Rethink
Rethink the status quo towards efficiency and circularity
Rethink calls on us to question existing approaches and modify these to achieve greater efficiency and closed-loop suitability. This includes the application of renewable and reusable procedures aimed at delivering sustainable efficiency gains and cost savings. One key goal is to achieve near zero waste for all our own events by 2030 – in line with the definition of the Gallery Climate Coalition, which aims to minimize waste in landfills and incineration plants depending on the regional situation.
Targets
Shift towards renewable and reusable practices, maintaining a focus on sustained efficiency growth.
Achieving near zero waste by 2030 for all own events
Implemented Measures
Green Booth Excellence at MIECF
Expomobilia created an award-winning eco-friendly booth for Galaxy Entertainment Group at MIECF 2025. Using circular design, bamboo, recycled materials, and reusable modular structures, the project combined sustainability with interactive elements like upcycling workshops. The booth received the Green Booth Excellence Award, highlighting the impact of innovative, low-footprint design.
How materials move on
A request to reuse leftover Art Basel materials sparked a collaboration that illustrates the Rethink dimension of the DARE Framework. Atelier Pulfer + Aeberhard, together with Kunsthaus Interlaken, created a temporary pavilion using carpentry panels from our internal reuse cycles. The panels were collected immediately after the fair and formed the pavilion’s structural core.
Installed on Interlaken’s Höhematte and hosting the exhibition Glass is a Mixture, the project demonstrates how circular thinking enables new partnerships, fosters creative reuse, and gives materials a second life.
Energy Efficiency with Measurable Impact
In 2025, MCH Group strengthened its partnership with energy provider IWB to systematically improve energy efficiency across major events. By combining energy supply with targeted consulting and optimization measures, significant results were achieved across all event phases.
Key results in 2025:
– 795,000 kWh electricity saved across optimized events (–34.6% compared to non-optimized reference events)
– Art Basel in Basel: –31% electricity (423,000 kWh) and –70% district heating (81,000 kWh) vs. 2023, equivalent to the annual energy use of ~120 Swiss households
– Fantasy Basel: –12% electricity (22,300 kWh), despite higher temperatures and a larger footprint
– HOLZ: –45.4% electricity (133,900 kWh), the highest relative reduction
These savings were achieved through demand-based control of ventilation, lighting and cooling systems, night-time shutdowns, and continuous optimization based on real-time data.
The partnership with IWB is a key lever in MCH Group’s ambition to halve energy-related CO₂ emissions by 2030, while simultaneously reducing operating costs and setting a scalable standard for energy-efficient event operations.