The 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

1. No poverty

As an international company, Messe Frankfurt helps to create and safeguard jobs and generate economic prosperity, thereby contributing to the welfare of society. A 2017 study on the positive socio-economic impact of Messe Frankfurt conducted by the Ifo Institute for Economic Research, an independent institute at Munich University, revealed that events under the Messe Frankfurt umbrella generated annual purchasing power of €3.6 billion in Germany alone and were responsible for over 33,000 jobs nationally (see also Goal 8).

Our company is notable for the job security it offers its employees, as well as for good working conditions, a positive work environment and opportunities for professional development. As a publicly owned company (the City of Frankfurt holds 60 percent and the State of Hesse 40 percent), we pursue responsible business practices that are in keeping with our situation. We take our responsibility to society seriously and work to support local initiatives and organisations in the fields of education/science, culture, sport and social welfare. In addition, employees of our subsidiaries around the globe take part in numerous community projects, including in India, China, Argentina and Great Britain. Our Indian subsidiary colleagues, for example, have long been involved in CSR projects intended to provide disadvantaged people with access to basic infrastructural services or to promote social entrepreneurship, particularly among women (see also Goal 2).

Dealing fairly with its service partners and service providers is part of Messe Frankfurt’s core philosophy.

2. Zero hunger

Each individual can do their part to help alleviate the many forms of hunger around the world by practising sustainable consumption and conscious eating, and by supporting social projects.

Messe Frankfurt works to help the disadvantaged, both at its home location and through its subsidiaries, with food donations and other activities, as well as through collaborations with various organisations.

As part of our partnership with Children for a better World e.V., Messe Frankfurt has been providing support for a community facility in the direct vicinity of the Frankfurt exhibition grounds for over a decade now. This multi-generational house offers children free warm meals for lunch every day that are followed by assistance with their school work. And in the run-up to Christmas, our colleagues use their own money to satisfy the Christmas wishes of the approx. 40 children at the facility. Another example is offered by our Argentine colleagues and something that is close to their hearts, the solidarity project entitled ‘Nochebuena para Todos’ (‘Christmas Eve for everyone’). They are helping families suffering from extreme poverty, some of whom live in areas that are very difficult to reach, by providing them with food, clothing and other gifts at Christmas. Messe Frankfurt UK regularly sends care packages to residents of old people’s homes and nursing homes without families of their own.

Dealing responsibly with food in its food service facilities on the exhibition grounds is an integral part of Messe Frankfurt’s high quality standards and its respect for the importance of food. Thanks to its accurate calculations of the portions required, the company is largely able to avoid waste and excess. That is because of our subsidiary Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH. The company, which is responsible for all catering and food service facilities for trade fairs, congresses and other events, as well as for the company canteens, takes care of production, logistics and service directly on the exhibition grounds. Regional and seasonal products are utilised whenever possible, and the company only uses fair trade coffee.

3. Good health and well-being

Proper healthcare and occupational safety are high priorities for our company. Messe Frankfurt offers a wide range of programmes aimed at ensuring a healthy working environment, including special ‘Health Days’ and flu shots. Workshops on relevant health topics are one of the benefits offered by the Messe Vital prevention programme, which Messe Frankfurt has been supporting for over 15 years. A company physician is available to meet employee needs on a regular basis. Whenever an employee is forced to miss work for an extended period of time due to illness, the company's re-integration management service helps them to readjust when returning to work.

Messe Frankfurt’s occupational health management also includes the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). For many years now, employees at our Frankfurt base have been able to turn to this comprehensive external advisory service with their professional and personal questions. The service is available around the clock and is provided free of charge.

Messe Frankfurt strives to keep its employees with the Group for the long term by providing them with above-average working conditions and a positive work-life balance. The company offers a wide range of family-friendly measures, including flexible working hours and a variety of working time models. In addition, the company collaborates with a family service to offer back-up childcare services (emergency childcare and/or childcare during school holidays for a total of 15 days a year). Opportunities for agile working continue to be expanded.

Various company sports groups have been established to promote physical activity and dialogue amongst employees.

4. Quality education

Messe Frankfurt is regularly ranked as one of Germany's best employers. The company utilises a competence-based training system to offer professional development measures to management and employees that suit their individual requirements. The provision of support at both a professional and personal level for employees also contributes to Messe Frankfurt’s business success while strengthening the Group’s corporate identity. Training and professional development also play a key role for the employees of our subsidiaries worldwide.

Messe Frankfurt provides on-the-job training to young people that gives them a wide range of development opportunities. We provide training in various professions and work-study programmes. Almost 100 percent of the company’s trainees are taken on permanently. We adhere to the training code of the event sector: 100pro.org. This sets clearly defined quality standards for companies and higher education institutions while ensuring that the quality of training is both visible and transparent.

Messe Frankfurt also supports Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) programmes in ‘Real Estate and Facility Management’ and ‘Real Estate & Integrated Building Technology’ at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (UAS). The programme commenced in winter semester 2018/2019 and will run for five years. This programme allows the company to direct its support to an academic institution in its home city while simultaneously investing in the training and professional development of specialists. Both courses of study educate specialists in the fields of facility management and integrated building technology – specialists that are also required by Messe Frankfurt for planning, operating, servicing and maintaining its own properties. With increasing resource scarcity and networking and the need to save energy and ensure safety and security, the demand for well-trained specialists will continue to grow. The collaborative effort makes it possible to finance a total of 54 university places.

Our subsidiaries are engaged in countless projects around the world. For example, Messe Frankfurt India is supporting the Spark-A-Change (SAC) foundation. The Mumbai-based foundation was established in the belief that every child – no matter what their socio-economic status – should receive the sound literacy training necessary to obtain high-quality education. Every year, our colleagues at Messe Frankfurt’s Chinese subsidiaries in Hong Kong and mainland China are active in all manner of social projects aimed at helping society, including activities to support disadvantaged and autistic children.

5. Gender equality

Diversity is an integral part of our company, our events and our workforce. Since its very earliest days, Messe Frankfurt has stood for a cosmopolitan outlook and respect, regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. The workforce at our Frankfurt headquarters is made up of people from some 30 different countries. This cultural and linguistic diversity and a values-based approach within the Group are key components of the company's long-term success.

Our communications are also closely tied to our brand values. We ensure that gender-neutral language is used in spoken and written communication and endeavour to create a culture in which everyone is treated with the same respect regardless of background or gender. Within Germany we observe the official rules and recommendations for proper German grammar issued by Duden, while our international subsidiaries observe the rules prevailing within their respective countries.

The proportion of women in executive positions within the company has continued to increase in recent years and now exceeds one third of these positions at our Frankfurt location. Messe Frankfurt’s Executive Board has made it their express goal to raise this share even further when vacancies occur that can be filled with suitably qualified candidates who are interested in the positions.

Helping employees to find a healthy balance between working and family life is a high priority for Messe Frankfurt. The company offers a wide range of family-friendly measures, including flexible working time models such as part-time work and working from home. The company collaborates with a family service to offer back-up childcare services (emergency childcare and/or childcare during school holidays for a total of 15 days a year), as well as free seminars on the topic of families and raising children, and a holiday programme for children.

6. Clean water and sanitation

As part of its efforts to conserve resources, the company strives to reduce potable water consumption on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds. At the same time, we must also work to properly implement the official drinking water ordinance.

We use rainwater for operating toilet facilities in our buildings wherever this is possible. This allows us to save approx. seven litres of potable water with every flush. We also use rainwater to water the vegetation on the exhibition grounds. By switching from open cooling towers to closed recooling systems, it was possible to reduce the water spray resulting from cooling systems.

Utilisation of a biological wastewater treatment system to break down cooking fats has allowed the company to significantly reduce the volume of chemicals used for wastewater treatment.

In Sunder Nagar, one of the largest slums in the vicinity of New Delhi, our colleagues at Messe Frankfurt India collaborated with the Planet Water Foundation to create a water storage facility that supplies the village of Jaunti, near New Delhi, with clean drinking water. The project was launched in response to water shortages in the capital city that resulted in major health risks. Messe Frankfurt India supplied funding for the construction of the water tank, which will provide a secure, long-term supply of drinking water for Juanti’s residents. In addition to building the water tank and installing water lines and filters, the project also included cultural activities aimed at informing and educating the villagers.

7. Affordable and clean energy

To successfully conserve resources, ongoing optimisation processes are a necessity. It is particularly important that more economical and ecological processes be found in the field of energy. Messe Frankfurt has implemented sustainable ongoing measures at its home base that raise energy efficiency and conserve resources. By switching over entirely to renewable energy sources for its electrical power in 2020, Messe Frankfurt has been able to reduce CO₂ emissions by approx. 19,000 tonnes annually. We are also helping to meet the electricity needs of the exhibition grounds with our three photovoltaic systems. In 2020 these contributed approx. 2.3 GWh of solar energy. Taken together, all three photovoltaic systems on the exhibition grounds help to reduce CO₂ emissions by approx. 1,200 tonnes a year.

Already in 2007, Messe Frankfurt began systematically collecting and analysing the energy consumption data on the exhibition grounds as part of its efforts to conserve energy. This was but the first of numerous steps that the Group has undertaken to comprehensively document and analyse the energy requirements of the exhibition grounds in order to develop targeted energy management measures on an ongoing basis. Since 2014, our energy team comprising the Executive Board, vice presidents and department heads has been setting energy strategy for Messe Frankfurt. These energy targets are implemented and achieved by monitoring the energy requirements of exhibition halls and administration buildings, raising awareness among and offering training to employees at our Frankfurt base, and ensuring that new buildings and renovation projects are optimised for future requirements and lower energy consumption. In an effort both to develop further efficiency measures and achieve lasting reductions in the energy requirements of the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, the energy profiles of all our buildings are analysed independently of event operations to eliminate any sources of unnecessary energy consumption. Implementation of numerous measures made it possible to achieve annual reductions in base load consumption of six million kWh annually by the end of 2020, which translates to savings of 30 percent.

The company has also been gradually switching all lighting on the exhibition grounds to LED in order to conserve resources.

For historical reasons, most of the requirements for heating and cooling on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds are served by steam from a district heating network. Some of the district heating is generated right on the exhibition grounds by the ‘Messe’ heat and power station using combined heat and power generation (CHP). These power stations can achieve a fuel conversion efficiency of more than 80 percent, something that helps to reduce CO₂ emissions.

With the help of absorption chillers, district heating steam is used to generate cooling in the summer months.

There are only a few heating requirements in our buildings that, for structural or operational reasons, have to be met using a decentralised natural gas-driven boiler.

No heating oil is used for buildings at our Frankfurt base.

However, it can occasionally come to pass that exhibitors or organisers use minimal amounts of heating oil in outdoor exhibition areas.

We do our best to make all colleagues and service providers aware of the importance of energy efficiency – both at work and at home.

Messe Frankfurt continues to be a member of the Business Energy Efficiency Network in Frankfurt as it enters its second stage. Close collaboration and knowledge transfer with other companies in the Rhine-Main region allow Messe Frankfurt to actively shape the energy transition, while furthering its shareholders’ climate protection measures and expanding the use of renewable energy on the exhibition grounds.

8. Decent work and economic growth

Messe Frankfurt provides its employees with above-average working conditions and a positive work-life balance, something that also helps to foster their loyalty to the Messe Frankfurt Group. The wide range of benefits offered by the company include secure jobs, proper compensation for overtime, flexible working hours and work-time models, and a company pension scheme. Agile working continues to be expanded. We boast a transparent remuneration system in which fair play is integral to the salary structure. In addition to collectively agreed additional benefits, we also offer our employees numerous social benefits voluntarily. Messe Frankfurt’s contracts with service providers and partners also include extensive regulations regarding minimum wages that also apply to their subcontractors. These provisions prohibit any wages or pay that is less than the minimum wage and make the contractors liable for penalties should this occur.

Messe Frankfurt and its global textile network – Texpertise Network – have been partners of the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network and the United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP) since 2019. Their shared goal is to promote the achievement of sustainable development goals at their more than 50 textile events worldwide by means of a wide range of actions in both the physical and digital realms. The textile and fashion industry is not only one of the world’s most resource-intensive industries, but also one of the most globalised. The Sustainable Development Goals promulgated by the UN can deliver far-reaching improvements in the textile industry.

Our trade fairs are a central element in economic development and are key drivers of growth. They also have enormous macroeconomic effects that increase purchasing power and employment, making Messe Frankfurt an important economic engine for the Rhine-Main region and for Germany as a whole (see also Goal 1).

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure

As venue operators, we are continually looking for ways in which we can reduce our consumption of electricity, water and heating energy through efficient state-of-the-art exhibition hall technology and by tailoring systems operation to our actual needs on a regular basis. Even so, we avoid knee-jerk responses because it is not advisable from either an ecological or an economic point of view to – to take one example – replace fully functional equipment with a completely new system whose lifecycle footprint is higher.

New buildings are constructed in an energy-efficient manner. Kap Europa was the first convention building worldwide to be awarded Platinum Certification by the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) for its high ecological standards. Hall 12, which has been in operation since September 2018, was built to the demanding ‘KfW 55’ energy-efficient building standard. The ‘55’ represents the building’s energy consumption as a percentage of energy consumption under the current German Energy Saving Ordinance (meaning that a KfW 55 structure uses 45 percent less energy). The building even generates some of its own energy with a rooftop photovoltaic system.

In all, there are three photovoltaic systems in operation on the exhibition grounds. Taken together, all three photovoltaic systems on the exhibition grounds help to reduce CO₂ emissions by an estimated 1,200 tonnes a year.

We have been implementing sustainable mobility management for our customers and employees for many years now, allowing us to help reduce the environmental impact of mobility on our Frankfurt base. Messe Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds are centrally located and enjoy excellent connections with all important transport routes. Strain on the city’s roads is alleviated by an S-Bahn light rail station situated in the middle of the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, a U-Bahn underground train and tram connection at the City/Festhalle Entrance, and proximity to Frankfurt Central Station, all of which make it easier for our guests to travel to and from events in an environmentally friendly and convenient way. Combined tickets to our Group events function as both an admission ticket and a pass for free travel to and from the event on local public transport within the entire Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) area. Messe Frankfurt has been offering combined tickets since 2002. Since 2007, Messe Frankfurt customers have travelled emission-free with Deutsche Bahn.

We promote e-mobility at our home base. Our subsidiary in Great Britain, Messe Frankfurt UK, installed four charging stations at its new office location. Messe Frankfurt utilises various sources of energy for its vehicle fleet. The company deployed its first electric car back in 2011, while a good 25 percent of our subsidiary Accente’s 60-vehicle fleet is now powered by an environmentally friendly energy source – and this share continues to increase.

We are a ‘bicycle-friendly employer’: in 2017 the German Bicycling Club (ADFC) awarded our headquarters in Frankfurt a special certification that is recognised throughout the EU. In addition to company bicycles, there is also a bicycle pool available for the use of our customers. We are constantly looking for ways to make these services even better.

In accordance with the principles of the circular economy, we recycle as much as 90 percent of the waste that is generated on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds.

Paper, for example, is used as raw material for paper production, while wood is used both for the production of new chipboard and as fuel at the Flörsheim/Wicker bio-power plant. Plastics are separated by type and processed to create pellets which are also used for production purposes. Messe Frankfurt has been implementing an efficient waste and recycling management programme since the early 1990s, something that was revolutionary in the German trade fair industry at that time. In 1991 responsibility for waste disposal was given to a private waste disposal company with a state-of-the-art sorting facility. Messe Frankfurt has worked closely with Meinhardt Stadtreinigung GmbH & Co. KG right from the start. It is certified in accordance with the Ordinance on Specialised Waste Management Companies (EfbV) and with EN ISO 9001:2015 and is also subject to the controls of the Regional Administrative Authority in Darmstadt. Frankfurter Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH (FES) is also a Messe Frankfurt partner for waste management.

Events worldwide under the Messe Frankfurt umbrella are renowned as places where pioneering innovations go hand-in-hand with sustainability, including Light + Building, ISH and Frankfurt Fashion Week.

10. Reduced inequalities

Diversity is of the utmost importance for Messe Frankfurt. We have been a member of the Charter of Diversity initiative since 2011. This initiative unites employers who are working to promote diversity in their workplace and provide working environments that are free of prejudice. “All employees should be treated with respect – regardless of their age, ethnic background, nationality, sex or gender identity, physical or mental capabilities, religion, ideology, sexual orientation or social background (see also Goal 5 Gender equality).

The Frankfurt exhibition grounds are notable for the short, simple routes connecting all key areas. Mobility-impaired visitors are also able to move about easily thanks to our barrier-free access and connection network and our infrastructure.

11. Sustainable cities and communities

Messe Frankfurt operates a sustainable mobility management system. We have one of the most advanced traffic management systems in the trade fair sector. By taking full advantage of the logistics areas available, we have been able to shorten routes and reduce emissions, thereby improving the organisation of set-up and dismantling and speeding up the process. In collaboration with the Federal Government's Autobahn GmbH and the City of Frankfurt am Main, we have instituted a digital traffic management system that optimises the flow of traffic to and from our events. This makes it possible to guide exhibitors and visitors to the right entrance gates or parking spaces with great precision according to the event and time in question. The accelerated traffic flow that results relieves the burden on the city and reduces emissions while also helping to make Frankfurt a smarter city.

As a rule, only certified and approved building materials are utilised on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, and all hazardous materials are disposed of in appropriate fashion.

In 2015, our Kap Europa congress centre became the first convention building worldwide to be awarded Platinum Certification on account of its high ecological standards, i.e. its ecological and socially responsible construction and operation (see Goal 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure). Its sustainability concept includes the building’s entire lifecycle, from planning and construction to operation and removal.

Hall 11 features one of the largest wooden roofs in Europe. This earned it special recognition in the ‘New construction’ category of the German Wooden Construction Award in 2011 at LIGNA in Hanover, the world’s leading trade fair for the forestry, timber and wood industries. The German Wooden Construction Award is Germany’s most important award for buildings that contain a large component of the regional and renewable raw material wood.

More than 40 percent of the open areas on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds are unpaved, instead being planted with a wide variety of trees and shrubbery. This has given rise over the years to valuable habitats for many birds and insects such as our bee colonies. By permanently establishing these bee colonies within the city, Messe Frankfurt is also contributing to the rescue of wild bees and of honeybees.

Messe Frankfurt continuously develops its exhibition grounds on a sustainable basis.

Our central location makes it very clear to us just how important the creation of green areas is to the city’s climate. The greening of façades and rooftops improves the microclimate.

We also green our exhibition halls and rooftops wherever possible, including Kap Europa and our Cargo Center logistics centre.

12. Responsible consumption and production

In recent years, demand for sustainable system stands at Frankfurt’s home base has been increasing. Modular system stands are in particular demand on account of the long service life of the materials used. We offer our customers system stand packages that allow them to take advantage of this. Messe Frankfurt also implements numerous custom stand concepts. Our customers even have the option of having these stored for future use under multi-year contracts. Instead of going to the expense of transporting stand construction materials from their home countries, many of our customers rent their materials from local stand constructors. This also reduces CO₂ emissions.

Messe Frankfurt has been using carpeting based on recyclable raw materials in its halls since 2010. 90 percent of this carpeting is recycled, including for the production of granulate for subsequent use.

The company has made a point of avoiding the use of tropical woods for many years now. As a rule, the company only utilises certified and approved building materials, and all hazardous materials are disposed of in appropriate fashion. In accordance with the principles of the circular economy, we recycle as much as 90 percent of the waste that is generated on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds (see also Goal 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure).

Our food service and catering activities also feature environmentally sound business practices. At our Accente Gastronomie Service GmbH, our catering subsidiary, this begins with the purchase of predominantly local and regional food. Wherever possible, we avoid using disposable packaging and food containing dyes, preservatives and additives. The 80 or so catering companies that provide meals and refreshments during events only use reusable dishes and easily biodegradable materials. We also strive to ensure that production and logistics are energy-efficient. As a result, we are able to conserve resources throughout the process, from production through to recycling.

Messe Frankfurt’s company restaurants have been exclusively using fair-trade coffee since December 2011. Making this switch demonstrates our support for fair trade while also raising awareness of this issue among our employees. Everyone is also doing their part to reduce the volume of avoidable waste at the company: since late 2011 we have been offering our customers porcelain coffee cups and mugs in various price categories that they can purchase for their coffee-to-go. All permanent restaurants, cafés, etc., use crockery, porcelain and glass for the most part. Disposable materials are only used in places or situations where it is not possible to clean these items due to hygiene regulations. Whenever it is not possible to clean receptacles hygienically, we primarily use disposable materials made of PLA (polylactic acid), which are made from plant starch and are therefore biodegradable. Since May 2013, Accente has developed exclusive recipes and green catering packages for the Kap Europa congress centre as part of its Green Catering sustainability initiative.

Messe Frankfurt copying and writing paper is FSC-certified, and most of its trade fair publications also bear the FSC label. All internal and external company publications (Annual Report, Agora) and the press kits are also FSC-certified.

Our policy is to minimise the use of paper in our offices.

At Messe Frankfurt, post is sent via the 100-percent climate-neutral dispatch service GoGreen.

13. Climate action

Responsible business practices, including social, environmental and economic aspects, are central to Messe Frankfurt’s work and the strategic orientation of the company.

Messe Frankfurt has been a member of the UN Global Compact since 2010 and orients its corporate responsibility in keeping with the principles of the UN Global Compact.

As part of Messe Frankfurt’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, we also support the ‘fairpflichtet – rightandfair’ industry code for the sustainable organisation and implementation of events. At our home location in Frankfurt, we help raise awareness of these issues in the congress and convention sector amongst our employees by offering them the chance to participate in sustainability seminars and take courses to become sustainability consultants in the ‘Event Industry 2.0’.

Consultations provide exhibitors with valuable tips on how they can make their trade fair participation environmentally friendly – a win-win situation for our customers and for us as venue operators.

We are integrating sustainability approaches into more and more processes and aspects of our activities. As venue operators, we are continually looking for ways in which we can reduce our consumption of electricity, water and heating energy through efficient exhibition hall technology and by tailoring systems operation to our actual needs on a regular basis. As a result of our central location, we have been implementing sustainable mobility management for our customers and employees for many years now, allowing us to help reduce the environmental impact of mobility on our Frankfurt base (see also Goals 7, 9, 11, 12).
Admission tickets to Messe Frankfurt’s own events can also be used to travel to and from the event free of charge on public transport. Our partnership with Deutsche Bahn allows our visitors to travel emission-free in Germany (see also Goal 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure and Goal 11 Sustainable cities and communities).

The company also supports employees at its Frankfurt base by subsidising their travel on public transportation within the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund (RMV) area.

14. Life below water

We also ensure the sustainability of cleaning agents at our home location in Frankfurt by using products that do not contain any microplastics and which are sourced from certified manufacturers.

When purchasing fish for our canteens and restaurants on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds, we rely on products bearing the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seal for sustainable fishing – such as for wild salmon.

We have also helped to protect our ground water, soil, plants and animal life by almost entirely eliminating the use of de-icing salt on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds in wintry conditions.
Instead we use a combination of brine and magnesium chloride. Our brine facility’s 30,000-litre tank is generally sufficient for the entire winter season in Frankfurt in normal weather conditions.

15. Life on land

More than 40 percent of the open areas on the Frankfurt exhibition grounds are unpaved. We have planted approx. 890 trees here in recent decades, with varieties that include chestnut, red oak, linden, black locust, hornbeam, sycamore, wild pear, pine, tulip trees and catalpas – not to mention dawn redwoods and a pagoda tree. The grounds also feature a wide range of shrubs. In fact, there are even grapevines here. Over the years, this has given rise to valuable habitats for many birds and insects such as our bee colonies. By permanently establishing these bee colonies within the city, Messe Frankfurt is also contributing to the rescue of wild bees and of honeybees.

Our Torhaus administration building has two rooftop gardens. We also green our exhibition halls and rooftops wherever possible, including Kap Europa and our Cargo Center logistics centre.

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

The success of our business is based on our tradition as a company that people can count on. At Messe Frankfurt, statutory obligations, voluntary commitments, guidelines and best practices are the cornerstones of our way of doing business. Clear and binding rules for purchasing and an efficient structure of internal rules and processes all help to reliably prevent corruption and other breaches of the rules.

Messe Frankfurt’s business model is based on the principle of personal interaction. Every encounter reinforces mutual trust, laying the foundation for long-term partnerships and sustained engagement across all cultural and language boundaries.

17. Partnerships for the goals

Messe Frankfurt has been documenting its commitment to CSR as part of the United Nations Global Compact since 2010. As part of Messe Frankfurt’s commitment to corporate social responsibility, we support the ‘fairpflichtet – rightandfair’ industry code for the sustainable organisation and implementation of events.At our more than 50 textile events, we work to promote the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In 2019, working together with the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, we set ourselves the target of promoting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We do this by actively drawing attention to the SDGs at all of our global textile events and making available information about them. We have also entered into strategic partnerships with many of our guest organisers regarding trade fairs, congresses and other events related to sustainability.