Organizing with responsibility: How the Rosengarten Mannheim makes sustainability tangible

The Rosengarten Mannheim is breaking new ground – and this clearly leads to a sustainable future. As one of Germany's leading event locations, m:con – mannheim:congress GmbH stands not only for first-class conferences and events, but also for living responsibility towards the environment, society, and future generations. Green Impact Score is an innovative points system that makes sustainability in the event industry visible, measurable and rewardable.

The goal is ambitious: The Congress Center's _CO2 emissions are to be reduced by 50% by 2029, and m:con aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. To ensure this path can be pursued in collaboration with event organizers, practical measures have been developed – from resource-efficient event management and the selection of sustainable materials to promoting climate-friendly travel. Those who integrate these measures into their events collect points – and benefit from attractive discounts on room rentals and a special annual prize of €5,000.

A key component in this journey is the new catering concept Region Rein Lecker (R²L), developed in collaboration with the Dorint Kongresshotel Mannheim. The focus: enjoyment with a clear conscience.

R²L is based on the principles of the WWF's Planetary Health Diet and focuses on seasonal, regional, and plant-based products. Meat and fish are sourced sustainably, portion sizes are planned more consciously, and waste prevention is firmly embedded in the concept.

Short delivery routes, the involvement of local producers, and a high degree of transparency throughout the value chain make R²L a flagship project. 90% of suppliers are local, and beverages are available in bulk or via water dispensers from the "Water is Right" Foundation.

This commitment is supported by membership in the UN Global Compact, the Climate Protection Alliance of the City of Mannheim, the Network of Sustainable Event Agencies (NNE) and participation in the industry initiative “fairpflichtet”.

The Rosengarten Mannheim demonstrates that sustainability doesn't have to compromise on comfort, quality, or experience. Quite the opposite: Through intelligent concepts, strong partnerships, and a clear commitment to the future, sustainable event management becomes a matter of course – and a source of inspiration for the entire industry. Plan your next event at the Rosengarten Mannheim – and join us in making a green statement!

Through targeted communication, success stories and transparent evaluations, we raise awareness and encourage participation.

^{Photo: m:con / Moritz Schleiffelder}

The Green Impact Score is based on our experience that sustainable offers are often rejected due to the price. From this, we developed a practical approach – event organizers receive monetary benefits if they implement sustainable measures. The development process was intensive: We conducted extensive research, sought advice from industry experts, and, above all, benefited from the professional guidance of our Sustainability Specialist Jennifer Sior, who played a key role in shaping the process. The response has been very positive. To make the topic easier to get started with, we've integrated a gamification element: collecting points makes the topic more tangible. At trade fairs like IMEX, visitors can even join us in the "score battle" – this generates attention and demonstrates in a playful way how much impact sustainable planning can have.

Our focus here is on a regional and seasonal offering. One of the biggest challenges lies in the supply chain. At larger events, product availability is particularly limited. For example, a regional organic steak for several thousand guests is not always available on demand. This is precisely why sustainable catering can also be associated with higher costs. Here, too, our Green Impact Score comes into play and integrates the sustainable catering offer as a point: Those who integrate sustainable measures into their event collect points and ultimately benefit from savings. Overall, the response from our partners and guests has been very positive. Ultimately, every event is an experience – including the culinary one. We want to offer something special that will be remembered. If guests say at the end: “That was not only sustainable, but also really delicious and original,” then we have achieved our goal.

The Green Impact Score is one of the key tools on this path. Through targeted communication, success stories, and transparent evaluations, we raise awareness and encourage participation. In addition, we work on the basis of our comprehensive sustainability and climate strategy, in which we have defined five key areas of action. These define concrete goals for the coming years, for example in the areas of energy efficiency and sustainable mobility. A 23,000 m² convention center that now accommodates up to 9,000 guests, as well as a Germany-wide agency for medical conferences, are also important building blocks. We see great potential in expanding our network – both locally and across the industry. The exchange with service providers, partners, and customers is crucial for jointly setting new standards in the MICE industry. Our goal is to significantly increase the proportion of sustainable measures at events – and to make sustainable events a natural choice.

The Green Impact Score is based on our experience that sustainable offers are often rejected due to price. From this, we developed a practical approach – event organizers receive monetary benefits if they implement sustainable measures. The development process was intensive: We conducted extensive research, sought advice from industry experts, and, above all, benefited from the professional guidance of our Sustainability Specialist Jennifer Sior, who played a key role in shaping the process.

The response has been very positive. To make it easier to get started with the topic, we've integrated a gamification element: Collecting points makes the topic more tangible. At trade fairs like IMEX, visitors can even join us in a "score battle" – this attracts attention and demonstrates in a playful way how much impact sustainable planning can have.

Our focus is on regional and seasonal offerings. One of the biggest challenges lies in the supply chain. For larger events, product availability is particularly limited. For example, a regional organic steak for several thousand guests isn't always readily available. This is precisely why sustainable catering can be associated with higher costs.

Here, too, our Green Impact Score comes into play and integrates the sustainable catering offer as a point: Those who integrate sustainable measures such as our “Region Rein Lecker” concept into their event collect points and ultimately benefit from savings.

Overall, the response from our partners and guests has been very positive – especially when guests are well informed about the concept. For example, if meat is suddenly no longer offered at an annual event, this can initially cause irritation – something that should be avoided. Transparent communication is crucial – between the caterer and the event organizer, and also with the guests.

Ultimately, every event is an experience – including the culinary experience. We want to offer something special that will be memorable. If guests say at the end, "That was not only sustainable, but also truly delicious and original," then we've achieved our goal.

The Green Impact Score is one of the key tools on this path. Through targeted communication, success stories, and transparent evaluations, we raise awareness and encourage participation. In addition, we work on the basis of our comprehensive sustainability and climate strategy, in which we have defined five key areas of action. These define concrete goals for the coming years, for example in the areas of energy efficiency and sustainable mobility. A 23,000 m² convention center with up to 9,000 guests, as well as a Germany-wide agency for medical conferences, are also important building blocks.

We see great potential in expanding our network – both locally and across the industry. The exchange with service providers , partners , and clients is crucial for jointly setting new standards in the MICE industry. Our goal is to significantly increase the proportion of sustainable measures at events – and make sustainable events a natural choice.