Stefan Trieb from mac: ‘Sustainability will change the market’

‘Sustainability is not a trend, it’s a responsibility,’ says Stefan Trieb, CEO of mac. brand spaces. We asked him about it.

BlachReport: Mr Trieb, mac. brand spaces attaches great importance to sustainability. How has this focus developed in recent years?

Stefan Trieb: In recent years, we have continuously expanded our sustainability strategy. We have recognised that sustainability is not just a short-term trend, but has the potential to change our market – especially in connection with the changed regulatory framework, namely the guidelines for corporate reporting or the taxonomy. We also see the topic as an aspect of our corporate responsibility and, with regard to employee recruitment, for whom sustainability issues are becoming increasingly important when choosing an employer.

We therefore take a holistic ESG approach when dealing with this topic, harmonising it with governance and taking care of the environmental and social aspects. We rely on innovative solutions in our operational processes, in purchasing and in our service offerings to make our processes more resource-efficient and environmentally friendly. This includes the use of sustainable materials, the optimisation of our logistics and the use of renewable energies. And, above all, continuous further education and training of our employees.

BlachReport: The mac. brand spaces sustainability report shows impressive figures. Can you highlight some of the most important measures you have implemented?

Stefan Trieb: With pleasure. The most important point is that despite the challenging years 2020 and 2021, we not only achieved our sustainability targets, but exceeded them. We were able to reduce our CO2 emissions by a further 15 per cent and increase the proportion of sustainable materials to 95 per cent. For example, by using electric vehicles in our fleet and installing solar panels on our buildings, we have significantly reduced our CO2 emissions. Another element of our strategy is the modularity of the construction of our exhibition stands, which is already anticipated in the design phase. This allows us to reuse many components several times and thus significantly reduce material consumption.

Blachreport: How do your customers react to your sustainable initiatives? And what role does this play in their decision in favour of mac. brand spaces as a partner?

Stefan Trieb: The response from customers has been very positive across the board. Many customers respect our commitment to sustainability. Many companies today are actively looking for partners who can offer sustainable solutions. Our initiatives are therefore highly valued and are often cited as a decisive factor in our collaboration. Customers recognise that we not only talk about sustainability, but also implement it consistently. This strengthens our profile and helps us to establish long-term partnerships. For us, sustainability is not an add-on, but an integral part of our business model. Our focus on sustainability is paying off. We are seeing growing interest from our customers in sustainable solutions. On the one hand, this is because customers want to protect the environment and society. On the other hand, they also recognise that sustainable products and services often make economic sense.

The issue of credibility is also crucial. That’s why, as a sustainability pioneer in the industry, we had ourselves audited in accordance with ISO 20121 for sustainable event management and, as far as we know, we were the first provider in our market to be certified along the entire value chain.

BlachReport: Thank you very much.

This interview was published on 2th September on www.blachreport.de