Environmental protection and ecological sustainability are issues of ever-increasing significance – also in organising events and congresses. Salzburg Congress is a certified Green Location, which in turn entitles us to issue certificates for events that qualify as Green Meetings and Green Events - guaranteeing an honest approach to events that meet the very highest standards.
Green meetings and events are far more than a trend and have long since become a matter of honour in the event sector. They are a clear sign that organisers are taking the issues of quality, energy consumption and environmental management very seriously and wish to set a good example for others.
There is comprehensive list of criteria to work through in order to gain certification as a Green Meeting at Salzburg Congress. At the time the contract is signed the managers of the event are expected to inform Salzburg Congress as to whether the event should be held subject to the principles of ecological sustainability. This gives the organisers plenty of time to advertise the ‘Green Meeting / Green Event’ status when attracting participants, speakers and other event partners.
‘Green Meetings’ (meetings, seminars, congresses, trade fairs etc.) and ‘Green Events’ (other events) enhance credibility by signalising the fact that a company or organisation is prepared to be subjected to scrutiny by a third party in order to benefit the environment. At certified events the participants are directed to EcoLabel hotels, the catering companies are obliged to used regionally farmed and sourced products, FSC-certified pens are used, and there is a conscious effort to avoid the use of large amounts of paper and other materials. These categories are given particular scrutiny:
Salzburg Congress was awarded the Austrian EcoLabel in April 2011. Since then, event organisers have had the opportunity to stage a ‘Green Meeting’ or a ‘Green Event’ at our venue. The certification awarded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management entitles us to confer the EcoLabel to events under our supervision.
The EcoLabel is unique in Europe in terms of the comprehensiveness of the guidelines it sets, and serves as a powerful seal of approval in the field of ecologically friendly gatherings. The EcoLabel was developed by the Austria Convention Bureau in cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Sustainability and Tourism.
Subsequently, in August 2015 Salzburg Congress was awarded the Austrian EcoLabel for Green Locations. Our goal is to preserve natural resources, and to optimise energy efficiency and regional profit generation. This strategy has the utmost priority in a city like Salzburg, whose beautiful old town is a registered UNESCO world heritage site. Every day we take on and share this responsibility with our suppliers and service providers, associates, customers and our dedicated team of employees to guarantee the conceptual and practical implementation of ‘Green Meetings’ and ‘Green Events’. It’s a job we live and breathe!
Green Meetings and climate-neutral events are only a short step apart. Taking this last step involves calculating the volumes of the few remaining emissions caused by the event, and compensating them by supporting a sophisticated climate protection project – such as a reforestation initiative. Now your event can make a valuable contribution to climate protection.
Contact the Climate Neutrality Group (Klimaneutralitätsbündnis 2025):
Dipl.-Ing. Anna Maierhofer, MSc
T +43 5574 601 88275
anna.maierhofer@illwerke.at
www.illwerkevkw.at