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SustainCommWorld Produces a Truly Green Event – The Green Media Show Conference & Expo
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Corporate Social Responsibility Press Release
provided by 
9.02.2008 - 04:35pm ET
News from:
SustainCommWorld
SustainCommWorld Produces a Truly Green Event – The Green Media Show Conference & Expo
Carbon Footprint Tracked Throughout Production, Marketing and Transportation
(CSRwire) News Highlights
Entire expo floor created locally using 100% recyclable signs without
lamination or adhesive, 100% recyclable counter tops, and reusable metal
framing with bamboo walls.
Onsite handout limited to Green Resource Guide printed on FSI
certified recycled paper, vegetable based inks and highest levels of
carbon neutral printing.
Limited exhibitor handouts - all to be sent via email directly to
attendee or shipped from office to avoid excess printing and shipping
costs and carbon waste.
All food functions use high quality local products when available, no
plastic bottles, 100% recycled paper cups for hot and cold beverages, and
designated recycle containers for metal and paper.
(Mercer Island, WA - September 3, 2008) One of the nation's first truly
"green" expos will take place October 1&2 at the Boston Marriott Copley
Place. Produced by SustainCommWorld, The Green Media Show Conference &
Expo will create a very low carbon neutral event, especially on the show
floor where all exhibit structures will be provided to the exhibitors,
developed from either 100% recycled and recyclable materials, reusable
metal products and biodegradable bamboo for wall materials.
The event, focusing on all media communications for corporations and
government agencies, will look at how companies can lower the carbon
footprint of their advertising, websites, printed brochures and materials,
email campaigns and all internal and external communication.
KATHLEEN KAISER, EVP OF SUSTAINCOMMWORLD QUOTE
"We made a commitment from the start to utilize as many sustainable green
resources as possible to reduce the entire carbon footprint of this event.
We analyzed every aspect - pre-show marketing, actual conference
production, onsite materials and the biggie, the actual show floor. Being
in the tradeshow business for twenty years, I took a hard look at what
show management and what exhibitors could do to reduce the overall expo
footprint.
"First focus was on the actual booths. Shipping in large booth structures
from around the country, takes energy - burns carbon. And many of those
booths and their printed graphics are not created sustainably. Lighting
could be old fashion incandescent. The only factor I could not control,"
continued Kaiser, "was the carpeting as this is a hotel event and
permanent carpeting was installed. However, we chose Marriott to work with
as they have a great corporate program, "Echo," that is refitting and
addressing many sustainability issues inside their hotels."
WHAT WAS DONE TO ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS
Working with Champion Exposition Services, Kaiser designed a variety of
green booth structures for the exhibitors to use that included:
All booth signs printed on 100% recycled cardboard with low VOC
vegetable inks, and after the event, 100% recycled
All booth walls and structure sides feature biodegradable bamboo and
will be recycled
Counter tops made of recycled compressed paper that can be recycled
again
Metal used to frame the structures is re-usable
LED lighting for booths
Next, Kaiser approached Ivan Lazarev, president of ITN International for
an innovative solution to materials distribute on the show floor. Aware
for years of the mountains of handouts that make it back to an attendee's
hotel room and then are tossed into the trash, she wanted a more
sustainable solution. ITN will be supplying the lead retrieval for The
Green Media Show, tied to a smart chip badge. Each exhibitor will have an
iphone type device in their booth preloaded with all of their handouts as
pdfs or items to be mailed from their fulfillment houses.
Her biggest challenge was having the paper manufacturers understand that
shipping a sample book directly to someone's desk was much more
economical, sustainable and saved them money. Once companies like Domtar,
Appleton Coated, Finch and New Page understood the advantage of this
program, they became enthusiastic supporters of the concept.
Badge lanyards will attach directly to the badge, eliminating plastic
holders. The lanyards are 100% biodegradable, created from corn syrup,
including the clip. Recycle bins for disposal of badges and lanyards will
be placed at all exits.
Another area was the drayage of large pieces of equipment to be shipped to
the event, loaded into the show floor and than shipped back. Except for
essential equipment, like a printer for a printing manufacturer,
exhibitors were encouraged to prepare video demonstrations to have in
their booths, illustrating the strengths of their products. Some companies
will have one of a kind sample for more tactile products.
All food functions will utilize high quality local products when
available, no plastic bottles, 100% recycled paper cups for hot and cold
beverages, and designated recycle containers for metal and paper. Excess
food will be donated to a local NGO for distribution.
LISA WELLMAN, CEO OF SUSTAINCOMMWORLD, QUOTE
"I believe that what Kathleen has accomplished with our show floor is a
first time ever event. She pioneered this approach of supplying the booth
structures back with Seybold Seminars 15 years ago. I headed up Apple's
participation then and was highly supportive as it created a better show
floor, where products, not fancy booths, were the stars. Now we have taken
her original concept and updated it for the 21st century when being green
and considering your carbon footprint are essential."
MARKETING OF EVENT WENT GREEN TOO
Marketing the event was designed with a critical eye for reducing carbon.
Starting by using a solar powered website, they reduced the huge
expenditure of energy that the worldwide web consumes. Extensive email
campaigns to gain attention of attendees. For a mail piece, they cleaned
lists and targeted geographies, selected tested titles and industries. A
sponsor, ShipShapes, provided a unique mailer made from post-consumer
waste that's recyclable.
The only handout at the event will be the Green Resource Guide, which will
be printed locally. The full process of producing this guide will be
accomplished using the highest standards for sustainable green printing.
Included in the Guide is a colophon detailing environmentally preferable
attributes of materials and processes employed and independently verified.
social and environmental certifications achieved by the materials suppliers
and the selected print service provider. All stock is to be the highest
percentage post consumer recycled stock available with FSC or SFI
certification and with a preference for stock that can be certified as
"carbon neutral" and/or produced with wind power. Inks should be low VOC
vegetable inks.
While no one can be 100% carbon neutral, the show producers realize that
carbon offsets are a bridge to that future. Working with Community Energy,
a wind power developer and offset provider, they will offset:
All travel by attendees to and from the event, to be calculated on
the show floor
Offset all marketing, both digital, mailer and print advertising
Offset any carbon costs to show floor production
About the Green Media Show Conference & Expo, October 1&2, Boston
Marriott Copley Place
The two day event will focus on bottom-line solutions to address
enterprise communication and sustainability including: increased brand
equity; growing shareholder value; business risk reduction; supply chain
activity; sustainability reporting; carbon foot-printing and more. The
conference will offer top executives uniquely valuable perspectives
probing every aspect of sustainable communications from initiating a
sustainability program, best practices and implementation strategies, to
sustainability reports. The Conference brings together thought leaders in
sustainability with a focus on the graphic communication industry and
marketing communications, their supply chains and relevant enterprise
stakeholders.
About SustainCommWorld
SustainCommWorld is focused on educating communication professionals from
corporations, institutions and government agencies about how to develop
sustainable green workflows and supply chains to lower their carbon
footprint. SustainCommWorld currently produces two major events: The
Business of Green Media in cooperation with the Cal Poly Graphic
Communication Department and the Graphic Communication Institute at Cal
Poly, and The Green Media Show Conference & Expo, a conference and expo in
Boston. SustainCommWorld staff consults with institutions and enterprises
around the world on issues related to sustainable communication - the
production of sustainable media and the associated business challenges and
opportunities that work with the graphic arts community and those involved
in media production.
http://www.sustaincommworld.com/
For more information please contact:
Martin Maloney, PresidentBroadford & Maloney, Inc.212 836 4710www.bmcorp.com
Terry Wellman, VIce President, MarketingSustainCommWorld206 275 9992www.SustainCommWorld.com
www.sustaincommworld.com
News Categories:
Sustainability and Events & Entertainment
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