The ripple effect of circular business events
Rodkjær Event is the only event agency in Denmark operating with a circular business model that aims to design and execute 100% zero-waste events. Circular events mean wasteless events with reduced carbon footprints.
To Rodkjær Event, the circular economy is the key to working sustainably and responsibly. Up to now, the linear model of take, make and dispose, develop, acquire and dispose has prevailed at many events. That model is based on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials, goods, resources and energy. Rodkjær Event challenge that mindset and have a very ambitious goal, and a strategic 10-year roadmap that brings the event agency closer to creating 100% waste-free events every day.
Rodkjær Event operate with the paradigm: reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink without compromising the experience and outcome of their events. The agency consider the functionalities and resources of every design. If they buy new goods and materials, they aim for the most environmentally responsible option, and keep focus on certified, organic, reusable, biodegradable, local and recyclable purchases.
The above model shows Rodkjær Event's business model for zero-waste events.
UN Sustainable Development Goals no. 12 & 17
Rodkjær Event has chosen a circular economy approach as the guideline for the work with sustainability. This goes hand in hand with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The sustainable focus involves mainly goal number 12: Responsible consumption and production, and number 17: Partnerships for the goals.
Rodkjær Event has great experience with waste sorting as they internallys sort in 24 waste fractions. Design for disassembly is a natural part of the production. And procurement for events etc. reflects the circular set of values.
Sustainable events increase the clients’ brand value
Clearly, any event is a unique opportunity to signal the sustainable work that the clients do in their own businesses. The focal point of the client’s sustainability strategy is possible to implement. This means that the actual initiatives and sustainable efforts will be aligned in order to increase its brand value.
After the event, and as an optional service, Rodkjær Event can produce a report detailing all the efforts and data with the relevant carbon calculations and best practices. This work will be provided in close collaboration with the client’s needs to form the basis for new targets in the future.
It’s all about behaviour and action
Rodkjær Event’s circular principles are all about behaviour and action, particularly the commercial and social responsibility. “We prioritise the task of constantly challenging our clients, suppliers and not least ourselves to make more sustainable choices that support more socially responsible behaviour in the design of our events. With our choices and behaviour, we aim to create sustainability ripple effects in our event industry so that the industry will become allot more sustainability oriented than today”, Mette Stasiak Hagelquist, COO at Rodkjær Event, claims.
“What we do affects the people and the world around us. We recognise that responsibility and do right by the people we are involved with and the environment we share. We strive to look at the whole process of production to make sure that, our products have been manufactured with respect for both humans, animals and the environment. By taking a stand on circular economy and making an effort, we hope that others will follow our example to generate the ripple effect that will eventually “rock the boat” in the sector and the “rocking has begun” Mette says.
Rodkjær Event was nominated for the Danish 2020 Meeting and Event Award in the category “The Best Sustainable Event”. The show has been rescheduled due to the Corona epidemic and will be held in September 2020.
