NürnbergMesse Brasil, one of the country’s leading business meetings promoters, has completed the overall assessment of its ESG initiatives for 2023. In seven major events promoted by the company, 107 tons of waste were sent for recycling, a figure 36% higher than that recorded in the previous year, when waste separation was outsourced. “We were able to implement management of everything that is discarded at our fairs. We have a sustainability team that carries out on-site segregation to ensure a higher rate of recyclable and correct disposal,” says Caroline Guedes, ESG operational coordinator at NürnbergMesse Brasil.
The test event was held at the Catarina Aviation Show, the first fair with 100% sustainable booths in the country. The initiative was then extended to other major trade shows promoted by the company: FCE Pharma, FCE Cosmetique, PET South America, PET VET, Analitica Latin America and ABRAFATI SHOW, held at São Paulo Expo, in the city of São Paulo. In 2024, major business meetings will continue with the initiative.
“Previously, the waste produced at these events was thrown into dumpsters and managed by the collection company responsible for the pavilion. Today, with this internal separation, we can work with a wider range of materials and, in addition to recycling, promote social circular labor by sending what is discarded to NGOs that transform waste into new products,” adds Caroline.
The actions taken since the beginning of last year bring NürnbergMesse Brasil into compliance with the law passed by the São Paulo government in the second half of the year, which requires organizers and suppliers of public and private events to assume responsibility for the correct disposal of waste produced at shows, festivals, conferences, fairs, among others.
Law No. 17,806 also requires event organizers, establishments, and suppliers of materials and products that generate waste to prioritize actions aimed at reducing or preventing waste generation. This initiative was also already on the agenda of NürnbergMesse Brasil. The final balance of waste disposal shows that 87.2 tons were collected in 2023, which is 7% less than the volume in 2022, and all fairs had larger numbers of exhibitors and visitors. “This shows that, more than creating zero-waste events, our goal is to reduce waste production,” explains the ESG specialist.
To achieve this, the event promoter has partnered with USET, a company that makes sustainable and 100% reusable stands. These are prefabricated blocks that come in different shapes and sizes, depending on the exhibitor’s project and proposal, and are differentiated by their decoration. Once the fair is over, these modules are returned to USET, which stores these materials to be used in new events. The idea is to avoid waste as much as possible, since industry estimates indicate that up to 70% of the materials used in traditional stands are discarded. “Just think of a pavilion and the amount of materials used immediately comes to mind. At trade shows and exhibitions, the production of plastic, canvas, wood, cardboard, glass, carpet and other waste is very high, which raises questions about a greener future for the market. That is why we have started to separate and control the destination of the waste produced at the meetings we promote and, by 2024, the goal is even higher. We will increase the reprocessing rate of this waste by 5%”, concludes João Paulo Picolo, CEO of the company.
About NürnbergMesse Brasil
NürnbergMesse Brasil is a subsidiary of the NürnbergMesse Group and one of the largest promoters of business meetings in the country. With a portfolio of more than 10 events, all leaders in their markets, the company moves various segments of the national economy, with a high level of professionalism and competence.
NürnbergMesse
The NürnbergMesse Group is among the 15 largest organizers of business meetings in the world. Its portfolio includes more than 120 international trade shows and conferences. Every year, around 30,000 exhibitors and more than 1.5 million visitors participate in the events organized by the multinational, which is present, through its subsidiaries, in China, North America, Brazil, Greece, Italy and India. The group also has a network of around 50 representatives, operating in more than 116 countries.
