Sustainable incentives – more than just sightseeing

Reach for “green stars” in the kayak

Successful meetings, first-class congresses and exciting conferences do not take place exclusively in the location. Often the cherry on top is the programme that takes place outside the conference rooms and makes a business trip long remembered. Of course, Hamburg is also well positioned in terms of sustainable offers.

Discover the city

The Hanseatic city offers experiences on and off the water. If you like it sporty and want to do something good for the environment at the same time, you are in good hands with the GreenKayaking. You can rent the green two-person kayaks from five different boat rental companies and clean Hamburg’s waters of rubbish during the trip. The boats are equipped with buckets and rubbish grabs. A project that is not only fun, but also successful: in 2021 alone, 6,300 kilogrammes of rubbish were fished out of the water.

There are even more incentives on the water. How about a boat trip, for example. Doesn’t sound particularly sustainable? In Hamburg it is! The Bergedorfer Schifffahrtslinie, for example, has been operating its ships with the new GTL fuel instead of marine diesel since 2017. The fuel, which is synthetically derived from natural gas, is biodegradable and emits fewer pollutants. In addition, the other combustion engines have been replaced by electric drives. The “Alster Sonne” is a completely emission-free vehicle for driving along Hamburg’s blue roads. The solar-powered ship, operated by Alster-Touristik, can accommodate up to 100 people and can also be booked for events.

If you prefer to travel on land instead of on the water, you can swap your paddle and Elbe sailboat for pedals and saddle. With the Hamburg City Cycles you can “experience” the city of Hamburg in a CO2 neutral way. The company also offers guided tours for groups, so that nothing stands in the way of a company event, incentive or social programme.

Geobound also strives for climate neutrality with every fibre of its being. Whether it’s an Escape Room, an iPad rally through the city or a scavenger hunt through Hamburg – Geobound has a lot in its portfolio for teams or social programmes. The special thing about it: for team events, greenhouse gas emissions are already reduced as much as possible during the planning stage. If, despite all efforts, emissions are produced, these are offset by supporting climate protection projects. A brand new addition to the programme is the SDG Rally, which focuses on imparting knowledge about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a playful and entertaining way. This is how social programmes, team events and incentives are created that are not only good for the location but also for the sustainability balance of the organiser – and by the way, they are simply a lot of fun!

Small world - big social commitment

Sustainability is not only green. Sustainability also has a social component. We would like to highlight the Miniatur Wunderland in particular. The already unique model railway – the largest in the world! – becomes even more unique through social commitment and ideas that go to the heart. One example is the “donation pins and magnets”. Since 2007 there has been a new pin every month and since 2010 also magnets to collect. The entire turnover goes to a different aid organisation every month. In total, more than 765,000€ have already been collected. Another campaign is “I can’t afford it”. Since 2015, people have been given the opportunity to visit the Wunderland who would otherwise not be able to afford it. Instead of paying the entrance fee, you can say the sentence at the cash desk and get free admission to Wunderland. Those who are uncomfortable with the phrase can also hand it over by note. More than 10,000 people take advantage of this special offer every year.

We take our hats off to such great humanity and are glad to have such great partners in Hamburg.

„Nose to tail“ meets „cradle to cradle“

Hamburg can also score points – or in this case “stars” – when it comes to going to an excellent restaurant after a shopping spree. With six restaurants that have been awarded the “Green Star” by the Guide Michelin, Hamburg is the front-runner in upscale sustainable gastronomy in Hamburg. Namely, the culinary highlights are the Zeik, the Landhaus Scherrer, the haebel, the HACO, 100/200 Kitchen and Wolfs Junge. Sustainable enjoyment guaranteed!

Brewery meets school kitchen

Another project close to our hearts comes from ÜberQuell. Located in Sankt Pauli directly on the Elbe, the brewery is not only home to excellent craft beer and the best Neapolitan pizza, but also offers a great urban hip location for events of all kinds with the “Brewpub”. In cooperation with the district school at the harbour, the St. Pauli primary school and the Altona Children’s Kitchen, the project “Green Pauli” – an urban farming project on the roof of their own warehouse – has come into being. Almost all year round, the children take care of the vegetable garden and thus learn that food does not grow on supermarket shelves. The children’s nutritional and environmental awareness is trained and they can have a good snack on site. What does not end up in the mouths directly on site ends up on the plates in the Überquell or in the school kitchen.