ISO certificate for Greek NürnbergMesse subsidiary

As CEO Thanos Panagoulias recently explained on the occasion of the installation of a 19 kW solar system on the FORUM office building in Athens: "The installation of the solar system, which will cover 50 per cent of the company's energy requirements, demonstrates our commitment to the responsible use of resources, environmental protection and sustainability in a social and ecological sense."

Forum S.A. is also aware of its responsibility when it comes to what happens under the hall roofs: For sustainable planning and organisation, the Xenia and HORECA trade fairs have been certified with the international management system standard ISO 20121:2012, which has been in place for the event industry since the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Only one other trade fair in Greece has achieved this so far.

The severe flooding in Thessaly, which destroyed entire villages in September, once again emphasised how important it is to take measures for sustainability - especially for companies. "This is all the more true for trade fairs, which have always served as a tool for disseminating innovations, trends and best practices on the market," says Stratos Apostolakos, Sustainability Manager at Forum S.A., for whom the certification shows "that our trade fairs are ahead of the curve and actually practice what we preach".

At Xenia and HORECA, this can be seen in several ways - by reducing the ecological footprint in terms of energy savings and waste management, digitalising communication and through workshops and seminars in which exhibitors and visitors are sensitised to the topic of sustainability.

Under the motto "less is more", a bundle of measures with high savings potential was put together: mandatory LED lamps for exhibitors to reduce electricity consumption; food donations to charitable organisations to avoid waste; an increase in the recycling rate.

At the same time, investments in digital tools and platforms not only reduce paper consumption, but also make trade fairs "easy going" for exhibitors and visitors. These include progressive web apps for Xenia and HORECA, which allow users to save favourite exhibitors, contact them directly or take notes from a meeting. The exhibitor list can be filtered according to requirements (alphabetical order, hall, category, product) and the interactive floor plan makes it easier to navigate the halls.

Everything about the trade fairs is digital: directions, programmes, information, news and contact details. Exhibitors benefit from the barcode service as well as visitors at the entrance. They can invite their contacts and make it easier for them to access the event.

For Thanos Panagoulias, the photovoltaic system and ISO certification represent a milestone: "Obtaining the standard has a positive impact and strengthens our efforts to respond to the new social, cultural and environmental conditions in the best possible way. The company's declared aim is to continue to develop and offer sustainable quality events on a national and global level.