Hamburgs Sustainable Mindset

In Hamburg, sustainability is a major topic. We consider it not only as a responsibility for nature conservation and the environment, but also include the economic and social components in the calculation. For us, sustainability does not mean reducing one's own footprint, but leaving a positive handprint! Especially for MICE planners, Hamburg offers numerous opportunities to leave this positive mark! Be it sustainable catering, transport, locations, hotels, or incentives.

Anyone who has ever been to Hamburg will immediately notice two colors. Hamburg has an unusually green cityscape for a metropolis of millions and uncountable blue waterways that run through the city like veins. A closer look reveals a third color, the color red. This color stands out because of the many brick buildings, which are typical for the city in northern Germany. Examples are the old water tower at Sternschanze, the old gasworks in Hamburg Altona or the Elbphilharmonie, which is located in the direct vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Speicherstadt (ware house disctrict). What is special about these examples? Today, numerous iconic buildings in Hamburg are being re-used for tourism, be they hotels, locations or cultural institutions. The sustainable re-use of urban spaces in Hamburg even goes so far that three high-rise bunkers from the Second World War now have a completely different purpose than in the past. For example, as a hotel with a green bunker roof or as a green power plant.

Why not hold your own event in the stadium of a professional soccer club that is clearly against homophobia and exclusion but actively promotes inclusion? No problem in Hamburg. Social values and cosmopolitanism are concepts that have been firmly anchored in Hamburg since Hanseatic times. Hamburg is a city with a very long tradition. A city that has earned its prosperity through trade and seafaring. Hamburg is still a hub for spices, coffee, and carpets. What seems quite normal today, however, used to be special because many new smells, tastes, styles, and cultures arrived in Germany first in Hamburg. Hamburg still exudes the feeling of a cosmopolitan and multicultural city that was already characteristic at that time. So it's not surprising that Hamburg is still an open city full of different cultures and that there is a strong sense of social responsibility and solidarity on social issues. And this goes far beyond the soccer stadium, that was just mentioned. Numerous exciting projects in the city show the city's social commitment. Whether it is a "house that builds wells" or a bus that was converted into a mobile shower to offer washing facilities to homeless people.

Why not make the lunch break of the meeting active for all attendees? For example, a kayak tour that clears the waterways - which in Hamburg run through almost the entire city - of rubbish? Or travel between different locations on a city bike? No problem at all in the Hanseatic city of Hamburg! There are also, for example, city tours by bike to get to know the Hanseatic city. And if you prefer to get to know Hamburg from the water - which we think is one of the most exciting ways to explore the city - then that's no problem either, because many shipping companies now have low-emission or even zero-emission ships in their fleet that sail through Hamburg's canals.

As you can see: In Hamburg, there are numerous opportunities to hold your own event with a sustainable mindset in order to achieve a positive impact.