Brussels Premier Padel : Giving you the best Padel experience while embracing sustainability
As you have probably noticed, the Padel landscape is evolving rapidly, so is the importance of sustainability in sporting events. Sportero, the organizing event agency behind the scenes, is a proud member of the Tero Group. As Tero affirms its commitment to being a responsible and impactful business by not only minimizing negative impact of its activities but also to actively contribute to positive change.
The foundations: Tour & Taxis and its sustainable attributes
For a special tournament, we need a special place filled with history, that’s why Brussels Premier Padel tournament is played in the Gare Maritime of Tour & Taxis which is:
- a 100% self-sufficient location thanks to many factors which include: 10 000 solar panels, hot water geothermal, insulation, full recuperation of rain water,.. So you guessed it, we’re going to be social distancing from diesel generators for now and forever.
- an amazing building, praised for being the biggest wooden construction of Europe and was congratulated for its restoration by the Mipim in Cannes (the largest and most important real estate fair in the World)
- is perfectly safe since it’s designated as a non-car zone, prioritizing soft mobility.
- widely provided in natural light, which results in a decrease in need of artificial lights during daytime.
- recognized with the prestigious Green Key label, an international eco-label for sustainable tourism, and awarded an outstanding rating in BREEAM’s certification, the leading science-based framework for promoting sustainability in construction.
Mobility: including players on the sustainable route
Walking around the world as a talented Padel players isn’t always easy : playing Padel, traveling to the nicest places and being admired by so many is not as simple as it sounds. Actually, in most cases, during an event, mobility constitutes the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions. To minimize our environmental impact, this year’s Brussels Premier Padel tournament we will be working hand in hand with the players and federations to make the most sustainable decisions when it comes to travelling to and through the tournament.
- Players and the Padel federation will be transported to and from the airport by train
- To and from the hotels prioritizing hybrid or electric shuttles all the while promoting soft mobility (walking, e-bikes, e-steps,..)
- To and from the club where the qualifiers take place by foot to the Gare Maritime where the main draw is played.
Smashing it, waste management style
Sporting events are often accompanied by a significant amount of waste, originating from spectators, food stands, temporary facilities, and more. Being aware of this, we have implemented:
- Reusable cups for everyone
- Reusable water bottles for the players
- The tournament balls will be recycled by our partner Bounce
- All players, officials, visitors & staff, will have to sort out their own waste and use the appropriate bins
- Working hand in hand with Tero Traiteur, one of our sister companies within the Tero Group, to ensure proper management of food waste.
Choosing suppliers who match our vision
The importance of suppliers in a sporting event extends far beyond mere commercial transactions. Indeed, these partners play a crucial role in the environmental aspect by significantly contributing to the event’s ecological footprint, in that sense:
- Food for players and VIPs will be provided by Tero traiteur, which promotes mostly organic agriculture, short and local circuits from our own Teroir alimentary supply chain. Discover more via www.teroir.be
- For this edition, we will be testing, for the first time, an assessment of the social and environmental performance of our suppliers. The aim is to understand if our suppliers are aligned with our ambitions. Our goal is to further structure this evaluation so that in our upcoming editions, we can select our suppliers in a more effective manner. All suppliers are subjected to an evaluation of their environmental and social performance to determine if they align with our ambition.
Carbon footprint: it’s not a sprint but a marathon
With our continuous endeavour to improve after each event, we create a carbon footprint analysis of our activities to identify areas for enhancement. We call upon the expertise of Tapio, a specialized company in this field, to assist us in this process. We commit to publishing the carbon footprint of our event within the course of 2024.
Inclusion in Padel: what we bring to the table
Making it about the community is just as important to us as putting on a great show. Therefore, ensuring that the tournament embodies our values is incredibly dear to us.
- The Padel Village and court 2 are accessible free of charge to all visitors of the Gare Maritime
- The organization will invite specific target groups (Local schools, local youth initiatives, Tennis & Padel schools, …) to the tournament in order to make them discover the Padel Sport and our wonderful event venue.
- The organization is collaborating with Sport2be in order to recruit a part of the event staff. Through sports, Sport2Be promotes social and professional integration for young people in difficulty by guiding them on the path of employment and guarantee their social integration.
- Tero Traiteur is collaborating with Cap Event in order to recruit a part of their catering staff with a disability on key moments.
Working on ourselves to make a difference
All in all, this year impact charter is a statement, a new norm for our future sporting events to follow. Every aspect of our event is going in one direction, to become as sustainable as humanly possible.
Acknowledging our imperfections, at Sportero, we embrace the potential for continuous improvement. Together, we can drive the sports events sector forwards, adopting new sustainable practices.
So why wait any longer, get you tickets now and spread the love for Padel and its sustainable ambitions.
