“ICCA Green Traffic” project wins award of German public transport industry

Trainees of Leipzig Transport present ICCA project and win award of German public transport industry.

Sunny autumn days in Leipzig in late October 2011. You surely remember those young people wearing green T-shirts and coats who facilitated the use of public means of transport for the delegates of the 50th ICCA Congress. About 70 trainees of LVB Leipzig Transport, Leipzig Trade Fair, and fairgourmet had teamed up to design and implement the “ICCA Green Traffic” project. They had designed special extra tram stops for ICCA delegates and planned special timetables with trams running more often than usual during peak times. They had devised and put up special signposting. They guided delegates their very short walks from the hotel to the closest tram stop – following the green footprints on the pavement. And they were around to help, to provide information, and to distribute apples and small gifts to participants.

Those lovable „green“ trainees became immensely popular: the “mascot” of the ICCA Congress, and got a standing ovation at the Closing Ceremony. Meanwhile, this project has had wide repercussions. Leipzig trade Fair and the Congress Center Leipzig have received numerous inquiries from within the meetings industry, requesting information, articles and presentations about the project and how it worked. The Green Meetings Industry Council has highlighted it as an example of best practice in the meetings industry.

In May 2012, the ICCA Green Traffic Project also gained its well-deserved recognition within the German public transport industry: trainees of LVB Leipzig Transport won the first prize in a German Innovation in Public Transport contest.

Since 2002, representatives of Germany’s largest public transport companies have met annually for an event called PRIMA. The idea is to present and to discuss innovative projects and solutions which were designed and successfully implemented by employees or trainees, based on their own initiative. 

One part of the 3-day programme is always a contest where projects are introduced in a 20 minutes presentation, and on the last day, the best entry receives an award: a trophy in the shape of Saint Christopher, the patron saint of travellers and hence the transport business.

Nine trainees of LVB – Ricarda Orth, Nathalie Hildebrandt, Mandy Schubert, Melanie Hoffmann, Franziska Lipp, Nathalie Schwarzfeld, Marcus Henning, Paul Pjanow und Christopher Szymula – had entered the contest to present the ICCA Green Traffic Project. They knew that their project was special, but they wanted to make their presentation special too. So they had written and rehearsed a fairytale drama in which Hansel and Gretel represented the congress delegates, and a witch symbolised the obstacles and difficulties in organisation which had to be overcome. This entertaining way of presenting the whole process of gathering ideas, planning and implementing the project convinced the jury of senior public transport experts, and the LVB team was awarded the Saint Christopher trophy.

"Warm congratulations to the LVB trainees, on behalf of the entire CCL and Leipzig Trade Fair team“, says André Kaldenhoff, Local Host Committee Chairman of the 50th ICCA Congress, “This is how I see ICCA’s mission: to look beyond the rim of our own teacup and to create bonds with other industries”.

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk: "This project received rave reviews by our delegates, so we're delighted to see how much global recognition it is receiving. It was innovative, sustainable, engaging and a tremendous advertisement for the Leipzig team's creativity."

Please find more pictures of the “ICCA Green Traffic” project on ICCA's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.319362361414570.103489.154496667901141&type=3