Messeforum is ahead of the curve on climate issues. As an industry pioneer, it offers a carbon-neutral exhibition stand for each of its customers and pays attention to its own carbon footprint. The journey has taken four years, and OpenCO2net has accompanied Messeforum all the way.

Messeforum, a Finnish exhibition services agency, is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and taking the environment into account. In 2019, Messeforum developed a climate strategy. This year, Messeforum calculated the carbon footprint of its other activities from 2022. The project was carried out in with OpenCO2net.

A pioneer in its field

The idea of a carbon neutral exhibition stand was developed together with OpenCO2net during the Climate Strategy project. So far, Messeforum is the only operator in its sector that automatically offers a carbon neutral stand to each of its customers. The stands are implemented using a carbon footprint calculator developed by OpenCO2net and tailored to the needs of trade fair construction. At Messeforum, the use of the calculator has enhanced comprehension regarding the origins of the carbon footprint associated with trade fair construction and the impact of various choices on it.

The development of the calculator has required a lot of research and expertise. This work has been supported by the OpenCO2net team.

"Collecting the data and getting the results has been a long road," says Arto Varanki, CEO of Messeforum. "The calculation tool has been modified over the years according to our needs. OpenCO2net's experts have helped with the calculation and with the communication, when needed," continues Virpi Hopeasaari, Communications and Marketing Director.

In the spring of 2023, Messeforum also verified the Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions of its own operations according to the GHG Protocol, together with OpenCO2net experts. Choosing a partner was easy, as the company wanted to continue working with a partner that has a strong competence and expertise.

The next step

Messeforum's next step is to further reduce its carbon footprint and guide customers to make more climate-friendly choices in their exhibition construction.

"Customer choices have a big impact on the carbon footprint of a trade fair stand. Because we know which are the most significant emission sources, we can implement our own emission reduction measures and also recommend lower-carbon materials to our customers," says Varanki. "Even small things can make a difference."