The organisation said the accreditation solidifies its long-standing commitment to implement environmental best practices in its own operations, minimise the environmental impact of its events, increase positive community engagement with regard to sustainable manufacturing practices, and motivate print businesses to take concrete steps towards more sustainable operation.
Fespa said its 2025 flagship events in Berlin will be the first in the speciality print sector to be run under the certification, which provides a comprehensive framework for organisers to prioritise sustainability without compromising on quality or success.
To achieve the ISO certification, Fespa implemented an extensive range of policies and procedures to address key, measurable objectives, including: waste reduction, energy efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, and stakeholder engagement.
These activities and the system were independently audited and verified by the British Standards Institute (BSI) certified awarding body under certificate number SEMS 799937, affirming Fespa’s demonstration of best-in-class sustainable event management services to its exhibitors and visitors.
Fespa said it has also measured its carbon footprint at its UK-based headquarters for three consecutive years without a regulatory obligation and is installing solar panels to generate renewable energy.
CEO Neil Felton said: “We are thrilled to have achieved the ISO 20121:2012 certification, which proves our dedication to delivering environmentally responsible events and championing the need for the sectors we represent to make continued progress on sustainability.
“Our team recognises the importance of operating our events in a manner that delivers exceptional value to our attendees and exhibitors, while also prioritising environmental responsibility and community engagement. We look forward to delivering our 2025 events in accordance with the certified sustainable events management system, and we hope our example inspires our community to look at ways of optimising their sustainability performance.”
Separately, Fespa has also launched its latest Awards programme. The competition is open for submissions from speciality print providers and signmakers to showcase their most outstanding projects, with winners set to be recognised at the co-located Fespa Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience events in Berlin next year.
Fespa’s head of association and technical lead and one of the 2025 Awards judges, Graeme Richardson-Locke, said: “Speaking on behalf of the judges, we all hope to be surprised by new levels of technical excellence and clear evidence that the entry has been created with the greatest care, reflecting the professional standards that we’ve seen over many years.
“For entries this year, we’re interested in seeing the use of appropriate and sustainable materials, reflecting the wider industry’s goal of reducing its environmental impact.”
One of the categories, the Young Star Award, is open to individuals aged 16-25 who are vocational trainees or students in digital or screen printing and design. To enter, applicants can submit their work in any print related category.
Additionally, the People’s Choice Award will be open to voting from 6 January 2025, with the Fespa online community casting their votes across all categories. In contrast, the Best in Show Award and the Judges’ Award for Innovation are chosen by the panel of judges from Fespa.
Printers and signmakers have until 12 December 2024 to submit their entries for the 2025 Fespa Awards. The shortlisted entries will be announced on 23 February 2025 and showcased from 6-9 May 2025 at Messe Berlin, Germany.
Entry fees are €100 (£85) for members and €150 for non-members, with early bird discounts available until 29 August 2024.
