Real change starts with collaboration. Because together we can work even better on the energy transition, circular events or accelerating the necessary transitions by stimulating sustainable careers. At Jaarbeurs, we therefore like to cooperate on initiatives that help the world a step further. One example is Sustainable Switch: a career fair for people who want to make society a bit more sustainable.
"Sustainability is a spearhead in everything we do at Jaarbeurs," says account manager Corry Neggers. "We don't just want to say we think it's important, we also want to make it concrete. This is reflected, for example, in our buildings, how we deal with catering and waste and, of course, the events we facilitate. We want to be drivers of sustainable initiatives that we ourselves believe in one hundred per cent."
A step towards a more sustainable future
One such initiative is Sustainable Switch; an event where sustainable ambitions, inspiration and concrete career opportunities come together. Sustainable Switch is an initiative of SustainableMotion, a project agency for sustainable careers. For 15 years, they have been organising projects and events for students, start-ups and professionals who want to make a sustainable impact. Jaarbeurs supports Sustainable Switch with the location and financially. Corry: "We want to be drivers of sustainable initiatives, this is one we really believe in."
Third edition, Sustainable Switch
Sustainable Switch is now being organised at Jaarbeurs for the third time. The partnership arose a few years ago when SustainableMotion was looking for a central, easily accessible location that really matched their sustainable mission. Laura Wolf, event coordinator at Sustainable Motion: "We want to encourage visitors to come by public transport, which is perfectly possible here. Moreover, we noticed from the first talks with Jaarbeurs that they shared our vision. They think along about the practical interpretation and how we can increase our positive impact together and minimise our impact on the environment."
Organising sustainably together
Corry says that 'thinking along' is a regular working method. "We always advise on how an event can be more sustainable. At Sustainable Switch, this is reflected in every detail. From the standard vegetarian catering to using porcelain instead of disposable crockery and minimising waste by using digital flyers and QR codes. We also encourage exhibitors to make conscious choices: don't bring unnecessary merch , use reusable banners and think about transport." Laura agrees with Corry and adds: "That helps enormously. Jaarbeurs looks with us and makes it easy to make sustainable choices. Even small things, like no paper business cards but an app that allows you to connect with each other, together make a big difference."
More than a venue
The partnership between Jaarbeurs and Sustainable Motion is more than just a 'normal' partnership. It is a way of accelerating impact. "We believe that, as a conference and event venue, we have a role in strengthening initiatives that contribute to a sustainable future," says Corry. "That is why we are joining forces. We want to make this movement bigger." And that movement is growing. During the previous edition, Laura and Corry saw how visitors left the door full of inspiration and new contacts. Many organisations came back with success stories: employees they met the year before are now on board. "That is exactly what we want," says Laura. "New connections that lead to real change: helping people find jobs where they really fit in, and can turn their ambitions into action."
Inspiring programme
During Sustainable Switch, professionals will find plenty of inspiration on how to make a positive, sustainable impact in their careers. The day starts with an interactive session in which participants reflect on their own path: where are you now and what impact do you want to make? Then, experts by experience share how they themselves made the transition. At the business market, visitors will meet more than 30 organisations, each working in their own way towards a more sustainable future. Here, you will find many organisations with sustainable vacancies, but also trainers with information on retraining and work-learning paths. In the afternoon, there are workshops around real-life cases, where participants experience together with other professionals how companies tackle sustainability issues and where they get to know an organisation in depth.
The idea of Sustainable Switch is to connect the right parties. "Our overarching goal is to empower sustainability transitions by connecting people with intrinsic motivation and experience to the organisations looking for those people," says Laura. "Personal contact is key to this. At Sustainable Switch, you can talk to each other right away. That's why this event is so valuable."
The cooperation between Jaarbeurs and Sustainable Motion, by the way, does not only focus on professionals who already have a few years of work experience. Young talents have also been considered, namely with the Sustainability Career Event. This is the national sustainable career fair for students and starters. This event also takes place at Jaarbeurs. The next edition will be on 6 February 2026.
