event underscored how sustainability standards are becoming central to both global and regional strategies in tourism and hospitality, with Japan offering strong case studies of integration into food and event management practices.