(Pictured: Surfers around the world are on a mission to bring positive change)
Welcome to the XMASfiles. As another turbulent year draws to a close, the folks at IMEX Group would like to leave you with a series of short visual treats. Reminders that behind the headlines there are creative and resilient individuals fighting for all our futures—and that we can join them. In the words of TIME magazine’s person of the year, Greta Thunberg: “Everything counts. What you do counts.”
Rocket Man
The award-winning video for Elton John’s Rocket Man captures the pain of separation and feeling of alienation experienced by the creator—Iranian refugee, illustrator and animator Majid Adin (just one of the many brilliant speakers at TEDx Brighton this year)—on his arduous journey from Iran to Europe. An uplifting and moving testament to the power of the human spirit.
Closed for maintenance
As (then) Prime Minister Aksel Johannesen explains, the balance between nurturing a growing tourism industry and protecting a fragile ecosystem is a delicate one. The Faroe Islands’ inspired idea is to close for maintenance for one weekend each April. 100 volunteers are chosen from thousands of applicants to work alongside locals as they maintain hiking trails and viewing platforms—preserving what they have for a sustainable future.
TAKK
TAKK is on a mission to bring together the 35 million surfers dotted around the world as a force for positive change. United by a love for the oceans—and first-hand witnesses to climate change and plastic pollution—imagine if the power and passion of this global community could be harnessed to work together to help save our planet.
Radley Yeldar for Recycle Week 2019
Showcased by EVCOM, Radley Yeldar’s film for Recycle Week 2019 is a rallying call to stop despairing silently, to take positive action, to be part of the eco revolution, to take matters into our own hands. And to look back on 2019 with pride.
Costa Rica at the World Economic Forum
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of Global Future Councils, Costa Rica’s Minister of the Environment and Energy, Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, explains that there’s a simple solution to tackling climate change—and one that his country is leading. We’re embracing this solution by partnering with Costa Rica to carbon offset flights to our shows as the country works towards increasing forest cover to 60 percent by 2030.
And finally…
Now you see her, now you don’t. In case you were wondering who the skier is in the XMASfiles header, it’s none other than IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer. It can sometimes be hard to keep up with her—and never more so than when she’s on skis—but IMEX intrepid design team managed to capture her on the slopes (they did have to hire a bobsleigh).
IMEX Group would like to offer everyone in the global community a heartfelt thank you for your support, partnership and passion in 2019. We hope this issue of the XMASfiles has helped to inspire you to head into 2020 with renewed energy and purpose. We are all in this together. For more info, visit www.imexevents.com.
