With its latest certification, Grieghallen has become more environmentally friendly than ever. This is how they contribute to making Bergen more sustainable.
– We have 400.000 visitors annually that attend concerts, dinners and conferences at Grieghallen. I believe that we can make a difference if we encourage participants and organizations to make sustainable choices, says Lisbeth M. Hofstad, Sales and Marketing Manager at Grieghallen.
Grieghallen has already been eco-lighthouse certified for ten years. In 2021 they wanted to take it a step further by certifying within Green Conferences and Performing Arts.
Lisbeth M. Hofstad, Sales and Marketing Manager in Grieghallen.
Foto: Schibsted Partnerstudio
This means that Grieghallen now facilitates environmentally friendly events so that organizers can minimize the environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.
– Our goal is that certified Green Conferences eventually will become something that everyone takes for granted. To achieve this goal, we must facilitate and make it easy for our customers to choose green alternatives. We also have to challenge ourselves by saying that we are a sustainable arena and do everything we can to comply with this, says Hofstad.
A certified Green Conference is focusing on sustainable options in every aspect of planning and production. At Grieghallen you will find beehives on the roof, organic food, waste sorting in every room, minimal paper use, and many informative screens. Grieghallen also uses the app “Too Good To Go” to reduce food waste after their events.
– The beehives on the roof and the honey they produce have become a symbol of how we take our sustainable responsibility seriously. We use honey both in our cooking and as gifts instead of flowers. We also have cupboards with honey pots that visitors can buy, says Hofstad.
Achievable for everyone
Hanne Thunestvedt works as a project manager at Grieghallen and is responsible for conducting the conference. She is convinced that Green Conferences are achievable for everyone.
Hanne Sætre Thunestvedt, project manager i Grieghallen.
Foto: Schibsted Partnerstudio
–To be certified as a Green Conference, you mainly have to be focusing on sustainability when planning your event. Many people already have this on their agenda, so the certification is often very easily achievable. Grieghallen has already taken several steps to
become more sustainable. The certification is largely a matter of informing the participants about these measures and talking about how they can contribute themselves.
– All participants are encouraged to travel with public transportation to the conferences. The food we serve here is local, organic and preferably with lesser use of meat. All the information we send out is electronic and disposable items such as giveaways are reduced to a minimum, she says.
KRAV TIL GRØNNE KONFERANSER OG SCENEKUNST
The food served in Grieghallen is local, organic and
preferably with lesser use of meat. Foto: Schibsted Partnerstudio
Small changes with great impact
The Sales and Advertising Association in Bergen is one of the first to host a certified Green Conference in Grieghallen. The timing was perfect, as their conference “The Big Sustainability Day” was focusing on how businesses can take part in the sustainable transition.
– We were very excited when Grieghallen told us about Green Conferences and encouraged us to get a certification for our upcoming event. We received great guidance on what was required to have the certification in order. The process was simple and well organized. Every organisation can easily get certified, it doesn’t matter how big or small, says Mariell Sæternes, Managing Director at the Sales and Advertising Association in Bergen.
The Sales and Advertising Association normally arrange 25 events a year, with everything from breakfast seminars to big conferences. Sæternes believes that Green Conferences is a step in the right direction towards a more sustainable future. She emphasises that businesses should familiarize themselves with this certification and make better choices for their events.
– As soon as you can imagine that everyone takes these measures at their conferences, it has ripple effects. If we stick to this mindset it will have a lot to say in the long run.
Mariell Sæternes, Managing Director at
the Sales and Advertising Association in Bergen.
Foto: Schibsted Partnerstudio
“The big Sustainability Day” was a success with great feedback from the participants.
– The conference exceeded all our expectations. We received a lot of good feedback on the event from the participants. Many mentioned the fantastic breakfast and applauded the fact that it was both local and sustainable, says Sæternes enthusiastically.
On the question of whether the Sales and Advertising Association will continue to certify their conferences, there was no doubt:
– Absolutely! It is so simple and important that there is no reason not to.
Sæternes emphasizes that they will ask future suppliers to do the same with their events.
Great sustainability ambitions
For Sales and Marketing Manager Hofstad, there is nothing better than hearing that the certification has been both simple and important for the customer. What feels even better is knowing that the customer will take the lessons further and continue with certified conferences:
- The goal with Green Conferences is that more of our customers will choose certified conferences. We also want to attract new customers who have a sustainable focus. We hope that this will help make Bergen a greener city.
Grieghallens fasade banners are repurposed
as bags after they have served its purpose.
Foto: Schibsted Partnerstudio
