Embracing Sustainability in Higher Education: Key Insights from Organizing an Academic Conference

Academic conferences continue to hold significant importance in scientific communities, providing platforms for sharing, networking, and disseminating research results. Despite the emergence of virtual events due to the pandemic, face-to-face meetings are still highly valued for fostering meaningful exchanges. The organization of a physical academic conference is connected with negative impacts on environmental sustainability. Consequently, sustainable event organization has gained even greater relevance for university management. This paper presents a case study of a three-day international academic conference in Innsbruck, Austria, which hosted 140 participants and prominently featured sustainable event management from its inception. The case study explores how embracing a Triple Bottom Line approach for sustainable event management can lead to a successful outcome. It illustrates a practical example, discussing strategies and measures implemented along the three dimensions of sustainability: ecological, social, and economic. By adopting sustainable practices and transparently communicating them, the conference not only minimized its environmental impact but also raised awareness among participants and maximized social impact. The case study serves as a compelling source of inspiration and a model for academic event management. It offers concrete recommendations and insights derived from the main lessons learned during the process.