Photo: EasyFairs
Easyfairs, a trade fair organizer active throughout Europe and known in Switzerland and the logistics sector primarily for the packaging trade fair Empack, Logistics&Automation, and Maintenance, has published its first sustainability report. This report is linked to ambitious goals for the future.
Highlights of the report include a transparent overview of the activities of the trade fair organizer, which, according to the report, operates 110 leading industry platforms in twelve segments with a total of 23,000 exhibitors and 1 million visitors per year until the end of 2023, and the progress made in implementing the "Act for the Future" strategy. One of the most proud achievements is the reduction of the CO2 footprint by a third since 2019.
Pharmaceutical trade fair in Belgium
In October 2021, Easyfairs signed the "Net Zero Carbon Events" commitment. "We have committed to achieving net zero by 2050 and halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030," say Anne Lafère and Matt Benyon, CEOs of the Easyfairs Group. They describe this as the most comprehensive and ambitious global measure to date to combat climate change in the events sector. Sustainability is explicitly part of the program in 67 percent of all events.
"Our modular all-in stands," says Easyfairs' Sustainability Officer Nil Sönmez, "are reused from one event to the next, which significantly reduces purchasing and waste emissions." Since the transport of the all-in stands is consolidated, this also reduces transport emissions. At EasyFairs events in Sweden and the Netherlands, the stands are stored at the "hosting" locations and therefore do not need to be transported at all.
Meeting in Zurich. Photo: klk.
“Most of our events,” explains Sönmez, “are aimed at regional or national markets.
Most of our visitors come from within a 75 km radius. Each event
strategically positions itself for its specific target group and addresses highly specialized and/or regional interests.”
This approach reflects a growing public preference for domestic providers and personalized experiences. Sönmez continues, “In this way, our events not only meet the specific needs of our customers but also contribute to sustainability.”
For example, digitalization and the use of new technologies like the smart badge (which allows visitors to collect materials digitally) significantly reduce paper waste. These are excellent prerequisites for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Industry event in Sweden
EasyFairs organizes events in 14 countries (Algeria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) and operates eight of its own exhibition centers in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden (Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen-Brussels North, Namur, Gorinchem, Hardenberg, Malmö and Stockholm).
In the DA-CH region, Easyfairs organizes, among others, the «all about automation», «KPA Kunststoff Produkte Aktuell», «AQUA Suisse», «Empack», «Logistics&Automation», «maintenance», «Pumps&Valves», «Recycling-Technik» and «Solids».
