The participatory concept of the fwd: Bundesvereinigung Veranstaltungswirtschaft e.V. and the IFES – International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services, for the introduction of the ISO20121 sustainability standard has once again proven to be a complete success and is entering a new convoy from February 2025.

In the currently ongoing convoys, participants are working together successfully and are particularly benefiting from the intensive exchange within the framework of their own implementation. For many members, ISO20121 is proving to be the relevant certification for systematic sustainability management. In total, 35 member companies are already on the way to certification with the associations.

Stephanie Forstner, sustainability officer at Lemonpie EventCatering, describes her experiences: “I think it’s great that the two industry associations fwd: and IFES offer this convoy and accompany the complex process so closely and personally. […] For example, at Lemonpie we have integrated the learned PDCA cycle, the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, directly into our continuous improvement process. This makes the further development of our services and the root cause analysis of errors much clearer and easier to handle.”

Sustainability certifications are gaining importance

A recent survey among the members of fwd: shows how important the topic of certifications is for the industry. Around 60 percent of those surveyed rate the overall users of certifications as “rather high” to “very high”. The ISO14001 certification for environmental management and ISO20121 for sustainable event management in particular are seen as the most important standards in the future. 45 out of 69 respondents plan to introduce ISO20121 into their company within the next two years.

Next opportunity: Convoy 5 starts in February 2025

Due to the high demand and positive experiences, the fifth convoy for ISO20121 certification started in February 2025. Twelve companies have the opportunity to register for a spot. Members of fwd: and IFES can find further information in the fwd: memberspace and for IFES members under ISO 20121 TRAINING – IFES. External interested parties can also join the program.