Temporary events, sustainable solutions.

The rapid increase in the consumption of products and services is considered one of the main characteristics of contemporary life. At the same time, in the opposite direction, there is a growing awareness of the importance of social and environmental sustainability and, in this regard, the discipline of design has been questioning its own responsibility in processes that are aggressive towards the environment and the planet. In the historical analysis of the relationship between industrial processes and design, two approaches can be identified: on the one hand, the approach that, favouring the objectives of capitalist industry, has accepted its model of development, considering only partially its consequences, especially from a social and environmental point of view; on the other hand, the existence of a critical position towards development and industrialisation that seeks, identifies and tests possible solutions. From this reflection arises the analysis of three projects focused on temporary installations and events, examined through the lens of sustainability and their interaction with the environment. The three projects presented – Design Eco-Event, Dicise and SostenEMus – address the issue from different perspectives. In the first project, the research group focuses on investigating the role of design in reducing the ecological footprint of temporary events, considering them as part of a complex territorial system. The main objective is to develop a methodology for mapping and cataloguing the materials used, optimising management through a virtual warehouse that connects different suppliers of materials and services. The second project aims to improve the implementation of regional and local policies in the field of the circular economy, with a specific focus on increasing the skills of product designers. The project is the result of a collaboration between eight partners from seven EU countries and includes a case study developed as part of educational research involving companies in the trade fair sector. In the third project, the main focus is on sustainability in music events and how, starting from an official survey carried out in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Music Commission and the Ater Foundation, design – in its various fields and in synergy with legal disciplines – can make an important contribution to the transition towards sustainable temporary events, taking into account the specific regulations of the sector. These three examples only partially reflect the diversity of the issue, both in terms of context and territorial involvement. Temporary events are capable of engaging a large number of stakeholders and generating strategically important communities in the territories where they operate.