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The Finnish Fair Corporation and the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre have been awarded the ISO 14001 certificate. This is the first time that a Finnish fair organizer or major congress centre has been awarded the environmental certificate.
"We want to take our responsibility for the environment, and as the market leader in Finland we want to show other actors in the field an example. Both international and Finnish clients value venues for conferences, congresses and other events, where that give due consideration to environmental aspects of the business. Environment friendliness is an important competitive asset in this sector too, and its importance is only going to increase," says Lasse Willberg, Real Estate Director of the Finnish Fair Corporation.
The environmental certificate will cover the entire exhibition and congress operations of Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre, including restaurant services and related technical services. In addition to the environmental certificate, the Finnish Fair Corporation already has an ISO 9001 quality certificate.
In order to develop the Finnish Fair Corporation environmental management system, Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre had an environmental inventory carried out in spring 2008. On this basis three primary environmental objectives were set up: reducing the amount of waste including more careful sorting of waste, efficient recovery of waste and optimisation of energy use, and promoting the use of public transport.
"The amount of waste from the Exhibition & Convention Centre will be monitored in relation to the area of exhibition space sold. Sorting has been made more efficient in the exhibition area, in the office and in the cafeteria, restaurant and other public facilities. We have, for example, built eco collection points in the halls for exhibition waste and acquired new waste containers that permit sorting in the exhibition area, public spaces and cafeterias. Effective sorting promotes efficient recovery of waste," Lasse Willberg states.
Energy consumption is also measured and monitored in relation to the exhibition space sold. In heating and cooling, water consumption and lighting of the Centre’s premises, the aim is to use energy-saving technology, and operating practices have been developed so as to minimise energy consumption.
"Regarding the third environmental objective we are trying to get an increasing number of visitors to arrive at the Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre by public transport rather than by private car. There are good traffic connections to the Centre from all directions, and the nearest railway station is only a few hundred metres from away," Willberg points out.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
