A visit to the trade fair with a clear conscience

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM and sustainability - a combination that harmonises very well. It's not just the technologies on show there that contribute to the sustainability of the processes realised with them. The trade fair itself also assumes responsibility towards the environment and society.

Written by Dr. Ulla Reutner

Glass façade with NürnbergMesse lettering. In the foreground a sprouting branch. — POWTECH TECHNOPHARM has broken down the sustainability goals of NürnbergMesse, which are important when organising an exhibition, into seven specific points.

Energy-efficient, resource-saving, low-emission, responsible and safe - these and similar adjectives are used by exhibitors at POWTECH TECHNOPHARM to characterise their products. The pursuit of "green growth" is replacing purely economic objectives for more and more companies. Sustainable production reconciles economic growth and environmentally conscious behaviour. The principle of sustainability goes even further, encompassing both ecological and social goals.

The 17 sustainability goals of the United Nations probably best illustrate how comprehensively sustainability is to be understood today. They are a suitable guideline not only for exhibitors and visitors to a trade fair. As one of the 15 largest exhibition companies in the world, NürnbergMesse is also guided by them. In 2021, it has summarised its ten major areas of action in a sustainability compass. Some of these focuses primarily on responsibility for employees and society, others on products and services as well as structures and processes. NürnbergMesse sets an example by registering with the German Sustainability Code and through its membership of "fairpflichtet", the sustainability code of the German-speaking event industry.

What does this mean in concrete terms for POWTECH TECHNOPHARM? When organising the exhibition and the accompanying PARTEC congress, there are seven points in which NürnbergMesse promotes and wants to further expand sustainable aspects:

Exhibition Hall roof, paved with solar modules. — Since 1 December 2023, solar power has been flowing from the high-performance photovoltaic system on the hall roofs of NürnbergMesse. In the final expansion stage, it will have a peak capacity of around 20 MWp, which corresponds to the electricity consumption of a small town.

1. Environmental and energy management

As the first German exhibition company with ISO-certified "environmental and energy management", it aims to increase its energy efficiency and minimise its environmental impact. The measures include modernising facilities and converting 100 per cent of the site and hall lighting to energy-saving LED lights. NürnbergMesse, and thus its exhibitors and events, has been using 100 per cent green electricity since 2020, and since the end of 2023 also from its own photovoltaic system with battery storage.

2. Climate-friendly journey

Climate-friendly travel by train is particularly easy for POWTECH TECHNOPHARM participants, as the U1 underground line connects Nuremberg city centre and the main railway station with the "Messezentrum" station directly from the main railway station. The journey time is just eight minutes, and the frequency is tight during trade fair rush hours. From there, a pedestrian bridge provides a comfortable and short route directly to the exhibition halls. The exhibition centre can also be reached quickly, without traffic jams and in an environmentally friendly way by underground from the airport and the neighbouring city of Fürth. Those travelling to the exhibition grounds in a low-emission electric car will currently find 19 charging points (38 AC charging points); a further 200 charging points will follow by 2025. The Audi charging hub also offers charging options with reservable fast charging points (DC).

3. Sustainable hotels

Those who also book their hotel via the POWTECH TECHNOPHARM booking site can contribute even more to the sustainability of the event. Partner hotels with a sustainability initiative are labelled with an orange dot with white waves.

System exhibition stand for "Innovation made in Germany" made from standard beams. — Shared stands for start-ups, forums and pavilions are sustainably designed using system components. Nuremberg stand builders guarantee short transport routes.

4. Conserving resources: reduce - reuse - recycle

How can a trade fair conserve resources - over and above the energy savings mentioned above? In surprisingly diverse ways. The recyclable material for exhibitor and visitor badges makes a significant contribution to sustainability across all events. The reduction in signage, which is replaced by a digital navigation and information system wherever possible, also saves material. Carpets are also a resource that should be used more sparingly in future. Water consumption is also being gradually reduced.

5. Sustainable stand construction

Every exhibitor can contribute to sustainability in stand construction by using reusable components. The ServicePartners of NürnbergMesse offer these. This also means short transport routes. POWTECH TECHNOPHARM itself relies on the multiple use of stand construction solutions for special areas such as forums, start-up areas and quiet zones.

POWTECH TECHNOPHARM is also focussing on sustainability at its exhibitor evening, including the use of reusable crockery.

6. Sustainable catering

The best way to contribute to sustainability in exhibition catering is to source seasonal foods regionally and certify them as organic, as well as offering a wide range of vegetarian dishes. For the NürnbergMesse subsidiary Lehrieder Catering, this is of fundamental importance. This also includes the extensive use of reusable crockery or - if not otherwise possible - recyclable disposable crockery.

7. Waste separation and recycling

The waste generated during construction, running time and dismantling is separated by type and sent for recycling. The sorting rate is 99 per cent. Exhibitors who try to produce as little waste as possible and pay attention to the labelling of the waste containers in the loading yards during set-up and dismantling contribute to this. Trade fair visitors who donate their bottle deposit support the Straßenkreuzer association, which creates jobs for unemployed and homeless people in Nuremberg, among other things.

Conclusion: Sustainable at the trade fair - back with sustainable ideas

The exhibition company's long-standing commitment has already been recognised with its nomination for the German Sustainability Award 2023 and 2024. The Corporate Liaison & Sustainability department, which was also established last year, shows how important the topic is to NürnbergMesse. Executive Director Tanja Rätsch is responsible: "Sustainability is becoming the yardstick for the future viability of many industries. For this reason, we are anchoring the topic not only in NürnbergMesse itself, but also in more and

Author

Dr. Ulla Reutner

Chemist and freelance specialised journalist