Sustainability will be part of all tenders as early as 2023, 100 percent green electricity by 2025. 450 million euros are planned for modernization investments in the coming years. Association boss Harting says: “Trade fairs are part of the solution on the way to a climate-neutral economy”.
Berlin, August 1, 2022 | The German trade fair industry will be climate-neutral by 2040. By 2025 at the latest, German trade fairs will be supplied with 100 percent green electricity. Starting next year, the German trade fair industry will make sustainability a requirement in tenders with its industry partners. The 69 organisers, associations and hosts of trade fairs in Germany that are part of the umbrella organization of the German trade fair industry AUMA set themselves these three and six other goals at their most recent annual conference in Berlin. The sector positioning consists of building blocks from A for waste to W for water. They are the start of a joint process that is constantly being further developed.
Philip Harting, Chairman of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA: “Trade fairs are part of the solution on the way to a climate-neutral economy. Trade fairs are the meeting places where industry partners work together as problem solvers to pave the way to a sustainable future. Our exhibition sites themselves have been working on becoming more and more sustainable for years. Now, as an entire industry, we are giving ourselves industry-wide sustainability standards. The principle of avoidance before reduction before compensation applies. In order to remain attractive as the meeting point for the problem solvers of our time, we are tackling this major task in an economically extremely tense situation in our industry after almost two years of being banned from trade fairs.”
In the past two years without a trade fair, the trade fair companies have also invested around 150 million euros, including in the modernization of the hall lighting and the expansion of e-mobility. The German trade fair companies alone intend to invest more than 450 million euros in renovation and modernization over the next three years. Further investments by exhibitors, stand builders and service partners can be expected.
Also part of the industry agreement: in future, a portfolio for sustainable stands will be available in trade fair stand construction. An incentive system for exhibitors to opt for multiple-use stands is also to be developed. The economical use of water, the further greening of the exhibition grounds, the reduction of CO2 emissions through the bundling of exhibition logistics and improved travel to and from exhibitions by public transport are further points, as is a larger range of organic products in the catering and avoiding food waste.
The target agreement has been drawn up under the direction of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry AUMA since autumn 2021 with over 30 experts from trade fair companies and associations. The industry paper also builds on the results of several workshops and member surveys. The board of AUMA approved the paper unanimously.