Green Copenhagen

Did you know Copenhagen is wheel-y committed to sustainability? From bike-friendly streets to harbor waters so clean you can swim in them; this eco-chic city is setting the bar for green living. FIRST is excited to bring the Annual Conference to the world’s first carbon-neutral capital this June!

Our 37th FIRST Conference will be held at the Bella Center Copenhagen, a beautiful venue nestled in the charming neighborhood of Ørestad. The Center overlooks a lovely pitch of green, with inviting golfers and cyclists urging you to step outside.

The Center is conveniently located near one of Copenhagen’s many S-train “Lokaltog” Metra stops – the Sundby station. FIRST is delighted to offer conference attendees discounted Metra passes through Metroselskabet for use during the conference week (Friday, June 20th through Sunday, June 29th). Link to discounted passes will be available in May. Both Copenhagen airports are reachable by Metra, so consider taking public transportation upon departure and arrival.

June in Copenhagen promises gorgeous weather with expected 67° / 54° Fahrenheit or 20° / 12° Celsius days, with 17 hours of daylight to enjoy. “CopenPay”, a city initiative that rewards travelers for green tourism is currently reworking their program and may be available this June, bookmark this page for updates.

Following suit of our environmentally conscious host city, this year’s conference swag will feature repurposed plastic pieces. Water bottle fill-up stations will be available throughout the conference center – so don’t forget to bring that bottle! We’ll also be skipping red meat this year, but don’t have a cow, poultry, white meat, and fish entrees will still be available along with plentiful vegetarian forward options. The in-house catering team will also be staggering food replenishing efforts at mealtimes. Do your part to reduce food waste by only taking what you plan to eat and checking out other buffet tables if the one closest to you is looking sparse. The Bella Center is committed to a zero-waste ambition, sorting waste into 21 different fractions. Delegates should take due diligence when throwing things away and follow trash receptacle guidelines.

Will you be joining us for this year’s CON in Copenhagen? Join us and together we’ll explore how to build Fortresses of the Future — strong, sustainable, and resilient. Come and see innovation in action and let’s Build Bridges Not Walls together.

Register, book your accommodations, and check out the agenda.

Published on FIRST POST: Jan-Mar 2025