Looking back, it was less the major individual initiatives that made the difference than the combination of structure, attitude, and concrete formats.

A crucial prerequisite - in addition to the commitment of the festival’s management - was the integration of personnel into the organizational structure. Sustainability requires someone to actively drive it forward.

Of the 118 measures in total, the following three particularly impressed me. With the “Sport Fairändert” campaign, we brought the issue of responsible textile sourcing to the forefront as a matter of social responsibility for a sporting event - and thus demonstrated that sport not only measures performance but can also convey values. “Inklusiv gewinnt” established inclusive competition formats for the first time, viewing participation not as an exception but as a natural part of the competitive experience.

Sustainability was also embedded in many other aspects of the regular event program: for example, in the academy, in the children’s program, on the stages, and in a specially designed event and interactive area dedicated to sustainability.

The 2025 Gymnastics Festival also made significant strides in reducing resource consumption. Over 90% of participants used public transportation or walked to and from the event. For the first time, the food offerings were consistently shifted toward plant-based options - a new feature was the vegetarian breakfast served in the shared accommodations. The merchandise range was critically reviewed, printed materials were drastically reduced, procurement decisions were made based on sustainability criteria for the first time, and materials were reused wherever possible.

Cooperation with expert partners was very helpful - for example, regarding educational content, inclusion, bicycle mobility, waste management, material reuse, data collection, etc. External partners bring expertise, proven structures, and resources without us having to reinvent the wheel ourselves.

Last but not least, targeted data collection has helped us move forward: If we want to become more sustainable, we need to know where we stand. Only through systematic collection and analysis  - for example, regarding mobility, resource consumption, and participation—were we able to assess what actually works, what didn’t work, and where future gymnastics festivals need to make adjustments.

The biggest hurdle was the sheer complexity: A sports festival of this magnitude involves dozens of different areas - sports venues, lodging, food services, the supporting and educational programs, volunteers, and more. Consistently integrating sustainability across all these areas requires a level of coordination that was initially underestimated. We have learned that prioritization, clear lines of responsibility, and embedding sustainability in mission statements and contracts are essential.

In some places, this was compounded by resistance and a lack of acceptance, combined with time pressure and scarce resources: for example, traditions and habits can obscure the need for necessary changes; sponsorship is still geared toward traditional advertising; and in cases of resource conflicts, the perceived comfort of guests is prioritized over social and environmental considerations.

Sustainability in major sporting events can only succeed if all stakeholders - associations, sponsors, funding agencies, municipalities, service providers, and participants - pull together and view sustainability as an ongoing commitment.

This may sound like a cliché—but practice shows: Those who plan early, make decision-making processes more transparent, incorporate new expertise through partnerships, and make successes visible lay the foundation for long-term change.

Our gymnastics festival team has been disbanded, and I am no longer involved in the sport of gymnastics. It is now up to the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) to ensure that the experience, successes, and lessons learned are not lost, but are systematically incorporated into the planning of future gymnastics festivals and events - as core values, attitudes, and best practices.

To ensure that sustainability is not just a one-time effort, resources and funding must be secured on a binding basis - for example, through grant applications or budget allocations. At the same time, clear and honest communication is needed: in addition to successes, challenges and compromises must also be transparently identified so that they can serve as learning opportunities for everyone.

Finally, effective monitoring and reporting are essential—not as an end in themselves, but as a foundation for continuous improvement. Only in this way can the DTB organize sustainable events in a credible and long-term manner.