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Sustainable Event
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Sustainable events in Brussels? Naturally!
We are accountable and sustainable by conviction!
Brussels is not only one of the greenest cities in Europe. The city has ambitious plans when it comes to climate adaptation, green mobility, inclusivity and urban liveability. The city is already investing in renewable energy sources and strict demands have been set for new buildings. Moreover, a wide range of significant projects and ambitious ideas contribute to making Brussels the city of tomorrow: citizens’ initiatives (community gardens, rooftop urban farms, sharing economy, etc.), circular economy, cradleto-cradle production, local employment creation (including social equity, with private and public organisations employing people with disabilities), a Brussels-wide certification strategy (sustainable hotels, venues, caterers and organisations in the MICE sector and elsewhere), a Good Food strategy …
Brussels works for us and society. We will work with you, which makes you part of Brussels too!
visit.brussels' dedicated team and local organisations work with you to make your meeting much more sustainable. But we don’t stop there. Sustainability also has a positive impact on people. In Brussels, over the past few years there has been a change in mentality, with a growing interest in event accessibility. We want to welcome and support events that are sustainable, and we want them to be inclusive for everyone. Join the Annual Carbon Capture & Storage Summit, the Global Sustainable Technology & Innovation Conference (G-STIC), Green Week, Sustainable Energy Week and the many other sustainable, responsible and clean-tech events that have chosen to meet in Brussels in 2020.
You are not alone, our goal is to raise sustainability standards to help you improve your event
Choose Brussels, we believe in the power of events to make the world a better place.
Kathleen Davisters
Product Expert Sustainability & Accessibility at visit.brussels
Sustainable events can be defined as “events that impact positively on people, planet and profit and thus contribute to the economic, socio-cultural and environmental needs of the involved stakeholders,
including the hosting community” Cavagnaro, E., Postma, A. and de Brito, M (2017)
Sustainability has a long tradition in Brussels!
For events that are socially and ecologically responsible, while also economically successful.
By thinking critically about the choices you make, you begin to adopt our approach
For visit.brussels, increasing awareness and attracting sustainable events involves guaranteeing optimal responsibility in accordance with the concept of responsibility mainstreaming. We want to give you inspiration to help you make the right choices and make your event more sustainable.
Brussels, different shades of sustainability
We encourage local and global sustainable development by facilitating the links in the responsibility chain for events in Brussels. Our role is to ensure that sustainability and environmental impact are given due consideration at each stage of the planning process.
WE WORK WITH YOU TO HELP YOU ORGANISE EVENTS THAT ARE:
SUSTAINABLE
Drawing on venues, hotels, partners and suppliers with a proven record of having minimal negative environmental and climate impacts. Focusing on actions that safeguard the good health and wellbeing of your delegates. Presenting ideas and taking steps to encourage more sustainable behaviour by participants, partners, suppliers, sponsors and exhibitors.
Creating an inclusive and accessible setting for all, enhancing everyone’s experience, including those with particular needs.
Encouraging volunteer and citizen engagement. Favouring partners who have a strong staff policy, donate and focus on equality.
INCLUSIVE
SOCIAL LEGACYDRIVEN
Beyond carbon offset measures and plastic straws… Whether you organise a conference, congress, meeting or incentive…
So, how can we help you?
You benefit from the tips and know-how of our team members when it comes to sustainable and responsible event planning in Brussels and how to make your event memorable for your customers. We will analyse, with you, the possible support, grants and funding your sustainable and accessible event can access.
We will help you objectively find all quality sustainable and responsible partners at a glance, from (conference) hotels to event venues, and catering, professional event organisers, technology and incentive services for events. We will connect you to the right people, so that you can get help from official local organisations involved in sustainability, circular economy, local initiatives and social legacy. We will give you access to the latest ‘Brussels Sustainable Events Guide' (The keys to sustainable events) en Circular Economy Guide (The keys to circular economy events).
CONTACT VISIT.BRUSSELS
Our team will work with you to help you reach optimal ecological, social and economic sustainability goals for your event: meetings@visit.brussels | +32 (0)2 549 50 15
Let’s plan your sustainable event, with Brussels leading by examples
We keep up with the times and the situation on the ground. We focus on sustainably developing the Brussels events industry together with our strong partner network. When planning your event with us, you will benefit from these unique connections and many useful tips and tricks for your event organisation in the capital of Europe.
THE BASIC INITIATIVES
3 Recognised sustainable policies and
certifications:
In Brussels, your potential partners for your meeting and event are eco-label champions. A large number of accommodation providers, venues, caterers, restaurants, professional organisers and other partners, such as local transportation companies, stand builders and AV companies, subscribe to a sustainable (economic, social and environmental) approach and are officially accredited by official certifications and eco-labels (Green Key, Ecodynamic Organisation, EMAS, ISO 14001 and ISO 20121); making it very easy to find partners with sustainable policies in place to reduce water and energy consumption, and waste production. Trying to make sense of all the different eco labels and certifications is not always easy, so we have done it for you in the following pages. • List of eco-labelled hotels: See the Hotels section. • List of eco-labelled event venues: See the Venues section. • List of eco-labelled partners (PCOs and agencies): See the At Your Service section. 3 Mobility for your delegates:
Mobility and accessibility for your delegates is paramount. Our city is compact, which already helps. We help you choose the right event district for your venues and hotels; minimising transfers and maximising accessibility. Here, it’s easy to focus on proximity. • We can develop a green mobility plan with alternatives to cars and taxis, with public transport and various soft mobility possibilities (walking, e-bikes and bikes, e-scooters and scooters…). A list of transport alternatives and practical apps is in the Practicalities section. • Why not select “bike-friendly” accommodation, with facilities that cater for the needs of cyclists? More and more establishments offer a service for cycle visitors, creating a “bike-friendly” accommodation network in Brussels. For a list of bike-friendly accommodation, see the Hotels section. 3 Events that are accessible to all:
In Brussels, offering inclusive events is a major priority. We can help you make your event accessible to people with reduced mobility. We start by choosing accommodation, event venues and venues for social events accessible to all, with specifically fitted rooms to meet all needs. • List of accessible hotels: See Hotels section. • List of accessible event venues: See Venues section. • Accessible local transport specialists: See Practicalities section. • List of accessible museums, attractions,
leisure: https://visit.brussels/en/article/accessiblemuseums-and-tourist-attractions-in-brussels ou https://visit.brussels/site/ binaries/content/assets/pdf/ thematic-kits/pmr-brochure-2018en.pdf
Good for the planet, and good for people
ADVANCED OPPORTUNITIES
Looking to go above and beyond? We can help you with that!
• Go a step further in your catering choices, with organic cuisine and Good Food label DFA 2018 - Destinations for All 2018 at the EGG © E. Danhier restaurants. • Choose dedicated suppliers, and partners recognised and circular economy-recognised partners or solutions with cradle-to cradle models. Brussels is a leader. • Propose recognised alternative accommodation, cost-effective and no less charming for your delegates: democratisation, globalisation, proximity. The city also offers a wide variety of recognised alternative accommodation, for anything from a single night to a full year, such as Bed&Business, home stays, studios or furnished apartments in private homes and home rentals. • Encourage accommodation, venues and partners with a social staff policy. • Participate in community initiatives, so they can achieve their potential for long-lasting social value: engage with social beneficiaries early in Where else but Brussels? content info
Environmental certifications
Evaluating environmental efforts and trying to make sense of all the different certifications? Labels and accreditations are not always easy to understand. So we have done the research for you!
Ecodynamic Company
3 Regional label, for Brusselsbased public or private sector organisations, whatever area of activity. 3 Official and free recognition. Ecodynamic rewarded venues are recognised as venues which act to reduce the impact of their activity on the environment, using a scale of one to three stars..
www.ecodyn.brussels
ISO 20121 Green Key
3 International label, for organisations in the tourism sector (B2B, B2C and MICE): tourist accommodation, conference centres, museums and public attractions. 3 Green Key eco-labelled venues are officially rewarded for their approaches and their performances that respect the environment.
www.green-key.be EMAS, Eco-Management and Audit Scheme
3 European label, for all types of organisations, whatever the sector of activity – from micro organisations and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to multinationals and public bodies. 3 The EMAS tool will enable all types of organisations to improve their environmental and financial performance.
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/ index_en.htm
ISO14001
3 International label, event industry-specific: for event agencies, event organisers, event providers, hotels and venues. 3 The ISO Standard specifies the requirements for an Event Sustainability Management System to improve the sustainability of events. It is awarded to event actors who continue to become more socially responsible and reduce their environmental footprint.
www.iso.org
3 Global international standard that specifies requirements for an effective environmental management system (EMS). 3 It does not state requirements for environmental performance, but maps out a framework that a company, or organisation, can follow to set up an effective environmental management system.
www.iso.org
TRANSITION TO A CYCLING CITY The number of cyclists has tripled over the last 10 years. And there are quite a number of bike-friendly hotels! GOODBYE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC FIRST city in Belgium to officially (and effectively) ban all single-use plastic from public events! (July 2019) MOST LIVEABLE 28m² of green space per inhabitant (8000 hectares)
CENTRE OF THE CONTINENT’S DENSEST HIGH-SPEED TRAIN NETWORKS 60 million Europeans live within 2 hours of Brussels by train PEDESTRIANS FIRST After Venice, Brussels has the largest pedestrian zone in Europe
Bike-friendly accommodation
A recognition from visit.brussels
More and more establishments offer a service for cycle visitors, creating a “bikefriendly” accommodation network in Brussels. visit.brussels promotes accommodation with certain services and facilities that will cater to the needs of your cycling delegates.. They are located near to regional cycle routes and Villo! stations and offer bicycle parking facilities (or secure storage), terminals for charging electric bicycles, repair tools, fresh and vitamin-rich breakfasts and they will advise you with the Brussels' bicycle tourism offer.
© Erik Herchaft
Accessible and inclusive events, for all
Make your event easily accessible to people with reduced mobility. In Brussels, offering inclusive events is a major priority.
be accessible be .brussels
Handy Events Guide
The keys to accessible events
Practical guide to organising outdoor events that are accessible to persons with reduced mobility
© visit.brussels_E.Danhier 1
visit.brussels Handy Events Guide ( trilingual EN, FR, NL)
This is the practical guide to organising events that are accessible to persons with reduced mobility. With relevant points of attention to check at each stage of your event organisation, and access to committed Brussels partners who will enhance everyone’s experience, regardless of whether they have particular needs.
Download the guide: https://visit.brussels/en/article/ handy-events-guide-the-keys-to-accessible-events ou lien direct : https://visit.brussels/site/binaries/content/ assets/pdf/brochures/handyeventsguide_en.pdf
Handy.Brussels online app
Several hundred descriptive files on the accessibility of accommodation, restaurants, cafes, shops and leisure. Make use of the app: www.handy.brussels
