Berlin celebrates five years of Sustainable Meetings Berlin at IMEX

Berlin, 14 May 2024 From today until 16 May, the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin will be presenting the German capital at IMEX in Frankfurt/Main, the most important trade fair for everyone involved in the event and convention industry. Around 8,000 trade visitors will meet 2,300 exhibitors from 150 countries. The Berlin stand will provide information about news from Berlin, event venues, experiences and the support available from the Berlin Convention Fund. Visitors will learn how business events can be planned and implemented sustainably - with the support of visitBerlin's Sustainable Meetings Berlin initiative, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year.

Michael Biel, State Secretary for Economics: ‘The future of the congress industry is sustainable and it lies in Berlin. We are continuing to expand the location, we are attracting new events internationally and we are consciously positioning ourselves as a congress metropolis with high sustainability standards. Five years of successful work by the Sustainable Meetings Berlin initiative and a growing number of events that are choosing Berlin for this very reason show that we are succeeding. Sustainability is a living brand essence of our city.’

Sabine Wendt, Managing Director of visitBerlin: ‘Together with customers and partners, we are making Berlin more sustainable. IMEX is the ideal setting to celebrate five successful years of Sustainable Meetings Berlin with customers from all over the world. Together, we have succeeded in paving the way for a more sustainable Berlin event industry. Our vision remains to position Berlin as one of the most sustainable, innovative and reliable destinations worldwide. Many thanks to the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, which has supported this initiative from the very beginning.’ 

Sustainability party: 5 years of Sustainable Meetings Berlin
On Tuesday, 14 May, the Berlin Convention Office and 15 partners will be throwing a birthday party for trade fair visitors from 4 pm at the Berlin stand in Hall 8 (Stand F010): Sustainable Meetings Berlin has helped to make the event industry more sustainable over the past five years. Since 2019, the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin has been helping event planners from all over the world to organise their events sustainably. Around 75 certified service providers are involved in the initiative - from venues to transport companies. The website convention.visitBerlin.de/en/sustain also contains a practical guide, the Sustainable Event Guidelines. Just in time for the fifth anniversary, a new service for customers is being launched here: the Atmosfair CO2 calculator for sustainable events.

For the Sustainable Meetings Berlin initiative and platform, visitBerlin 2023 won the Best Practice Award in the national competition ‘Sustainable Tourism Destinations’.

Customers and partners are also enthusiastic about Berlin's commitment to sustainability
Voices from the industry show: It's worth working towards a more sustainable MICE world and tourism industry. 

Bridget Barbieri, Event Manager of the ESGE (European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy): ‘ESGE is committed to doing all it can to reduce the inevitable carbon footprint which is created by bringing together experts and collaborators to advance education in gastrointestinal endoscopy. When planning to host the meeting in Berlin in 2024, ESGE turned to VisitBerlin for support and guidance. From the outset, the team at VisitBerlin accompanied and guided us in many aspects of our preparations and attempts to make our event as sustainable as possible. It became quickly apparent to us that the City of Berlin is truly committed to hosting sustainable events and to supporting conference organisers in many practical ways. We benefitted greatly from the clearly defined sustainability guidelines.’

Kathleen Beyer, BEN (Berlin Event Network e.V.): ‘The board of BEN is delighted to congratulate Sustainable Meetings Berlin, a sustainable initiative of the city, on its fifth anniversary. As a great supporter of Sustainable Meetings Berlin, BEN has actively supported the certification within its membership from the very beginning. We are proud to be part of this important movement and remain committed to a sustainable future for Berlin.’

As a continuation of Sustainable Meetings Berlin, visitBerlin has expanded the project. Under the heading Sustainable Berlin, the company has also been certifying tourism service providers for over a year.

International ‘BESTIVAL Masterclass’ 2024
What else is important in Berlin in 2024? The Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin is relaunching the creative business event BESTIVAL 2024 - this year as three exclusive masterclasses with workshops and authentic Berlin experiences. Three topics will take centre stage: Innovation in July, Sustainability in October and Community Building in November. Event planners can signal their interest at bestival@visitBerlin.de and find out more at convention.visitBerlin.de/bestival-masterclass-2024.

UEFA EURO 2024 in Berlin, one of the world's best destinations for city breaks and business trips 
On 15 June, it's ‘kick-off’ at the Olympic Stadium. The first of six UEFA EURO 2024 football matches will then take place in Berlin. Europe's biggest football tournament will put Berlin in the public eye. Berlin will roll out the green pitch for football fans, Berliners and guests from all over the world, and the Brandenburg Gate will become the largest football goal in the world. Berlin has already won: The fact that the European Football Championship is being held in Germany and in Berlin has a priceless advertising effect. For the Berlin Convention Office, the EURO 2024 in Berlin is a great opportunity to once again present an impressive business card to the world and to show that Berlin can host major events and present itself as a hospitable, cosmopolitan and international metropolis. Further information: visitBerlin.de/en/euro-2024. As a city of freedom, autumn 2024 in Berlin will be dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. More information here. 

Berlin is one of the world's best destinations for city breaks. In the ‘Best cities in the world 2024’ ranking, Berlin is one of the three most interesting cities in the world, along with New York and Cape Town, according to TimeOut magazine. According to the Destination Brand 23 Business study, Berlin takes first place in the ranking of German business travel destinations in terms of various aspects relevant to business travellers, such as a sustainable, value-for-money business trip or a workation. 

15 Berlin IMEX partners of the visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office
The following partners will be presenting themselves to the congress and event world at the Berlin stand at IMEX: Messe Berlin, Amano Group, Hotel Palace, The Westin Grand, Scandic Hotels, Althoff Hotels and Bolle Festsäle, Hotel Berlin, Berlin, Grand Hyatt Berlin, Courtyard by Marriott Berlin City Center, Estrel Berlin, time change, BrewDog Berlin, Mampe Spirits Berlin, as well as the agency cultour-incoming GmbH & Co. KG. More information: imex-frankfurt.com/newfront/exhibitor/5704

Further information on Berlin as a MICE location can be found at convention.visitBerlin.de.