As part of our interview series "Sustainable brand presence – but how?", we spoke to Sandhya Mirajkar, Creative Consultant, and Niklaus Küpfer, Team Leader Project Management at Habegger. As project manager, Nick carries out the live communication projects together with the client – from the initial consultation to project completion. Sandhya's expertise lies in advising on creative measures and conception.
At Habegger, both are members of the CSR group, which was responsible for the ISO certification ISO-20121 Sustainable Event Management, among other things, and therefore deal intensively with the topic of sustainability. We wanted to hear their opinion: In which areas are you confronted with the topic and what does cooperation with clients look like?
Niklaus Küpfer, Team Leader Project Management and Sandhya Mirajkar, Creative Consultant at Habegger
Sandhya: The event itself is not sustainable per se, but sustainability plays a central role in concept development in order to make projects as environmentally friendly as possible. Projects are rarely approached in a holistic and sustainable manner, but often only in certain areas. We sense that clients are very interested in this, but that sustainability is not always a top priority. Sustainability must be prescribed from above and implemented in all areas. It is a step-by-step development process in which sustainable measures gradually become visible. It is important to raise awareness of this, to actively promote it and to undergo further training.
Nick: Clients are increasingly integrating their sustainability strategy into live communication projects. We clearly feel this in the long-term mindset through modular approaches. For example, in furniture construction. For event series, sponsoring events, congresses or trade fair stands, the design should be modular, elements should be reusable and the content expandable.
The initial costs are higher, the effort is greater, but we design and build the modules for several years.
This means that the design and production costs can be calculated over several years and the CO2 footprint is optimised by reducing the use of materials. We can always modify the basis with slight extensions or adjustments. It is important to actively contribute to the protection of the environment and nature.
Sandhya: The “how” is always the central question: How do we realise the message in a sustainable way in terms of scenography and content? The idea should be original. We use recycling and upcycling for event elements, which is also budget-relevant for the client. We also plan with more sustainable materials and scrutinise existing products, such as balloons, and look for alternatives. The flow of visitors is also important: We promote travel by public transport and digitalise communication phases. In this way, many individual measures contribute to sustainability in the event sector.
Nick: Sustainable events are more cost-effective in the long term, but the budget often remains a criterion. Sustainable implementation can only be achieved in partnership. Many clients do not have a specific budget for this, so we are always looking for solutions to make the brand image as environmentally friendly as possible. Internally, we are already thinking sustainably, organising shuttles for project teams and optimising logistics to minimise the transport of materials. Our industry works sustainably anyway, as it works with rental equipment pools and can therefore operate sustainable lifecycle management. We also have our own warehouse and are constantly expanding it.
Sandhya: For me, no events are not an option. Events offer unique emotional added value and create shared experiences.
They are an investment in people and positively strengthen the image of the company, brand or product.
The key to success is sustainable communication for effective events. When it comes to realising this, a dose of courage is often required, for example with vegetarian menus. Sustainability can be integrated into communication, but without greenwashing. Every event should include a sustainable factor to promote progress and measurability and to strengthen the brand image in the long term. These routines must be established and integrated.
Nick: The brand image must be holistic and include ecological, economic and social measures. As a live communication service provider, we are often only a part of the whole in projects and can drive forward sustainable realisations in our area with the client. However, all parties – companies, service providers and partners – need to work together to achieve a holistic, sustainable approach. It is a lengthy process and still has a lot of potential for optimisation. Thanks to our CSR certification, we are already dealing intensively with the topic and can also advise clients outside our scope of services, such as the major CO2 sources of catering or travel, or integrate them directly into the project.
Sandhya: Building a sustainable brand presence takes time and effort, and can also be uncomfortable and costly, but it is essential. Those who start now will have advantages later. It is an ongoing process with constant optimisation. The higher the level, the greater the demands on sustainability. Technology and science continue to develop, and more and more regulations need to be observed.
Nick: Brand strategy is complex, and live communication projects are just one part of it. The entire chain, visible and in the background, must be sustainable. As a leading Swiss LiveCom service provider, we also play our part in this through our CSR certification and align our activities accordingly. This enables us to work together with our clients to organise projects in a future-oriented manner. We already know that sustainability can be a clear competitive advantage. Large companies play a pioneering role and can make a big difference. We are only at the beginning, but sustainable issues must be taken seriously in society and by politicians so that everyone joins in.
Get six valuable tips in our whitepaper that will show you how to plan your event more sustainably and how to actively and emotionally involve your participants.
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