S.Voegele

According to trade fair organizer Easyfairs, there's no getting around the central role that sustainability, environmental, social, and corporate governance play for society—and, of course, for the industry platform. Stefan Voegele, CEO of Easyfairs Switzerland, sees this not as a temporary trend, but as an obligation.

In his view, Generation Z, which strives for sustainability, diversity, work-life balance, and social responsibility, needs to be offered more far-reaching "soft" offers beyond the visible product offerings at trade fairs. A kind of "game changer" for attracting talent.

After all, the Europe-wide trade fair organizer, known to the logistics scene primarily through “Logistics & Automation” and “Empack,” says it has reduced its ecological footprint by a third since 2019.

What is measured...

In June 2024, Easyfairs published its first annual sustainability report, covering the themes of "act for the future," "act for the planet," "act for society," "act for our people," "tracking our progress," and "governance." The report demonstrates Easyfairs' commitment to transparency, ethical corporate governance, and responsible social engagement.

Easyfairs signed the "Net Zero Carbon Events" commitment back in October 2021. Voegele stated: "We have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. This is the most global and ambitious measure to combat climate change in the events industry."

Tree planting campaign

Easyfairs is part of the environmentally and socially conscious companies that support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Voegele: "We are working to reduce the environmental impact of our events, venues, and offices and are helping our communities transition to net-zero consumption." This also includes being a responsible employer.

Following the motto "What is not measured cannot be reduced," precise standards are applied. "Our modular stands," says Voegele, "are reused from one trade fair to the next and delivered by a single stand construction partner, significantly reducing logistics emissions compared to traditional formats." Easyfairs events are deliberately designed to be compact and typically last no longer than two days. Short runtimes ensure that the carbon footprint is lower than that of other industry platforms.

Most Easyfairs events are geared toward regional markets and are close to those markets. Exhibitors, visitors, and the press have short distances to travel. This isn't just a phrase for Voegele and his team. "Through digitalization and the use of new technologies like the smart badge, we can significantly reduce paper waste while ensuring efficient data exchange."

Reducing carbon emissions begins with measuring group emissions. In 2023, our assessment showed a 33 percent reduction in carbon footprint compared to our 2018-2019 baseline. In 2023, Easyfairs published its Net Zero Roadmap, which covers the five key areas of energy, travel and accommodation, freight and logistics, manufacturing and waste, and food and food waste.

 One of the strategies in the DA-CH region is to do away with aisle carpets at events. This eliminates the largest mountain of waste from disposable or single-use materials.

In addition, a very special environmental incentive was introduced. Instead of the usual rebooking gift, exhibitors at the Maintenance Switzerland, Pumps & Valves Zurich, Aqua Suisse, Empack, and Logistics & Automation trade fairs in Zurich and Bern received a tree-planting certificate from MyBluePlanet. To date, Easyfairs has planted over 200 new trees in Zurich and Bern. Event Director Voegele said, "Experiencing the enthusiasm and commitment of our exhibitors here was remarkable and encouraging." The team was fully motivated to tackle the tree-planting campaigns and follow up on their promise. "This is not something to be taken for granted and is another reason for optimism."

In promoting the growth of communities, supporting their decarbonization, promoting innovation, start-ups and entrepreneurship, and showing solidarity, we also enter into long-term partnerships with selected charities.

When it comes to diversity, equality, and inclusion, Easyfairs creates a culture that prioritizes diversity and inclusivity. With the slogan "Boost your future," the Easyfairs Academy promotes a culture of lifelong learning and accelerates professional development. "We offer a wide range of blended learning methods. Easyfairs continuously invests in the academy and encourages its employees to learn from day one. Learning opportunities are available for every position and every subject."

Easyfairs organizes events in 11 countries with 820 employees of various nationalities. This diversity promotes a global perspective, which significantly enhances the group's innovative capacity and generates creative brilliance. Voegele: "Diversity, equality, and inclusion play a major role for us." Incidentally, Easyfairs is a women-oriented company, with a 62 percent female workforce in 2023 and near gender parity in its management team, which consists of 46 percent women.

All images: Easyfairs

A KPI tracker helps track progress against twelve ESG key performance indicators (KPIs). The tracker not only provides an overview of the status and level of achievement of each KPI, but also shows Easyfairs' contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In 2021, Easyfairs appointed its first Chief Sustainability Officer. "We believe in operating with integrity, fostering trust, and ensuring accountability in our business practices." For its efforts, Easyfairs consistently wins awards such as the 2024 Digital Innovation Award from the International Federation of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), the 2024/2023 "Great Place to Work" Germany & Switzerland, and the Best Managed Companies Award from Deloitte, Econopolis, and KU Leuven.

The Easyfairs Sustainability Report - Download here

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