The organizers of the Sett show in Montpellier, the European leader in professional open-air hospitality exhibitions now in its 44th edition, have announced that they have obtained the LEAD (Label Événement à Ambition Durable) sustainability recognition. Committed to an eco-responsible approach since 2021, they have seen their commitment rewarded with the awarding of a bronze medal. Created on the initiative of Green Événements and SGS, the LEAD brand helps organizations plan responsible events and promote them effectively.
Inspection and certification are carried out by an independent third party, SGS, a world leader in testing. The LEAD brand was created by Green Événements around three objectives: zero waste, low carbon emissions, and positive social impact. Simple and objective, LEAD is based on 12 criteria and allows you to aim for sustainable excellence thanks to numerical indicators.
Six criteria met completely
Sett achieved the bronze medal by successfully meeting 6 criteria: eco-designing the event, turning its waste into resources, measuring and minimizing its carbon footprint, participating in the professional integration of unemployed people, and reducing architectural barriers. It also demonstrated its ability on two other criteria: the promotion of professional equality and the valorisation of food surpluses.
Sett achieved particularly significant results in the integration of unemployed people, reaching a share of 10% in terms of the workforce present at the show. To achieve this result, the organizers have reached agreements with companies such as Table de Cana, which fights against social exclusion by promoting the work of poor people or people who have been out of work for a long time.
In addition to the fight against food waste, Sett has planned, together with the company Les Alchimistes, a collection of organic waste so that it can be transformed into compost. Furthermore, the organizers conducted an extensive awareness campaign among exhibitors, but also among visitors, to inform them about the carbon footprint of their travel and the means of transport used to reach the fair. Incentives for car pooling and the use of public transport were widely used.
Attention to inclusion
Inclusion is also at the center of the organizers’ attention, who paid particular attention to the comfort of all visitors by translating the restaurant menus into Braille, providing accessibility to people with disabilities, but also creating a relaxation room for those who need to get away from the crowd for a moment of calm.
“The LEAD certificate has stringent requirements because it allows a profound and lasting transformation of design and purchasing methods,” said Elise Legris of Green Evénements. “The methodology provided creates value for events and their audiences. Sett demonstrates that finding sustainable solutions is possible. We are convinced that the LEAD brand will permanently change the habits of organizers by integrating eco-design and impact reduction as essential prerequisites for all event organisations”.
Committed to a process of continuous improvement, the organizers of Sett do not intend to stop here. For several years they have been working on recycling the 14,000 square meters of carpet used to organize the event. Contacts are underway with various service providers to guarantee the care and management of these 4 tons of waste out of the 100 produced in total at each edition. Note that in 2023 the salon is already showing excellent performance with only 4.76% of non-recycled waste.
“Thanks to trade fair organizers like Sett, all types of events are now covered, from B2B to general public events, including seminars, conferences, festivals, trade shows and so on,” added Joanna Hayot of SGS. “We note the desire of the organizers to make their meetings a highlight of their communication to demonstrate their exemplary nature and their desire to participate in the collective effort. The responsible event is a reality for the actors involved.“
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