Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Event - Travel and Social Good Conference ... The inaugural Travel+SocialGood Conference will take place on September 20th at MRV offices in NYC.

In partnership with the +SocialGood initiative headed by the UN Foundation, UNDP, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Case Foundation & Mashable. This half-day exploration of the nexus between travel, technology, and social good.

The travel and tourism industry accounts for $6.4 trillion in annual GDP and employs 1 in 11 citizens throughout the world. In 2013, spending in this high-technology industry is expected to grow by 5.1 percent and contribute $2.1 trillion to annual global GDP with the highest growth rates in the developing world. Meanwhile hundreds of billions of dollars are spent on charity and development aid every year.

While each field plays a role in reaching the Millennium Development Goals outlined by the United Nations in 2000, the wealth potential available through cross-sectoral partnerships has yet to be fully tapped. Imagine a billion tourists and travelers whose trips are designed to be sustainable and socially responsible. A wave of technological innovation, purposed with lowering the environmental footprint of each and every country, has yet to be fully realized. The ability for international charitable organizations to become more transparent and effective than ever is on the horizon. Impact on this scale can only be achieved at the crossroads of travel, technology, and social good.

Travel+SocialGood is dedicated to exploring this nexus and identifying its 'connective tissue': those agents of change who will catalyze positive global impact. The inaugural conference will be a gathering of social entrepreneurs, engaged media agencies, academic thought leaders, and others vested in this space. Through speeches, pitches, ignite sessions, and directed conversations, we aim to spark this collaborative ecosystem of innovation and foster its development far beyond the conference itself.