European Association of Event Centers: A Decade of Sustainability Leadership
EVVC Kick Off 2021. (L-R) Stephan Lemke EVVC Board Member, Ilona Jarabek EVVC President, Timo Feuerbach EVVC Managing Director, Brit Haase Office Management pic.©O.Malzahn
European Association of Event Centers e.V. (EVVC) represents 650 event centers of all kinds and sizes in Germany and Europe. As a versatile communications network, the EVVC strives to improve the perception of the event industry via intensive public relations, as well as contributing to legislation governing the events sector.
To provide leadership in sustainability the EVVC was first certified by Green Globe in 2010 and this year has been awarded Platinum status for more than ten years of continuous certification. Measured against the Green Globe Business & Administration Standard, the EVVC has scored 90% of the criteria.
Alongside its accomplishments as a sustainably managed industry association, the EVVC also conducts a range of initiatives which promote environmental performance, as well as economic and social development by its members across Germany and Europe.
The EVVC’s greenmeetings and events conference (gme) took place for the first time in 2021 in the form of three inspiring digital events in July, September, and October. The participants were connected by entertaining interactive sessions and discussions on future topics such as the European Green Deal, sustainable corporate culture, and sustainability communication. The varied program, which the organizers EVVC and the German Convention Bureau e.V. (GCB) initiated together, were very well received by the participants.
"We are very happy that we were able to hold this established event in an alternative format even in times of pandemic," said EVVC President Ilona Jarabek, adding, "We all urgently need the exchange on sustainability topics in order to continuously learn from each other and to develop further." In 2023, gme will continue as a face-to-face event in Osnabrück.
Along with six other leading event industry associations, the EVVC is represented on the Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft (German Event Industry Forum), which bundles together networks, competencies, and resources to more effectively represent and lobby for event industry interests. In partnership with the Forum Musikwirtschaft (German Music Industry Forum), the Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft will contribute to the success of the European Union's Green Deal.
EVVC Team (L-R) Brit Haase Office Management, Verena Unden Sustainability Manager, Sabrina Hoßbach Trainee, Anja Pfau Accountant, Felix Lechla Head of Communication pic. © T. Zimmermann
Under the Green Deal, all 27 EU member states have committed to making the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To this end, they agreed to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. Through a consultation and advisory process, the Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft, and the Forum Musikwirtschaft will contribute industry know-how to the EU to assist in achieving the greatest efficiency for their industries and ensure that industry-relevant decisions are designed in a practical manner.
“As in many other areas, sustainability issues can be better and effectively achieved by working together with partners in dialogue and solidarity. In the Forum Veranstaltungswirtschaft, we have already been able to achieve success together on the political stage. I am convinced that we will also succeed in this in the further course of action in terms of sustainability," says EVVC Managing Director Timo Feuerbach. The EVVC is also represented internationally in the Joint Meeting industry Council (JMIC) and, together with its other members, has committed itself to Net Zero Carbon Events.
fairpflichtet, is a voluntary sustainability code for internal use by companies and in the implementation of events. Co-developed by the EVVC and the GCB, fairpflichtet enables event industry providers to transparently evaluate their sustainable activities. “fairpflichtet makes it easy for every company to approach the topic of sustainability," says Prof. Dr. Markus Große Ophoff, Sustainability Assessor on the EVVC Board. Prof. Große Ophoff further states, "fairpflichtet offers the possibility of a low-threshold entry and simple documentation of the activities without having to take on the effort of a sustainability certification, which is not feasible for all companies."
In 2021, EVVC and GCB along with industry representatives experienced with fairpflichtet, conducted a workshop to carefully review the 17 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and selected three that were of relevance and importance to the event industry. The combination of selected SDGs with fairpflichtet allows companies who adopt the code to make valuable contributions to sustainable development at the economic, social, and ecological level. In addition, the fairpflichtet homepage with a new design was developed in 2021 and went online in January 2022.
Contact
Verena Unden
Sustainability Manager
EVVC European Association of Event Centres e.V.
Office / Head Office:
Niddastraße 74,.60329 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 69 / 91509698-0,
Phone direct: +49 (0) 69 / 91509698-2
Mobile: +49 (0) 151 / 18642950
Fax: +49 (0) 69 / 91509698-9
info@evvc.org
www.evvc.org
Bradley Cox
Director Communications
Green Globe Certification
1223 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 925
Santa Monica, CA 90403 / U.S.A.
Phone: +1-310-337-3000 ext. 105 - Fax: +1-310-626-9982
www.greenglobe.com
About Green Globe Certification
Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please visit www.greenglobe.com
