Voluntary

// Unser fairpflichtet Fortschrittsbericht berücksichtigt die Einhaltung der Nachhaltigkeitsziele der Vereinten Nationen (SDG Sustainable Development Goals).

For three SDGs that are of particular importance to the events industry, you will find examples of how the fairpflichtet guidelines are assigned:

Becoming climate-neutral and working as sustainably as possible is our goal, which we are constantly and continuously working towards. As one measure to achieve this goal, we were one of the first companies in the event industry to initiate the "one event - one tree" project and have inspired many people to join in.

To implement and maintain sustainable business processes, a sustainability officer has been appointed since January 2018. Through the appointment of the sustainability officer, the company’s sustainable initiatives and training programs are communicated internally via one-on-one meetings and newsletters. The officer ensures that all decisions and business actions are made and carried out with sustainability in mind. By regularly preparing progress reports to document our sustainability efforts, we monitor our goals and adjust them accordingly.

We take close cooperation with service providers and manufacturers in the Ruhr region very seriously in order to promote the local economy and benefit from valuable contacts. The short delivery distance of the products is also a positive aspect of the collaboration.

Internal regulations have been put in place for waste management. In order to produce as little waste as possible, we manage our files as digitally as possible and also want to sensitize our customers to waste avoidance by means of digital offers and contracts. In addition, an app is being developed that will be used instead of paper for tournament planning and evaluations.

In future, every customer will be offered the option of CO2 compensation. This will be listed as an optional service and carried out by a certified partner.

Many local products are tasted and promoted. Leftover food from events and packaging materials are donated to the Essener Tafel or an animal shelter in Essen.

We also actively support voluntary projects. For example, we are actively involved in the MENSCHENMÖGLICHES charity golf tournament every year and help to generate donations. In addition, we see projects such as the Sauber Zauber in Essen not only as a strengthening internal team-building measure, but also as an opportunity to do our bit for the environment.

Growing sales figures and a stable order situation are the results of successful economic activity. In addition to economic stability, we see our other goal as being a climate-neutral company. All decisions should be made on the basis of ecological arguments and emissions should be avoided or reduced and offset wherever possible. Taking ecological parameters into account, all business activities should be as cost-efficient as possible. For example, we try to ensure that as few cars as possible are used to travel to events.

To ensure internal stability, we rely on respectful interaction with all our stakeholders, from our employees to our customers and partners. We regularly assess the internal mood using feedback forms.

In order to minimize the amount of waste, all event boxes (over 30,000 units) are packaged plastic-free, and we are receiving an increasing amount of positive and surprising feedback from our customers. The cardboard boxes are also certified with the FSC seal and are sent via DHL GoGreen.

In response to growing health and environmental awareness, we actively offer vegan and vegetarian options at our catering events. The origin of the products we use is very important to us, which is why we rely largely on regional products from local bakeries and breweries, for example.

Weekly meetings take place in a collaborative and supportive atmosphere. We regularly host breakfasts or barbecues with the team for this purpose. We strive for long-term collaboration with our employees. To this end, we have been operating as a training company since 2018, currently with four trainees who are gaining experience in all facets of the events industry. We regularly offer continuing education opportunities for our permanent employees as well as training sessions for freelancers. To foster interest in the events industry, we are happy to offer internships to interested individuals.

We hold team events several times a year to show our employees our appreciation and strengthen team spirit.

We monitor compliance with standards and statutory working and break times and keep a digital record of this. In the event of overtime or work at the weekend, we ensure that appropriate compensation is paid promptly. Preventive measures to prevent illness and rehabilitation programs following an illness are taken seriously and supported. Employees can leave work to attend these appointments.

Our catering services at events are tailored to the needs and wishes of all participants.

Sustainability issues should be communicated transparently. We actively recommend the most climate-friendly and sustainable options for event planning to our clients—from vegetarian or vegan catering to the most climate-friendly transportation.

The publication of the sustainability report is intended to give our customers and partners the opportunity to gain insight into our sustainability strategies and initiatives.

The guiding principles of the initiative serve as inspiration for the continuous improvement of the company's sustainable actions. We see this as an important component on the way to becoming a "Green Company". The annual documentation of our work in the progress report allows us to review our own targets and present them transparently.

Internally, we try to keep our commutes to work low in emissions and leave the car at home. More than 50% of the team use public transport or like to cycle in the summer. The job ticket for public transport is also offered to all employees free of charge.

By taking part in the Essen company run every year, we also want to raise our employees' health awareness and increase their motivation to run. Publishing photos of the run is intended to inspire customers, partners and other interested parties to invest in their health too. After the run, there will be an informal exchange with other local companies.