SWITCH on February 10th, 2026 - Ljubljana, Slovenia
SWITCH is the first event in the region and one of the few in Europe, that doesn’t talk about sustainability but demonstrates it through every part of the event experience.
It brings together event clients, event organisers, destinations, suppliers, young talents, innovators, and experts with one mission: to reshape event organisation towards regenerative, circular, and measurable impact.
This is not a conference. This is not a workshop. This is not a networking event.
This is a living event laboratory where every element serves as an example, evidence, and inspiration for how events can be designed differently – more responsibly, more efficiently, and more profitably.
Ready to SWITCH? Join Us.
Challenges of the events industry
- Costs are rising, but budgets are not. This means organizers must be more efficient and work smarter.
- ESG requirements and reporting are increasing. Companies need solutions that clearly reduce emissions, waste, and costs.
- Participants expect more responsible events. Younger generations (Y and Z) demand transparency, ethics, and real impact.
- Organizers often don’t know where to start. There is too much information, too many standards, and implementing them is difficult.
- Sustainability has become a buzzword. Everyone talks about it, but few measure anything — and even fewer can prove their results.
The SWITCH experience
SUSTAINABILITY LAB
The Sustainability Lab turns sustainability into something you can see. Real-time carbon data, waste maps, material passports, food emissions, packaging comparisons, and AI tools show exactly how every choice affects impact. No claims, just proof.
PPE MARKET
Pop-up showroom of circular materials, reusable equipment, sustainable catering, local products, innovations, and start-ups. It’s a place to learn, connect, and discover suppliers who already meet Planet Positive standards.
PPE SCORE
Each participant receives a personal sustainability score based on their travel, food choices, engagement, pledges, and actions. It introduces an easy, intuitive “Personal Sustainability KPI” that makes individual impact clear.
YOUTH & FUTURE VOICES
Young professionals share honest perspectives on what isn’t working and what must change. Their insights challenge old models and push the industry to think more boldly about the future.
48-HOUR IMPLEMENTATION COMMITMENT
Participants leave with a simple Green Action Plan, a Green pledge, and one concrete action to complete within 48 hours. It ensures SWITCH leads to real change, not just inspiration.
IMPACT DATA WALL
A live display of the event’s footprint shows carbon updates, waste flows, engagement, and pledge and action results in real time. It turns data into a shared, motivating experience.
Roger Lehner
Senior Operations & Sustainability Executive at IMEX
Roger Lehner is the Senior Operations & Sustainability Executive at IMEX Group. He is active in industry groups including the EIC Sustainability & Social Impact Committee, the AEO Sustainability Working Group, and the Better Stands organizers’ group. He also leads IMEX’s Green Squad, driving internal sustainability initiatives and supporting both IMEX shows.
His sustainability focus is shaped by previous roles at WWF and Alternative Bank Switzerland.
Dr. Irena Fonda
Co-founder of the YouSea Institute for Marine Biodiversity Preservation
Dr. Irena Fonda, PhD in Biomedicine, leads Slovenia’s only marine aquaculture since 2003. As a co-founder of the YouSea Institute for Marine Biodiversity Preservation, she drives initiatives like The Sea Oasis Piran and the Blue School project. With expertise in fish and shellfish farming, tourism, and research, she’s esteemed for the “Fonda Piran Sea Bass” brand. Recognized for developing award-winning educational tourism programs, crucial to Slovenia’s unique experiences. Recipient of several honors, including the Emblem of Excellence in Tourism from the municipality of Piran. Committed to marine conservation through the YouSea Institute, ensuring a lasting environmental impact.
Petrisa Čanji Vouri
President of the Green Student Network in Slovenia
Petrisa Čanji Vouri is a researcher at the University of Ljubljana focused on corporate sustainability transitions and climate resilience within the LIFE4ADAPT project. She founded and leads the Green Student Network, which runs youth sustainability programs, a podcast, and partnerships reaching hundreds of young people annually. Her research covers coal-region transitions, EU energy policy, and fsQCA analysis, and she actively contributes to events and educational initiatives promoting data-driven, inclusive sustainability solutions.
SWITCH ON
Registration, Carbon Check-In, labelled drink emissions and the first presentation of real-time environmental data.
Micro-activation: Your First Switch — participants choose a small personal switch for the day
A powerful opening address followed by a short performative visual presentation, “What Planet Positive Means.”
Theme: The moment we collectively switch from “less bad” to “positive impact”.
SWITCH MINDSET
How marine biodiversity preservation, regenerative practices, and cross-sector collaboration can shape a more resilient future.
Sustainability and large-scale events can go hand in hand. At IMEX, we’ve embedded sustainable practices across many areas and continue to improve. Beyond implementation, we’ve helped set sustainability as an industry benchmark. In this session, I’ll share our journey openly—the wins we’re proud of and the challenges ahead. Discover how sustainability is becoming the new standard.
SWITCH TO DATA
A deep dive into why measurement matters, reinforced with a live demonstration of real-time data flows.
Founder and leader of the Green Student Network, which runs youth sustainability programs, a podcast, and partnerships reaching hundreds of young people annually.
Theme: A reality check and a call to adopt next-generation expectations.
SWITCH BY EXAMPLE
A deliberately designed low-impact lunch with transparent explanation of choices.
Three rapid, high-value examples.
SWITCH TECH
14:00 – 14:45 Keynote 3: AI for Sustainable Events
Practical tools, real-world applications, and zero hype.
Message: AI is useful only when it enhances clarity, sustainability, and efficiency.
A guided tour of the SWITCH Lab showcasing measurement devices, data workflows and innovation processes behind Planet Positive event design.
SWITCH HANDS-ON
15:15–16:15 Switch Handzone
SWITCH IMPACT
Presentation of the collective and individual Planet Positive Scores for all participants
A regenerative closing experience with low-impact refreshments and music
Partner of the event:
