A – Whilst the markeding Vienna, Austria’s largest promotional products trade show takes place annually, the spin-off of the event in Wels, Upper Austria, is staged every two years. The time had come round again on September 17, 2024 and the organiser Martin Zettl as well as the two local sponsors, Forum Werbeartikel (Weißkirchen) and Wertpräsent (Marchtrenk) had invited customers from the promoting industry to the Wels Exhibition Centre, where 82 exhibitors presented their products.
The award ceremony of the Green markeding Awards took place at the end of the show. F.t.l.: Martin Zettl, Katharina Zettl, Isabella Zeller-Ebhart (Framsohn), Claus Schmid (Prodir), Nadine Bischof (koziol), the presenter Nicole Mack and Upper Austria’s Minister, Stefan Kaineder.
The markeding was carried out as a green event for the first time and certified with the Austrian eco-label. Zettl explained why: “For us it is not just about showing off a ‘green’ label. Indeed, we consider it to be an important step that allows us as event and trade show organisers to contribute towards a more sustainable and more environmentally-friendly future. In order to be certified as a Green Event we had to fulfil specific criteria. This includes the communication and implementation of mobility that is as eco-friendly as possible, the avoidance of waste, the use of regional and organic products for the catering, energy-efficient technology, social responsibility and barrier-free entrances and much more.”
The current flood situation that has led to a state of emergency being announced in large sections of Austria, proves meanwhile how urgent the theme sustainability is. The region of Upper Austria may not have been affected directly, but days of non-stop rain also caused uncertainty among the organisers of the markeding. Ultimately, however, over 60% of the people registered actually took part in the trade fair. Only companies that were directly affected by the flooded areas in Lower Austria and Vienna had cancelled their visit to the show at short notice.
On the day of the event, 728 visitors (2022: 756) checked in via the registration tool, dMAS. A large variety of products as well as exciting keynotes on themes like Sustainability, AI and Social Media Branding awaited the visitors. What’s more, the visitors were called upon to vote for their favourites in the scope of the Green markeding Awards: 44 exhibitors had taken on the upcycling challenge and each presented a sustainable product from their line-as an overall piece of art comprising of recycled or organic materials contained in the product.
The award ceremony was held at the end of the show. The winners of the visitor voting were the companies Prodir (1st place), koziol (2nd place) and framsohn frottier (3rd place), who were all presented with their trophies on the stage of the show by the organisers and the Environmental and Climate Minister of Upper Austria’s Government, Stefan Kaineder.
Zettl’s daughter, Katharina, who supported the show team for the first time this year, was responsible for organising the award. Her conclusion: “44 participants in the Green markeding Award are impressive proof that environmental awareness and sustainable production are gaining increased significance in our industry.”
The next edition of the markeding is scheduled to take place at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna on April 10, 2025. //Till Barth
Photos: Till Barth, © WA Media; Sebastian Schiefermayr
