ESG Wave Hits the Events Industry: How FAIRPASS Is Doubling Revenue Year Over Year

ESG Demand Is Driving FAIRPASS’s Rapid Growth

FAIRPASS, the event registration and check-in platform built around eco-friendly paper badges and QR-based entry, has recorded more than 2x revenue growth every year for the past two to three years — and the momentum shows no sign of slowing down.

The platform’s customer base has expanded significantly across sectors, now including government agencies, large enterprises, SMEs, and universities. Notably, adoption is also accelerating among smaller, independently run events that do not rely on professional conference organizers (PCOs) or event management agencies.

Jeon Seo-yun, CEO of Blueorigin (the company behind FAIRPASS), attributes the growth directly to rising ESG expectations across industries:

“Demand for eco-friendly services has grown sharply as organizations of all sizes embed ESG principles into their operations. We’re seeing a clear increase in public institutions and corporations that now have internal policies requiring ESG considerations when planning and hosting events.”

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ESG Is No Longer Optional for MICE Professionals

The ESG imperative — once seen as a concern primarily for listed corporations and large multinationals — has moved firmly into the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector. Whether it’s a product launch, partner summit, academic conference, or trade expo, event organizers are increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable environmental and social responsibility.

The numbers reflect this shift. According to the Korea Exchange (KRX), 63% of listed companies with total assets exceeding KRW 2 trillion published a sustainability report last year, with the total number of disclosing companies exceeding 200 — a 30% year-on-year increase.

Globally, the signal came loud and clear at COP26 in 2021, when leading MICE industry bodies — including the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI) — signed the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge. Since then, sustainable event practices have transitioned from a competitive differentiator to an industry baseline expectation.

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Governments and Venues Are Raising the ESG Bar

Regulatory and institutional pressure is amplifying the trend from the top down.

• Seoul Metropolitan Government has developed a dedicated MICE ESG Guideline, piloted across 10 exhibitions and trade shows, and introduced an incentive program that awards additional scoring points to events that comply with the guidelines when applying for public support programs.
• Busan Tourism Organization has launched its own Busan Sustainable MICE Guidelines 2.0, which includes quantified frameworks for measuring greenhouse gas emissions at events.
• Major convention centers — including COEX, KINTEX, and BEXCO — are actively publishing sustainability reports and implementing ESG performance management systems as part of their long-term venue strategies.

For event managers and PCOs working with these venues or applying for public funding, meeting ESG criteria is increasingly a prerequisite, not a bonus.

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Why Event Organizers Are Choosing FAIRPASS

FAIRPASS integrates three core capabilities that align directly with ESG event requirements:

Feature	ESG Benefit
🌿 Eco-Friendly Paper Badges	Eliminates plastic lanyards and PVC badge holders; reduces event waste
📱 QR Code Check-In	Removes paper-based registration lists; accelerates entry without printed materials
🖥️ Self-Service Kiosk Issuance	Reduces staffing needs and on-site printing waste

This combination allows event organizers to demonstrably reduce their event’s environmental footprint while simultaneously improving operational efficiency — a balance that appeals to both sustainability officers and operations teams.

The platform is already trusted by 800+ organizations, including LG Electronics, Hyundai, Samsung, ADB, APEC, and COEX, across government, corporate, and academic event formats.

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A Practical Path to ESG-Compliant Events

Industry specialists note that while only a small fraction of MICE companies are themselves subject to mandatory ESG disclosure obligations, the clients and sponsors who fund and attend these events — large listed corporations, public institutions, and international organizations — are squarely in scope. This creates a cascading ESG requirement throughout the event supply chain.

The recommended approach: start with one or two measurable ESG elements — such as switching to eco-certified badges or eliminating printed registration materials — and build from there. FAIRPASS is designed to make exactly that kind of incremental, verifiable improvement accessible to any event, regardless of scale or budget.

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📰 Source: Edaily (이데일리) · Published: 12 February 2025 · Written by Lee Min-ha