UFI has announced the winner of its first competition on the theme “Best Sustainable Development Strategies“
PARIS – Amsterdam RAI was selected as the winner from among six short listed finalists: Artexis Group, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Messe Frankfurt GmbH, Palexpo and UBM Live Amsterdam. The jury also decided to award an honourable mention to UBM Live Amsterdam for their systems management approach to sustainable development. Each finalist was invited to present its case study at the UFI Focus Meeting on Sustainable Development held in Hamburg last June.
Paul Woodward, UFI Managing Director explained this new initiative saying, “in order to promote the full scope of sustainability within the exhibition sector, this first Sustainable Development Award competition aims to reward a broad, realistic approach to the topic. This theme was especially challenging as only those companies with a significant history and proven results in this domain could qualify for entry. We were pleased to receive so many quality entries for this competition. All finalists demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable development within their exhibition activities. In selecting Amsterdam RAI we are recognizing the broad, all encompassing impact of their sustainable development strategy. Their ability to engage their entire staff has resulted in high target achievement”. Woodward added, “as an exhibition organizer, UBM Live Amsterdam committed early on to applying the BS8901 standard. Their use of this framework, (now evolved into the ISO 20121 standard) ensured a comprehensive approachto sustainability applications which promises to significantly influence the scope of their operations in the future”.
In 2013, UFI will award winners in two areas of sustainable development. The first one, designed to recognize the benefits of reporting transparency, will be on the “Best reporting on sustainability” and the second, which should attract a wider range of entries, will recognize the “Best innovative environmental initiative”. UFI’s continuing objective with this award competition is to recognize and
promote excellence in the field of sustainability in the exhibition industry.
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