As CEO Thanos Panagoulias recently explained on the occasion of the installation of a 19 kW solar system on the FORUM office building in Athens: "The installation of the solar system, which will cover 50 per cent of the company's energy requirements, demonstrates our commitment to the responsible use of resources, environmental protection and sustainability in a social and ecological sense."
Forum S.A. is also aware of its responsibility when it comes to what happens under the hall roofs: For sustainable planning and organisation, the Xenia and HORECA trade fairs have been certified with the international management system standard ISO 20121:2012, which has been in place for the event industry since the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Only one other trade fair in Greece has achieved this so far.
"Our masses practise what we preach"
The severe flooding in Thessaly, which destroyed entire villages in September, once again emphasised how important it is to take measures for sustainability - especially for companies. "This is all the more true for trade fairs, which have always served as a tool for disseminating innovations, trends and best practices on the market," says Stratos Apostolakos, Sustainability Manager at Forum S.A., for whom the certification shows "that our trade fairs are ahead of the curve and actually practice what we preach".
At Xenia and HORECA, this can be seen in several ways - by reducing the ecological footprint in terms of energy savings and waste management, digitalising communication and through workshops and seminars in which exhibitors and visitors are sensitised to the topic of sustainability.
