The Italian exhibition group receives the ISO 20121 certificate

The Italian exhibition group IEG, one of the leading companies in the sector of organization of international conferences, received the ISO 20121 certificate for the Rimini and Vicenza exhibition centers and the organization of Ecomonda, for 25 years of the European Fair of the Circular Economy, and at the beginning of 2023, the action will also take place in the congress Palacongressi in the center of Rimini.

The group said in a press release that its ISO 20121 certification process will lead it to be one of the first and most important players to certify all its facilities, a process of environmental sustainability that began long ago on the opening day of the new exhibition center in 2001, starting with the Elca International Building with Green recognition in Nuremberg, noting that Hera Group’s strategic certification consultancy is unique in Europe.

The selection of IEG with the aim of obtaining this sustainability certificate takes on a very high strategic value, concluded in that it increasingly qualifies as a mature entity dedicated to the transition to a circular economy, according to the statement of the group translated by Al Mal.

She indicated that the ISO 20121 certificate is a confirmation of planned and implemented activity with regard to economic, social and environmental aspects, and then a balanced long-term approach to the implementation of commercial activity, responsibility towards the environment and achieving social progress, in order to meet the needs of today’s time for the benefit of companies in development and qualification.

The group uses a large company to help manage service facilities

She pointed out that IEG decided to use the advice and experience of the Hera Group, one of the largest multi-Italian utility companies that manages environmental, water and energy services for almost 5 million Italians, and which has always placed sustainability and the circular economy at the center of its strategy for the certification of the certificate.

She indicated that during the accreditation process, which started in March 2022 and is particularly complex for an organized company like IEG, Hera Group provided its support in various documentation, administrative, organizational and operational aspects, in order to complete the necessary process to obtain ISO 20121 under the profile of environmental, economic and social sustainability.

She pointed out that the dedicated, versatile team followed a tight schedule of activities: from field inspections at relevant locations to meetings with different parts of the company and suppliers, and from Bureau Veritas audits to document analysis stages and assessments from the point of view of sustainability, going through the review and processing of new procedures Planning the potential development of activities and operations from a circular point of view.

ISO 20121 certification in brief

The ISO 20121 certificate obliges IEG directly, through its collaborators and suppliers, to: encourage complete satisfaction with the work performed, which is a necessary condition for creating value and sustainable development, and ensuring universal accessibility in relation to the rights of persons with disabilities; use of equipment, operational methods and regulatory aspects that protect the environment by reducing emissions, improving mobility systems and reducing waste production; Increasing waste collection isolated at source, reducing energy and water consumption, using qualified suppliers from the point of view of quality, safety and environmental aspects, as well as informing and ensuring that all employees, suppliers, local partners, customers and event participants are aware of environmental and sustainability issues.

The best practices introduced with the planning of the annual Ecomondo event include the reorganization of the removal of carpets in the inner corridors of the halls, with an annual environmental saving of over 140 tons of carpets; collect and return cigarette butts and increase the number of charging stations for electric vehicles.

The exhibition center has 1,500 trees and shrubs that are irrigated by surface aquifers, and the lighting in the halls is preferred by 850 LED lighting units, which saves 120 tons of carbon dioxide per year and consumes 360,000 kWh.

Photovoltaic systems guarantee the production of 8.5 million kWh of clean energy, which is equal to that needed to ensure the self-sufficiency of Italian plants. Water renewal saves 23 million liters, and all fountains recycle the water they use.

An underground “ice bank” cools stadiums, cuts consumption in half, 20% of visitors use the on-site train station and reduces traffic flow; There are 7 charging stations for electric cars and motorcycles, and soon that number will be doubled.

“With this important certificate,” said IEG CEO Corrado Peraboni, “for the Ecomondo event, which we received for the first time in Europe in the context of environmental fairs, we have given concrete form to the sustainable development goals of the 2030 Agenda, principles that are in line with to the values ​​of IEG As the basis of our company’s policy in recent years, the ISO 20121 certificate represents another step forward and a tangible contribution to the process of cultural change.

It is important to note that the group organized the exhibition and conference of green technology “KEY ENERGY” and – ECOMONDO 2022 – at the beginning of November, at the Expo Center in Rimini, and witnessed a large presence of participants from large companies, with an increase of 41% compared to the attendance in 2021. year, and 15% on the standard version for 2019.

Foreign companies from 90 countries participated in two events, to present the best and latest technologies of the internationalization policy launched by IEG in recent years, to attract numerous visitors from the world to the city of Rimini in the name of qualitative and numerical excellence.

It is important to note that (IEG) is the leading company in Italy in organizing fairs and one of the main operators in the trade and conference sector at the European level, with branches in Rimini and Vicenza, with other locations in Milan and Arezzo.

It organizes a series of exhibitions in the fields of food, beverages, jewelry, fashion, tourism, catering, sports and entertainment, as well as environmentally friendly technology, and has performed foreign works in the United States of America, the Emirates and China.