Sustainable design and operation of the Exhibition Centre

The energy transition is already underway within our organisation

Photovoltaic modules installed on five hall roofs and one car park roof begin to collect solar energy as soon as the sun rises in Nuremberg. By the middle of 2026, we will have installed 21,000 modules with a total output of about 9 MWp.

Since the step-by-step commissioning of the photovoltaic plant in December 2023, it has already generated enough electricity to power around 2,200 three-person households. We can already supply up to 30 % of our annual electricity needs with solar power. Since the photovoltaic plant was first commissioned, we have saved more than 3,300 tons of CO₂ emissions.

We have installed battery energy storage systems so that we can use climate-friendly energy even when the sun is not shining. The total storage capacity of these devices, which consist of used electric vehicle batteries, is 7.7 megawatt hours (MWh). Our rooftop photovoltaic plant, which is one of the most powerful of its kind in all of Bavaria, is a key element in our journey to achieving a completely CO2-neutral energy supply for our Exhibition Centre by the year 2028.

Certified environmental and energy management system

By switching to 100 % green electricity in 2020 and using district heating to heat our buildings, we have reduced our CO₂ emissions by more than 90 %.

We have also reduced the amount of energy required to light the Exhibition Centre by around 80 % of the original amount by converting the lighting system in all our halls to LED. These measures are part of an ISO-certified environmental management and energy management system (ISO 14001, ISO 50001), designed to enhance our energy efficiency and reduced environmental impacts. This makes us one of the leading exhibition companies in Germany.

Every trade fair is a logistical feat. For the thousands of exhibitors who travel to Nuremberg each year, around 50,000 trucks, vans and passenger vehicles enter the exhibition grounds to unload products, stand supplies and exhibition materials. On top of that, the time windows for assembly and disassembly at a trade fair are tight.

“In past times, trucks waiting to unload would form a queue extending over several hundred metres”, recalls Dominik Fischer, Logistics Manager at NürnbergMesse. He is definitely talking about the past, however. Since late 2023, the traffic arteries around the Exhibition Centre have been unclogged by a digital logistics system.

The system operates on the basis of a simple principle: Using a multi-language user interface, freight forwarders and exhibitors book a time slot for loading or unloading online in advance. This ensures that delivery truck drivers enter the exhibition grounds exactly at the scheduled time, regardless of whether they arrive from a neighbouring city or from Italy. If a delivery truck reaches the exhibition grounds before the scheduled time slot, the driver can wait in a parking area located close to the Exhibition Centre. The 21,000-square-metre lot can accommodate up to 110 trucks. It also has sanitary facilities for the convenience of waiting delivery truck drivers. By preventing traffic jams around the Exhibition Centre, the logistical system also reduces vehicle emissions and noise. Besides that, it improves working conditions for delivery truck drivers and enhances worker safety in the loading yards.

The “transitfair” digital logistics system regulates the entry of trucks to the exhibition grounds and reduces traffic jams and vehicle emissions.

Perfectly reachable with public transport
Guests can easily travel to the Exhibition Centre with the underground metro system. Besides conserving precious resources, it's free with the special event ticket. The U1 line runs directly to the Exhibition Centre from the Nuremberg Main Train Station. For long-distance travel, guests can use the German Railways Event Ticket. In 2024, guests using this special fare offer covered more than 500,000 passenger kilometres.

Dynamic traffic control system
Thanks to a dynamic traffic control system in use since 2004, traffic flows around the Exhibition Centre, Stadium and Arena are fast and smooth. The system was developed in advance of the 2006 World Soccer Cup in Nuremberg to reduce traffic jams and vehicle emissions around the venues in the southern part of Nuremberg. And it's been doing a fine job ever since.

Electromobility pioneer
We offer a steadily growing charging infrastructure to serve those trade fair guests who use electric vehicles to visit the Exhibition Centre. There are currently more than 100 charging points for trade fair guests and employees. By summer 2025, they had already been used for more than 5,000 charging processes. An additional 120 charging points will be installed by 2026. Guests also have the option of using the Audi Charging Hub at the Exhibition Centre to charge their electric vehicles while relaxing in a comfortable lounge atmosphere. To reduce the CO₂ emissions of our own vehicle fleet, we will convert the fleet to completely battery-electric vehicles by the year 2026.

Connecting entire industries with digital platforms
Many of the events we host offer digital programmes for people who cannot participate in person. Throughout the year, thus also when trade fairs are not being held, entire industries stay connected with our digital platforms such as it-sa 365.

Messebau Wörnlein and Holtmann+ prove that responsible stand construction is not only a question of materials, but also one of attitude, structure and innovation.

Wörnlein: Circularity as a matter of principle Messebau Wörnlein GmbH in Nuremberg is a fourth-generation family-run enterprise. For Wörnlein, sustainability is not a trend; it's part of the company's DNA. CEO Iris Wörnlein explains: “As a leasing company, we live and breathe circularity. We use everything over and over again. Everything is repaired and refurbished.”

The company operates its own carpentry workshop, metalworking shop, print shop, and warehouse logistics system. Besides being efficient, these operations enable the company to control the use of materials. Consequently, Wörnlein can repair, reconfigure, and reuse the trade fair stands it leases to customers. Modular trade fair stands made of aluminium (Aluvision) are both sustainable and key to the company's success. They are assembled individually to suit the customer's needs. After the lease period, they are broken down into their component parts.

Wörnlein has replaced conventional packaging films with recyclable alternatives. Its facilities are powered by electricity from an in-house photovoltaic systems, and all lighting has been converted to LED.

Holtmann+: Modularity meets innovation
Holtmann GmbH & Co. KG has placed sustainability at the centre of its activities for years. As a 360-degree provider of live communication services, it offers not only stand construction, but also creative concepts and digital solutions. For Holtmann+, sustainability is a transformational goal, one that is anchored in its ISO-certified event sustainability management system (ISO 20121).

This system ensures the continuous improvement of sustainability-relevant processes in office operations, project planning and project execution. Thus, environmental impacts in areas such as procurement, warehouse operations and logistics are continually reduced.

We are conscientious in the way we handle the waste generated in our trade fairs and congresses. Moreover, we have launched various initiatives to reduce the quantity of waste produced.

Most of the rubbish occurring in our Exhibition Centre is generated in the assembly and dismantling of trade fair stands. Paint, wood scrap and carpet remnants as well as packaging materials are collected in designated containers placed throughout the Exhibition Centre, and hauled away by the EMAS-certified waste disposal company hofmann denkt/Veolia.

We handle the much smaller waste produced in our offices in the same way. Paper, coffee dregs, packaging materials and other kinds of waste are shipped to the waste processing centre DIE GRÜNEN ENGEL at the port of Nuremberg. With an impressive sorting rate of 99.7 per cent, the plant creates the conditions for a large proportion of the recyclable materials to be returned to the cycle.

Energy from waste
Rubbish that cannot be reused is converted into energy. Combustible materials like wood and plastic are shredded in a multi-step process, and processed into substitute fuel. In this way, rubbish is converted into a valuable energy carrier to generate district heating.

Less waste, less resource consumption
Reducing the overall quantity of waste in order to consume less resources is the objective of the cross-departmental project group “Reduce”. As part of this work, employees of NürnbergMesse and its Service Partners seek to determine exactly where waste is generated and whether it can be reduced or avoided by means of resource-conserving processes.

We have donated disused electronic equipment to AFB Social & Green IT since 2015. This not-for-profit IT company gives business notebooks and mobile work phones a second life by certifiably erasing all stored data, and conditioning the equipment for reuse by others. By extending the product life cycles of electronic devices, AFB conserves natural resources and reduces emissions.

Another successful strategy involves using recyclable paper towels in all our sanitary facilities. To reduce consumption, the paper towel dispensers only dispense one sheet at a time. Used paper towels are processed into new paper. In this way, we have collected more than 10 tonnes of paper towels for recycling since September 2024.

For many years, the Nuremberg-based catering company Lehrieder has fed NürnbergMesse's exhibitors, visitors and employees in an ecologically responsible manner.

This subsidiary of NürnbergMesse has developed its own event catering strategy called “Nature-Friendly Cuisine” – based on short delivery routes, certified organic products and fairly traded ingredients.

“We wanted to build a bridge between ecological standards and economic reality”, explains CEO Thomas Domani. The success of this approach has been validated by third parties: In 2023, Lehrieder received the German Award for Sustainability Projects. It was additionally honoured with the title “Caterer of the Year” in the category of Sustainability.

Thanks to a resource-conserving buffet concept, less food ends up in the rubbish bin. “Reducing food waste is our highest priority. Every tonne of avoided food waste is a major win for the environment and an expression of respect for resource scarcity”, Domani says.

Regional products and seasonal procurement
For many years, Lehrieder has prioritized regional products, seasonal procurement and forward-looking meal planning. “We actively advise our customers: Whenever food is left over from a particular event, we want to know why. We leverage our experience to make sustainable decisions”, Domani says.

What seems like commonsense solutions are actually the result of a fundamentally new way of thinking. Reusable crockery or biodegradable alternatives instead of disposable crockery. Glass bottles instead of plastic bottles. And whenever available, organic coffee, fair-trade tea, sustainable soft drinks. “We could buy cheaper products in many cases”, Domani says, “Sustainability can only succeed when the focus extends beyond profit alone.”

Nevertheless, Lehrieder is continuing on its path. Regional products brought in from no more than 100 kilometres away, and fresh seasonal produce have long been standard for Lehrieder. The company has also made changes to its logistical processes. Wherever possible, for example, it uses cargo bikes instead of delivery trucks in the Exhibition Centre. “That lowers vehicle emissions and makes us more flexible.” It's also a highly visible sign of change.

Organic meals and vegan options
Lehrieder's commitment to sustainability is on full display in the NürnbergMesse restaurant it operates. In addition to a broad selection of salads, vegetarian dishes are available every day. Vegan options are offered on a regular basis, and completely organic meals are increasingly offered as well. Most ingredients are sourced within an area of only 30 kilometres from the restaurant. Lehrieder serves only organic food during the BIOFACH Exhibition. Everything sold in the public restaurant areas during this event is certified organic. Moreover, the company's claim to be a sustainable caterer is validated by the Green Globe certification; in fact, in recognition of its commitment to sustainability, Lehrieder became the second catering company in Germany to earn Green Globe certification.

Conserving resources
Lehrieder also practices the principles of sustainability in its own internal operations: waste sorting, electricitysaving measures and employee training. “If our system detects that the door to a walk-in refrigerator has been open too long, we raise the issue. We have the data and the responsibility”, Domani says.