AstraZeneca at ASCO 2025: Driving Sustainable Innovation

Client: AstraZeneca

What if leadership at the world’s largest oncology congress wasn’t about being the biggest, but the most meaningful?

At ASCO, AstraZeneca and Emota set out to challenge one of the industry’s most entrenched problems: the throwaway culture of large-scale exhibitions. Rather than creating a spectacular but temporary presence, the ambition was to prove that a Tier 1 congress experience could rethink sustainability and longevity without compromising impact. ASCO marked the launch of a modular, circular toolkit designed for reuse across AstraZeneca’s three-year global congress programme, spanning 300+ Tier 1, 2 and 3 events. Sustainability was a foundational design principle, shaping every decision from materials and manufacture to logistics and content delivery. High-carbon, single-use materials were replaced with lower-impact alternatives including fabric voiles, structural cardboard and recycled plastics, delivering carbon reductions of up to 70% across key material categories. Production was simplified for repeatability, freight reduced through efficient construction, and digital-first journeys eliminated the need for printed collateral. A dedicated sustainability zone translated responsible design into legacy, by making sustainability visible - inviting delegates to explore AstraZeneca’s wider environmental ambitions and how the booth was designed and built, brought to life through RFID interaction and Apple Vision Pro experiences. Measured through the BOSS framework, the project achieved an 85% sustainability score, a Green Carbon Action rating and “Potential for Positive Change” designation. Importantly, there was no compromise in creativity or commercial performance: 41% of ASCO attendees engaged, with strong conversion, dwell time and repeat visitation, earning widespread “best in show” recognition.