Bellagroup CEO, Christian Folden Lund tells EW he is confident the Copenhagen flagship venue is on its way back to a full post-pandemic rebound, although management is mindful of the effects of inflation and supply chain repercussions from the war in Ukraine.
“Moving forward, a top priority for us at Bellagroup and Bella Center Copenhagen is taking responsibility for creating our own demand,” says Lund. “Our number one priority in terms of business activity is still catering to large international congresses, but we also need to make sure we sustain activity in the off seasons. As a result, we are engaged in creating large-scale, recurring events aimed at private consumers such as the literature festival BogForum (Book Forum), which returns for the 31st time, and Copenhagen Gaming Week, which will premiere in January 2024.
“Responsible hospitality remains a key focal area, and we only see an increase in client demands for transparent and measurable sustainability actions. We have been ahead of the curve focusing on this area for many years, and now we are ready to kick things into high gear following the pandemic."
"New tap water systems and a record-breaking solar park on the roof of Bella Center Copenhagen are concrete examples, but we are also setting ambitious science-based targets, applying for new ISO certifications, and committing the entirety of Bellagroup to a net-zero emission goal in 2050.
“We believe this will become a core criteria for clients and organisations when choosing city destinations and venues in the future. We are fortunate to be based in Copenhagen: A destination with a passionate commitment to becoming the world’s most sustainable destination – also for international congresses.”
Congress highlights at Bella Center Copenhagen for 2023:
- PNS 2023 Annual Meeting – the Peripheral Nerve Society
- ESHRE 39th Annual Meeting – European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
- UIA World Congress of Architects – The International Union of Architects
- International Congress of Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders
- GIIN 2023 Impact Forum – Global Impact Investing Network
- UEG Week 2023 – United European Gastroenterology
- eCarExpo and eComExpo 2023 – presenting the mobility and fuel of the future
- NLS Days 2023 – Nordic Life Science Days
Solar park
A solar park the size of two football fields will soon cover the roof of Bella Center Copenhagen and a third of the congress centre’s power needs compared to 2021. The solar park will be the largest of its kind on Denmark’s capital island of Zealand.
Once all solar cells are connected, the total capacity will be 2.79 MW of locally produced green energy equal to the annual power consumption of 537 average Danish households of two adults and two children.
“It seems the obvious choice to utilise the many flat roofs in big cities to create green energy, and there are not many buildings with such a large roof surface as ours,” says Lund. “We are determined to work with sustainability and responsibility across all our hotels and venues as part of our responsible hospitality strategy in Bellagroup. So, we are delighted to start utilising the roof’s potential to generate renewable energy for Bella Center and the neighbouring AC Hotel Bella Sky.”
“As Northern Europe’s largest congress venue, we want to be at the forefront of the development of what responsible hospitality will look like in the future,” adds Lund. “We are taking one giant step with the new solar park, but we will continue our quest of looking for new ways to improve further still.”
The local onsite production of green energy will be completed in two phases in close collaboration with project partner NRGreen: Phase 1 by April 2023 and Phase 2 (full project completion) by November 2023.
