Conecto's annual innovation festival connects Singapore businesses to Central American sustainability solutions. When they wanted the event itself to demonstrate what they were selling, GME replaced the standard event materials with virtual experiences and offset the rest in a Costa Rican forest.
The challenge
A B2B event about sustainability that wasn't itself sustainable was the contradiction Conecto wanted to resolve. Their annual festival at Gardens by the Bay drew tens of thousands of business attendees connecting APAC to Central America's sustainability sector.
If the methodology being sold inside the event didn't show up in the operations of the event, the credibility gap was visible.
The work
GME replaced the conventional event materials with virtual reality experiences that doubled as sustainability content — including a VR exhibition of one of Costa Rica's most significant orchid collections, embedded inside Gardens by the Bay.
The footprint-heavy staples of trade shows — large cardboard and paper graphics — were eliminated. The remaining event footprint was calculated and offset through tree planting in GME's reforestation network. The 2024 return engagement built on the 2022 baseline, with an expanded experience for a larger audience.
The event itself became the demonstration.
The outcome
One hard number, two structural changes — and a partner that came back.
For a trade event whose business model is connecting sustainability buyers to sustainability sellers, operating the event sustainably is part of the product. VR turned the floor from passive display into active engagement — and the materials never came back.
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