mac. brand spaces publishes fifth sustainability report
With the publication of its fifth sustainability report, mac. brand spaces, a specialist in live communication, is once again sending out a clear signal for responsible entrepreneurship. “We want to continue to set standards – for our customers, for our industry and for a sustainable event industry,” says mac CEO Stefan Trieb.
Despite the OMNIBUS initiative, through which mac. brand spaces would no longer be formally required to report, the company will continue to publish its sustainability report voluntarily in 2025 – and shows how environmental and social responsibility are firmly anchored in the company. “Our corporate vision sets the direction – we are consciously opting for innovation, resilience and change,” explains Sandra Henze, Head of Sustainable Brand Spaces. “At mac, ESG responsibility means engaging in dialog, being courageous and developing solutions together. We are open about the challenges we face – and the measures we take. Only those who visibly take responsibility can initiate change.” The new report provides detailed insights into the company’s key areas of activity, including climate and resource protection, sustainable consulting, social responsibility towards employees and innovation in brand and trade fair architecture.
In the past year 2024, mac achieved two special milestones that further strengthened its position as a company based on environmental and social values: In the spring, certification in accordance with ISO 20121:2012 for sustainable event management was successfully completed – the first company in the industry with the entire value chain, from consulting to production and logistics through to assembly. “The introduction of the management system was a major challenge that took up a lot of resources, but also gave us new perspectives and initiated changes,” says mac Sustainability Manager Tobias Mannhold.
Another success was the award of silver certification from the AOK for companies with a high level of workplace health. This result is based on a comprehensive package of measures – including flexible working time models and accounts as well as a family service for family and personal emergencies. The aim is to relieve employees in stressful situations, reduce absenteeism and ensure above-average staff turnover in the long term.
The 2024 financial year impressively demonstrates that sustainability is not a contradiction to economic success: mac. brand spaces closed the financial year well above plan and was able to build on the very successful previous year in terms of sales “Sustainability-oriented management minimizes risks, promotes innovation, strengthens customer relationships and is therefore obviously not at odds with healthy economic development,” says Henze. A high level of customer satisfaction and numerous pitch wins confirm that the company is on the right track.
Another strategic step was the acquisition of STANDout GmbH from Salzburg. With around 130 employees, the company not only has specialist expertise, but also a practised culture of sustainability – including being awarded the Austrian Ecolabel.
“With the new sustainability report, we are reaffirming our goal of consistently using sustainability as a strategic success factor – as a company that takes responsibility and actively shapes change,” says Stefan Trieb. The consistent anchoring of sustainability in the core business remains just as central as the claim to reconcile innovation and economic success.