In the fourth installment of our "The Year of Sustainability" series, thought leader Carina Bauer tackles the UN Sustainable Development Goal, Sustainable Consumption & Production.
Sustainability has long been at the core of the IMEX Group, throughout our two shows and within our own organization. We like to joke that it’s part of our DNA and that we "even bleed green."
When it comes to responsible consumption and production the stats speak for themselves. According to MeetGreen, a typical event attendee 'produces' 1.89kg of waste per day, 1.16kg of which goes directly to landfill. This means that over a three day event, 1,000 attendees typically generate 5,670kg of waste. Such figures are starting to become too hard to swallow.
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. And now….Regenerate
At IMEX we’re on a mission to ensure event planners all over the planet ask for green or greener products and to make sure suppliers list them too. We collaborate closely with our sustainability consultants, MeetGreen, as well as partners including EIC plus our venues in Frankfurt and Las Vegas to ensure responsible consumption and production sit front and centre of each show. Having been obsessed with reducing, reusing and recycling for many years, we now know that we must add ‘regenerate’ to our goals. It’s no longer enough to simply prevent resources from being used up and thrown away. We ALL have to find ways to refresh them and to invest new life where we can. With our 2020 Talking Point we are introducing the events industry to the principles of the Circular Economy, for example.
Reduce: We’ve significantly reduced our materials footprint at our shows; we're no longer producing delegate bags or printed show catalogues. And with our Sustainable Exhibiting Guide and Sustainable Exhibiting Pledges we encourage exhibitors to do the same. We ask attendees to carbon-offset travel, and offer carbon-free train travel to Frankfurt for all European hosted buyers on Deutsche Bahn. Costa Rica’s generous sponsorship allows us to carbon offset hosted buyer flights too. We’ve also switched to ‘waterwise’ menus. The meat-free impossible burger, for example, uses far less water to produce than a meat patty and this is vital as clean water is fast becoming a scarce resource around the globe. Finally we focus on 100% compostable serviceware and food packaging.
Reuse: We collect food and materials that would otherwise be thrown away for distribution via community groups such as ShoutOutLoud in Frankfurt. At IMEX America, leftover hotel amenities are turned into Clean the World hygiene kits for donation to The Shade Tree shelter and elsewhere.
Recycle: Our venues sort and recycle leftover waste; 90% of mixed waste in Frankfurt is recycled, and the energy created by incinerating the remainder generates free power for the local community. We use recyclable materials; 95% recyclable polypropylene carpets are used in Frankfurt (and now America) and our biodegradable lanyards are made from bamboo. We’ve swapped vinyl banners, made from plastic, with re-board in Europe (known as Falcon Board in North America) and we opt for greener hydroelectricity in Frankfurt, an easy win as it’s simply the flick of a switch!
Collaborative Approach
It doesn’t end there. At IMEX we continue to challenge ourselves and our partners to achieve better results and drive innovation. Our collaborative approach ensures that we learn and evolve together, as Pranav Jampani, Executive Director, Sustainability: The Venetian, Palazzo and Sands Expo explains: “The IMEX journey has definitely been an incredibly exciting one for Sands. IMEX America is one of the signature sustainable annual events we host at Sands. With robust collaboration among IMEX, Sands, GES and MeetGreen, we were able to significantly advance the sustainability program and performance of the event every single year while providing highest value for guests.”
Start Your Own Green Squad
Success in the realm of sustainability is about being bigger than the event itself, with innovations, advice and ideas that transcend the walls of the trade show centre to achieve far-reaching, positive and meaningful impact. That’s why it’s important to share as you learn; we do this via a dedicated education track across both of our shows and also via our own Green Squad, a team of passionate and knowledgeable IMEX volunteers which drive sustainable activity throughout the office and in our hometown of Brighton, UK. All of our food waste in the office is now collected, including our coffee beans! The next step is to work towards a fair trade policy. This is a new frontier for us and something we’re really excited about.
Whether you’re ‘all in’ with being more sustainable and aware of responsible consumption or you’re simply on the fringes, wondering whether to jump, I invite you to reach out to IMEX. We’re here to help, advise, support and encourage. Myself and Nalan Emre, our COO and Chief Sustainability Champion frequent speak at events, or on a committee or panel. We care so much about a brighter, greener future for this planet and for our colleagues, friends and families. We hope you do too. Join us!
