Sustainability

You won’t need to go out of your way to be sustainable at SLAS Europe 2026! Learn about the easy ways you can make an individual impact on the show’s sustainability efforts.

This is according to the CO2-Calculator | Organizations made available by Climate Neutral Group. Climate Neutral Group is not a partner of SLAS, and their calculation services are publicly available.

To offset your participation, please consider a donation to Friends of the Earth International. Friends of the Earth International is the world’s largest grassroots environmental federation, with 70 national member groups and millions of members and supporters worldwide. FOEI ember groups are organised in four regions: Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as in the USA and Canada. SLAS will donate €1 for every post-event evaluation received; so be sure to watch your email post-event.

• Sort Your Waste: At VIECON, multi-compartment recycling stations are available throughout all event areas to reduce landfill waste. Make it matter by using the correct bin when discarding items.

• Moderate Consumption and Plant-Based Foods: Take only what you need at food functions and choose to eat vegetarian at least one meal per day. This will help reduce carbon emissions associated with food production.

• Reuse and Reduce: Bring your favorite reusable water bottle or coffee mug to reduce waste and resource footprint.

• Be Energy Smart: Remember to turn off the lights when leaving your hotel room and participate in your hotel’s linen reuse program to conserve water. Close your curtains or shades when leaving your room for the day.

• Carbon Emissions and Offsets: Travel is an integral aspect of SLAS shows and constitutes our events' primary source of carbon emissions. The calculated average carbon offset, including travel AND facility expenditure for this event, is:

  • Within EU: €8.00

  • From Outside EU: €15.00

• Public Transportation: There are a few ways to get around Vienna conveniently and sustainably. Vienna has a robust public transit system – Wiener Linien – that includes busses and trains and has recently established a bicycle rental program.  

  • Public transit stations closest to VIECON are:  

    • U2: Messe-Prater  

    • U2: Krieau 

  • For more information, see below:

    • Plan Your Trip – Busses and Trains 

    • Bicycle Rental 

• Mobile App: We’ve loaded all the helpful information for the conference, including schedules, maps and emergency information, onto our mobile app. The app increases convenience and access to essential materials and decreases the impact of printed materials on the show floor.

• Create an Inclusive Community: When filling up your schedule with unique activities, consider seeing a speaker whose background differs from yours.

• Complete the Post-Event Evaluation: SLAS will send a survey to all conference delegates and exhibitors to gather feedback on the conference's sustainability efforts.  

Exhibitors –  here are several quick tips to sustainable exhibiting that you can implement right away. For more information, download our Guide to Sustainable Exhibiting to learn how you can be an environmentally friendly exhibitor at SLAS Europe 2026.

Guide to Sustainable Exhibiting

• Exhibitors are encouraged to showcase their sustainability initiatives and educate SLAS Europe 2026 Conference participants about their company’s efforts. 

• We encourage all exhibitors to limit paper waste. Providing information digitally to collect customer contact information for future follow-up is good for business and the environment. Every 8,300 sheets you don’t print saves one tree! 

• Booth and business materials should be reusable at best or at least recyclable. Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a 100-watt light bulb for 20 hours, a computer for three hours and a TV for two hours (US Environmental Protection Agency). Talk to StandOut early about options for rental furniture and other sustainable materials for your booth build, including carpet. 

• Remember to pack in/pack out all materials. You are responsible for disposing of your waste correctly during move-in and move-out and during your time at the event. Consider donating any goods that you do not intend to reuse. 

• If your exhibit provides samples, encourage attendees to forgo packaging or to use a reusable bag or cup provided by your patron. 

• Follow procurement guidelines from show management – for sustainable, reusable and recyclable items: 

  • Signage – If you can, use digital signage, such as a tablet or flat-screen monitor. 

  • Swag – Choose items that are useful, sustainable, and locally sourced—or skip them altogether. Consider consumable giveaways such as a sweet treat, a beverage, or a bath and body product.

See how some of our exhibitors practice sustainability:

We can’t make a change without the support of attendees, exhibitors, and key partners like the VIECON and Hilton Vienna Waterfront (SLAS Europe’s 2026 official hotel partner).  

Hilton properties worldwide are committed to sustainable accommodations through their Travel with Purpose initiative.  

The Hilton Vienna Waterfront has been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel and is certified by Energie Allianz Austria for providing electricity 100% from renewable energy sources.  

Sustainable initiatives implemented at the Hilton Vienna Waterfront: 

• 100% of the electricity used in the hotel is water power generated 
• 100% LED Lighting 
• Room Energy Management System 
• Solar window foil reduces AC energy consumption in all rooms 
• Dual flush toilets 
• Water-reducing showerheads in all rooms 
• Opt in linen & towel reuse 
• Bulk Bathroom amenities 
• Cooperation with ‘Too Good To Go’ 
• No single-use plastic bottles 
• Promotion of high-quality Vienna Spring Water and Brita filter stations planned 
• Partnership with ClimeCo to carbon offset all meetings and events taking place at the hotel 
• Best in class measurement system ‘Lightstay’ to track, analyse and report energy consumption