IMEX today released a Sustainable Event Report on the 2023 edition of IMEX Frankfurt.

The report lifts the lid on sustainability planning in the run-up to and execution of IMEX Frankfurt 2023, sharing achievements in waste diversion and energy use, as well as highlighting opportunities for improvement.

“This is the second report we’ve produced, working with our sustainability consultants MeetGreen®, meaning we can now benchmark our progress against 2022,” explains Carina Bauer, CEO, IMEX Group. “It’s an opportunity to share our successes and our challenges with the wider industry so that they can take what we’ve learned and weave these into their own events.”

Report highlights and learnings

• As part of the brand refresh launched at IMEX Frankfurt 2023, the team invested in “evergreen,” date-free signage that can be used year after year. They also reduced printed signage where possible and used digital projection in some areas. The result was 85 percent less print production overall compared to 2022.
• Significant strides were made in the areas of F&B, with a particular focus on reducing carbon heavy dishes such as beef (beef generates 60 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of meat produced). At the show’s food court, beef options were reduced to less than five percent of menus and over half (58 percent) of food sales were vegetarian or vegan.
• Exhibitors played their part: Frankfurt Convention Bureau, for example, delivered all booth materials and supplies by bike to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Across the show floor, there was a substantial drop in single-use, “build & burn” booths – a reduction of 38 percent compared to 2019 levels. The IMEX team is now working to improve this as part of the Better Stands initiative which sets classification criteria according to how much of a stand/booth is reused or recycled.
• New to IMEX: four electric buses that transported attendees from Frankfurt’s main railway station to Messe Frankfurt, saving an estimated 103 kg CO2e.

“Our sustainability efforts at IMEX Frankfurt and also at IMEX America are part of our wider strategy to achieve a more positive impact,” says Bauer. “As we make more progress over time, success comes from focusing on some of the fine details while looking at every decision we make through a green, lower carbon lens. Ultimately, every member of our team is accountable for this mindset shift and for championing positive change.

“We recently launched our net zero roadmap, part of our commitment to the industry-wide Net Zero Carbon Events (NZCE) initiative. Our intention is to reach net zero by 2030, ahead of the 2050 target set out by NZCE in line with the Paris Agreement. This roadmap is just one element in our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy, and an expression of our vision: a thriving global events industry focused on positive change.”

The IMEX Frankfurt 2023 sustainability report can be downloaded HERE.

IMEX Frankfurt 2024 takes place May 14-16 at Messe Frankfurt, Germany.