April 20th, 2009

When show managers decide to make their shows more sustainable, there are things they can control – such as decorating – and things they can’t.

Those that can’t be controlled are usually services provided by suppliers, though there are options out there for show managers who look for them.

Starting at the very beginning of the process for most exhibitors is an area that often is a sticking point for shows trying to make themselves greener – freight shipping.

For the past two years, EA Logistics has added a sustainable option to its services. President Mike Ellis said the company put a brand on the effort – Delivered GrEAn – a little more than a year ago. It started, he added, with “a realization that climate change is real and that we in the freight transportation industry contribute to it.”

How it works is simple: All EA Logistics shipments benefit from being on fully loaded, fuel-efficient trucks that run on biodiesel and don’t idle while being loaded and unloaded, Ellis said. To get the benefit of the Delivered GrEAn part of the service, all clients need to do is ask. Then EA Logistics buys offsets at Carbonfund.org to make the shipments carbon-neutral at no additional charge to the client, he added.

“They just have to say the word, and we’ll do it,” Ellis said.

So far, more than 100 clients have taken advantage of the program, and the company is the official carrier for several green shows, including the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild Intl. Conference & Expo.

Also utilized at Greenbuild last year was Transportation Management Services’ Carbon Offset Shuttle Program, which offset 125 tons of carbon, said Dan Sherman, mass transportation specialist for TMS.

“Our clients leaned on us to develop new initiatives, and we were more than happy to do that,” he added. “We thought it was so important that we’ve offered it complimentary to our clients in 2009.”

Sherman said TMS calculates the carbon footprint for each show and then purchases offsets from Carbonfund.org.

Last year, 720 tons of carbon were offset during the test phase of the program, he added. Events involved included Natural Products Expo East/Organic Products Expo-BioFach America, Natural Products Expo West/Supply Expo, Natl. Apartment Assn. Education Conference & Exposition and VMworld.

Also, the company uses biodiesel and other initiatives to ensure lower emissions from the start.

Since the beginning of the year, 15 clients have used the program, and Sherman said TMS expects more than 50 shows to participate.

“It’s been pretty successful so far,” he added.

It’s not just people and freight movers who offer more sustainable options, though. Last year, several catering companies, including SAVOR..., SMG’s food and beverage company, and Aramark announced sustainability initiatives. They were joined this year by Chicago Restaurant Partners, the catering company at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

“The reason we probably got into this is, first, the West building of McCormick Place is (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified,” said Shaun Beard, general manager of Chicago Restaurant Partners. “Once you have that, you know you’re doing something different.”

The company implemented several changes at McCormick Place:

• eliminated Styrofoam and polystyrene products
• introduced biodegradable flatware, straws, serving dishes and cups, some
• that are fully compostable
• switched to unbleached napkins
• implemented bulk condiment service, including coffee service

Beard said Chicago Restaurant Partners now has moved forward by creating a two-acre rooftop garden at McCormick Place, which will grow organic herbs and heirloom tomatoes to be used in tastings for show managers.

“That’s another way we’re differentiating ourselves,” he added.

The next step Beard wants to take is a bigger one he said the company hopes to roll out in the fourth quarter.

“My next big piece ... is how do I get out of individual bottled water,” he said. “We really see that as the next meaningful impact.”

Another convention center with a sustainability focus, the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, has a catering partner – Centerplate – willing to change for sustainability.

When Greenbuild was held at the center in 2006, the show started an awareness of a composting program, locally sourced food and organic products, said Lee Avery, Centerplate general manager at the Colorado CC.  “It was really our first foray into that,” she added. But Greenbuild came and went, and the back-of-the-house composting program the show started stayed behind – along with the sustainability awareness.

At first, the changes were difficult, Lee said. Sourcing local and organic products proved tricky because of the unavailability of certain foods, such as strawberries, which aren’t grown in the area. “The industry has come a long way during that time,” she added. During the Democratic Natl. Convention in Denver last year, Lee said, the sustainable options hit a stride, and Centerplate was able to meet the convention committee’s requirement that 70 percent of all food offered be locally grown or organic.

It’s not just in Colorado that Centerplate’s looking into sustainability. Spokeswoman Diana Evans said the company tries to source locally whenever possible.

“Our chefs like having their pick of seasonal ingredients and to build relationships with local farmers, because the practice results in higher-quality dishes,” she added. “In several of our venues, we have sponsored ‘100 mile dinners,’ in which everything used is sourced within 100 miles, which are hugely popular.”

The company also tries to find a balance between biodegradable serviceware and compostable disposable goods, as well as traditional recyclables or china service, Evans said.

In Colorado, Lee said she’s looking for even more of those options. “We’re working on soup containers,” she added, “and spoons that don’t melt in hot soup.”