Mobility

Messe Karlsruhe is committed to sustainable mobility solutions. At both of our locations, we offer options that enable our guests to travel to and from the venue with low or zero emissions.

Our Congress Center is distinguished by its central location between the main train station and downtown, making it very well integrated into Karlsruhe’s public transit network. The convention center is also well connected via its own transit stop; during major events and trade shows, we also offer a direct shuttle service between the main train station and the convention center (travel information).

Facts about the Congress Center:

• To the Congress Center (U) subway stop: 1–2 minutes on foot
• To the main train station: 15 minutes on foot
• To downtown: 10–15 minutes on foot
• 7 electric vehicle charging stations in the Congress Center parking garage (11 kW / Type 2 charging port)
• 112 bicycle parking spaces under the canopy of the Schwarzwaldhalle
• Bicycle repair service

Facts about the Exhibition Grounds:

• Connection via S-Bahn Line 2 to the “Messe/Leichtsandstraße” stop: 5-minute walk
• Connection via Bus Line 106 to the “Karlsruhe Messe” stop during regular service
• To the KVV.nextbike bike-sharing station: 5-minute walk
• Stadtmobil car-sharing station in Parking Lot P1
• 105 EV charging points on the exhibition grounds (11 kW / Type 2 charging port)
• 320 bicycle parking spaces
• 4 lockers for charging bicycle batteries
• Bicycle breakdown service
• Messe Express: Bus shuttle between the main train station and the exhibition grounds during select events

In cooperation with Deutsche Bahn, we offer exclusive event packages for select events to help you reach our two locations.

Venue and Accommodations

We are validated under the EMAS environmental management system and certified to DIN EN ISO 14001 for both locations. This means that all environmentally relevant processes—such as energy, water, and material consumption, as well as waste generation—are tracked and evaluated using key performance indicators. Based on this data, we develop measures to continuously improve our environmental performance. All information regarding our environmental management is published in our annually updated and validated environmental statement. This fosters transparency and trust and serves as the foundation for our status as a sustainable venue (see the environmental statement for more information).

In addition to a certified venue, choosing suitable accommodations is also important for organizing and hosting events. With numerous hotels in the city center, the city of Karlsruhe offers a wide range of lodging options. We recommend staying at environmentally certified hotels, such as partner hotels of the “Sustainable Destination” Karlsruhe initiative.

Convention Center Facts:

• Karlsruhe has approximately 9,300 beds
• of which over 1,250 rooms are in the immediate vicinity of the convention center (within a 1 km radius)
• the nearest hotel offers covered access to the Stadthalle

Facts about the Exhibition Grounds:

• over 2,850 rooms (within a 10 km radius)
• one hotel is less than a five-minute walk away

Procurement of products and services

As part of our procurement processes, environmental and social considerations are taken into account alongside economic ones from the very beginning.

Before any procurement, our departments assess whether there is an actual need—because consciously choosing not to purchase is often the most sustainable step. Where procurement is necessary, our departments can independently evaluate the following criteria:

• No ingredients that pose a risk to the environment or health
• Avoidance of known hazardous substances
• Use of renewable raw materials
• Efficient use of energy, raw materials, etc.
• Recyclability or reusability
• Ease of repair and maintenance
• Environmentally sound disposal
• Product take-back by the manufacturer
• Recognized eco-label
• Durability or reusability
• Suppliers’ environmental certifications
• For promotional materials: sourced from EU countries
• Social aspects

Catering

For catering, we work with our service partner, GAUL Catering. Their offerings include a diverse selection of food and beverages.

Passion for the Future - Gaul Catering

External event organizers as well as our internal teams can work directly with Gaul to develop customized and sustainable catering concepts—tailored to the specific needs of their respective target audiences.

Energy and climate

Messe Karlsruhe uses exclusively 100% certified green electricity. In addition, we are implementing concrete measures to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency. For example, we are gradually converting the lighting in our exhibition halls to LED, supplemented by demand-based control systems and targeted use of natural light.

Comprehensive system monitoring helps us identify potential savings in thermal energy at an early stage. Key tools in this process are automated control and regulation systems in building services engineering.

Examples of our technical measures at our locations:

Congress Center:

• Heating via district heating
• Cooling through the use of well water
• Use of heat recovery technology

Stadthalle (after modernization):

• Heating and cooling via geothermal energy
• Sunshades for skylight glazing
• Photovoltaic system
• Smart control technology to optimize heating, cooling, and lighting

Exhibition Grounds:

• Heating via low-temperature boilers
• Cooling with well water
• Ventilation control based on temperature, air quality, and visitor occupancy
• Heat recovery using rotary heat exchangers
• LED lighting with individual controls
• Generous use of natural daylight for room lighting

Current measures and key figures on environmental performance can be found in our annually updated and validated environmental statement.

Waste management

As part of the EMAS implementation, the waste management strategies for our event and administrative operations were optimized with the goal of reducing waste volumes (for example, by minimizing the use of carpeting at our events) and achieving a higher recycling rate through more rigorous waste separation. A regular communication process was established with the relevant service partners to monitor the agreed-upon processes and adjust them as needed:

On-site waste management is handled by our service partner Geiger.

The waste generated at Messe Karlsruhe is then professionally sorted and consistently recycled by our experienced waste management partner, ALBA.

Light bulbs are also properly disposed of by a specialized company.

At select events, waste consultants are hired to assist exhibitors with waste separation.

Accessibility

You can find information about the accessibility of our locations at the following link:

Accessible Karlsruhe

Social sustainability

To promote social sustainability, we have implemented the following measures:

• A variety of part-time work arrangements and remote work options support work-life balance
• Women make up over 50 % of our workforce, including in leadership positions
• Signing of the Diversity Charter
• Company pension plan through ZVK
• Pay in accordance with the Public Sector Collective Bargaining Agreement (TVöD)
• Equal Pay—equal pay for equal work
• Customized continuing education opportunities and e-learning programs
• Workplace health management
• Employee benefits, e.g., for gym memberships, nearby dining options, purchase of a “Deutschlandticket Job,” and bicycle leasing
• Additional paid days off when a child is sick
• No use of “minijob” employment arrangements