How can you reconcile events with energy saving? Is it possible to organise a high-quality, large-scale event while caring for the environment and contributing to the fight against global warming?
In accordance with the guidelines of the UNIMEV (French union for event professionals), our CSR department will help you make energy efficiency a central aspect of your events at Versailles Palais des Congrès, your contemporary cultural and event centre located just opposite the “Sun King” château, a few minutes from Paris.
The energy sobriety plan of the French union for event professionals (UNIMEV)
Saving energy and reducing environmental impact is everyone’s business, with no exceptions. There are many possible ecological solutions for tackling climatic and environmental challenges, including renewable energies, reduced energy consumption, eco-design, and carbon footprint reduction. The Versailles Palais des Congrès undertakes to comply with UNIMEV’s instructions concerning the Government’s Energy Sobriety Plan. In October 2022, the French union of event professionals listed a set of recommendations and good practices to be adhered to in this very specific sector of activity.
In the past, a high-end business or private event could be seen as a spectacular display of affluence or even extravagance, and thus particularly energy intensive. In view of the one-off, unique nature of the events, professionals in the sector were often required to create the best possible experience for the guests and participants without considering the energy bill or necessarily adopting any environmental approach. In today’s world of global warming and energy crisis, those days are over.
Re-learning responsible lighting, heating and air conditioning approaches
For this reason, the new UNIMEV guidelines are therefore aimed equally at venue managers, event organisers, and service providers involved in the event industry. For example, simple measures are recommended for lighting, heating and air conditioning, without negatively impacting the quality of the events.
Firstly, before and after each meeting, lights should be switched off, radiators (in winter) or air conditioning systems (in summer) should be turned down, and electrical or electronic appliances should be unplugged. Secondly, during each conference, seminar, trade fair, meeting, training course, show, meal, party or other type of meeting, it is requested that low-energy lighting be used and that the public areas not be excessively heated or air conditioned. Many other rules and good practices are defined in this energy transition plan, which the Versailles Palais des Congrès team ensures is applied to each event held at our prestigious site while maintaining the highest level of quality and standards.
Holding eco-friendly events at Versailles Palais des Congrès
Entirely renovated on a beautiful 3,200-m² event space, the Versailles Palais des Congrès has been incorporating the latest standards for environmental impact and energy performance of buildings since its reopening in 2020. With improved insulation, LED light bulbs and a hot water production and ventilation system that has been brought up to modern environmental standards, our building has been redesigned to control thermal and electrical losses in order to achieve significant energy savings at each event.
Everything is planned on site to save energy and reduce the carbon footprint of your events
In addition to energy renovation and technological modernisation measures, we have also built environmental responsibility into the choice of our permanent equipment, and trained our teams and local service providers in good eco-responsible practices. Your contemporary event and cultural centre already comes fully equipped, which greatly contributes to reducing the carbon footprint of your events by avoiding the need to hire technical equipment, furniture or disposable crockery.
Behind the scenes, our technical department will support you with state-of-the-art equipment: digital sound and video control, LED wall, robotic lighting, HD cameras, etc.
In the dining room, our in-house catering service will tickle your guests’ taste buds with a catering offer, which controls cost and carbon footprint (better management of staff, equipment and transport costs) using our top-of-the-range crockery which avoids the need to hire outside equipment. Our tables, chairs and other catering equipment are already here on site, and we do not use disposable crockery. In the kitchen, we have fitted the latest-generation dishwashers designed to save water and energy. In short, our establishment offers inclusive services; firstly, to make your life easier; and secondly, to reduce the carbon footprint linked to repeated movements of people and transportation of materials.
So as well as providing you with an ideal meeting place, top-of-the-range facilities and excellent services, Versailles Palais des Congrès guarantees low-energy and low-carbon events for eco-responsible and sustainable operations.
Our CSR department supports you
At each stage of the life cycle of your professional, cultural or private event, our CSR team ensures that the imperatives of energy sobriety and reduced environmental impact are adhered to at all levels.
For each new event project, our team of experts also educates the organisers and external service providers involved in the project about energy saving, the fight against waste, recycling and ecological transition. If each of us takes responsibility, a few simple actions and good practices will be a great step towards changing things and developing awareness.
To find out more about energy saving in the event industry and organising an eco-responsible event at Versailles Palais des Congrès, please contact us.
