Messe and Congress Center Basel: for events with a sustainable impact

The event industry is assuming a pioneering role in matters of sustainability as its players have seen that demand for green meetings is running high. This is a gratifying development for Messe and Congress Center Basel, since the MCH Group has been addressing the environmental, economic and social side-effects of its business activity for many years.

The infrastructure provider’s commitment includes using existing resources sparingly, supporting local suppliers, consuming electricity from 100% renewable energy sources and opting for low-emission solutions when making alterations to its buildings. And it can boast considerable success in this respect. Not only are Messe and Congress Center Basel event venues, they are also serious producers of electricity. The various photovoltaic systems on their roofs feed some 2 million kWh of electricity into the grid of Basel’s electricity utility every year. Taking all this into account, it is not surprising that the locations were recently awarded the Swisstainable Level II certificate. They are now entitled to use the Switzerland Tourism label of this same name which distinguishes companies that are committed to improving the environmental compatibility of their business activities.

And that’s not all. The team at MCH Exhibitions & Events has also set itself the task of making its guests more aware of the topic. “We have the advantage that our locations are in a city with ideal public transport links”, says Silvia Decker, Head of Marketing & Sales. “And it’s situated at the heart of Europe, which also makes for an environmentally friendly journey to

reach us”. The group has set up a Green Team especially for the purpose of promoting this and the other advantages of the premises on Exhibition Square. The team includes employees from Marketing & Sales, Project Management, Exhibition, Technology and Room Management; they meet up regularly to discuss the measures required and also to initiate these where appropriate. As one of the measures, a checklist has been drawn up which organisers, exhibitors and visitors can use to improve the energy footprint of an event.

“We are also aware of our duty of care in economic terms”, Silvia Decker explains. “It is an undisputed fact that large-scale events have a positive impact on the overall economic situation of a destination. In the short term, they boost the sales of suppliers and the hotel and restaurant trade while, in the long term, they generate a certain image effect. With careful management, we would like to maintain both these impacts for future generations.” The MCH Group also takes its responsibility toward society and its stakeholders very seriously. The company thus places great value on being a reliable and fair employer and on ensuring that its premises are barrier-free. On this latter point, it has worked with OK:GO to systematically record the accessibility of its rooms. Measures such as these are aimed at facilitating travel for people with reduced mobility.