AIPC
Sustainability in action
INTERNATIONAL VENUE ASSOCIATION AIPC MEMBER PRAGUE CONGRESS CENTRE ’ S DIRECTOR , LENKA ŽLEBKOVÁ , OFFERS THE FOLLOWING CASE STUDY
S ustainability is high on the agenda of global venue community AIPC for several reasons , including : ecological , economic and commercial . In order to support its community , AIPC recently set up a small working group of sustainability officers , with the goal to collect and share best practices . Here is one of our case studies :
The Prague Congress Centre ( PCC ) receives nearly a quarter of a million visitors a year . It ’ s an iconic building , located close to the Czech capital ’ s city centre .
The venue has undergone an extensive energy management transformation in recent years and has reduced its electricity , gas and water consumption by more than 40 %. This is despite the architectural style , which does not really favour energy efficiency . However , the transformation that the centre has been undergoing since 2015 has put PCC on a green path for competitors to follow . For a building of this type , an efficient HVAC solution is essential in an energy transformation , and the centre has managed to achieve this by controlling the ventilation in every room . Dozens of sensors in the building monitor the level of carbon dioxide in the air and allow the ventilation in each room to be regulated separately . Thanks to free cooling and the supply of air from outside , the ventilation allows the temperature inside to be lowered or , conversely , increased by waste heat from the kitchen , for example .
The measures to modernise the
Above : Lenka Žlebková
“ With 2,080 solar panels , the photovoltaic power plant on the roof alone increases savings by 10 % of total consumption ”
energy management at the venue were expected to result in serious monetary savings by 2025 .
With 2,080 solar panels , the photovoltaic power plant on the roof alone increases savings by 10 % of total consumption . In addition , it saves the production of over ten tons of CO2 , which would be equivalent to 1,740 hot air balloons full of carbon dioxide . The Prague Congress Centre has invested $ 5.81m in the EPC energy-saving measures and , while ROI was expected to be reached after 10 years , this was already the case in just five and a half years . In the first years , € 1,4m a year were saved , now it is already € 2m
However , the energy transformation is not the end of sustainability at the Prague Congress Centre . The eco-friendly approach is taken in everyday activities , from drink dispensers , elimination of disposable packaging , reduction of printing and its replacement with a digital signage system , to growing their own vegetables and herbs on the terrace .
The centre ’ s partner , Zátiší Catering Group , which prepares the food directly on the premises of PCC and therefore does not require any packaging material , can offer catering for thousands of congress and conference participants , always using local and seasonal ingredients . At the same time , the company emphasises careful planning of food volumes and a one-bowl serving system . When catering surpluses do occur , leftovers go to the community fridge .
A sustainable business model not only brings significant savings to the centre , but also strengthens its competitiveness . Both are reflected in higher attendance and a 15 % increase in revenue compared to 2022 . Thanks to this positive economic performance , the centre can also afford to invest and further enhance its value proposal , among others by investing in innovative LED solutions . n
ISSUE 133 / CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD / 11