Did you know ...? Jaarbeurs showcases sustainable initiatives during VSK+E
Did you know that the toilet paper at Jaarbeurs is made from Dutch elephant grass? Or that Jaarbeurs works with Winnow to deploy smart waste bin and data analysis to reduce food waste? Anyone who walked around the VSK+E fair quickly came across little 'did you know' signs everywhere. They were subtle signs that together reflected Jaarbeurs 's sustainable ambition. Joyce van de Hoef, cluster manager Construction & Installation, talks about this campaign.
During the installation trade fair, the team worked on a complete sustainable visitor journey. Joyce: "The aim was to show what steps Jaarbeurs is taking in terms of sustainability. We also wanted to investigate how exhibitors and visitors experience this."
Making sustainability visible
Thinking about the future is very logical for Jaarbeurs . But many of the sustainable measures taken are hardly visible to visitors. Think of waste streams, material choices or collaborations with charities. According to Joyce, it is precisely important to pay attention to these too: "Much of what we do has become self-evident to us. But precisely at a trade fair like VSK+E, where the sector is fully engaged in the energy transition, we want to show that we too are taking steps."
The marketing team therefore developed a 'sustainable journey'. Spread across the grounds, they displayed short messages on XL screens, terrace signs, banners and stickers. Small moments of awareness, right where visitors walked by.
Construction and travel behaviour
Besides visibility, the team also actively gathered information from visitors, stand builders and staff. Through a short survey, they asked them how they travelled to the fair, how sustainable their stands were constructed and whether they handed out physical brochures or opted for digital alternatives such as QR codes.
Hospitality and facility services were also given a visible role during this campaign. For instance, the food book contained information about the origin of lunches and snacks. And facility services drew visitors' attention to practical choices behind the scenes. Think of the use of toilet paper made from Dutch elephant grass. "We want to show that sustainability is not one big measure," says Joyce. "It's in many small choices that together make an impact."
Focus on inclusiveness
Sustainability goes beyond the environment, of course. That is why the team also cooperated with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower, an initiative that helps people with invisible disabilities to ask for support. Jaarbeurs team members received special training and wore recognisable badges, so visitors knew who to contact. Joyce looks back on this choice with satisfaction: "A future-proof sector is also about accessibility and inclusiveness. Everyone should feel welcome and helped with us on the exhibition floor."
From PET bottle to lanyard
And existing initiatives also received extra attention during the fair. For example, Jaarbeurs donates to charities such as the Helen Dowling Institute and the Prinses Máxima Centre for paediatric oncology, and made it clear this fair that the deposit on PET bottles is donated to them. In addition, trees are planted through Trees for All, partly depending on the number of exhibitors. There were collection points for lanyards at the exits, so they could be recycled for reuse later. Joyce: "By making it clear what we do, people also become more aware. And it's a small act for visitors, but a big step towards less waste."
Subtle and conscious
According to Joyce, the strength of the sustainable campaign lay in its modesty. She says: "You can ask yourself whether we should communicate this at all, because isn't much just self-evident? But it is important to drive sustainability and accelerate it. That works if you make it visible. We did that by being subtle. So not big and garish, but clearly visible and informative for the attentive visitor."
After the fair, the team asks visitors and exhibitors whether they noticed the signs and how they experienced them. That feedback will be used to see how this can be further developed in future editions.
With this 'sustainable journey', Jaarbeurs showed that an exhibition floor is more than just a meeting. It also became a place where visitors were introduced to choices that contribute to a future-proof sector. Sometimes small, but together incredibly important.
