Its 2012 trade show at the Las Vegas Sands Expo and Convention Center was good not only for exhibitors and attendees, but also for the environment, according to the IMEX Group, which yesterday released the audited sustainability results from IMEX America 2012.
Compiled by the show’s sustainability partner, MeetGreen, the results are intended to serve as a benchmark for future shows and serve as an example of what’s possible within the exhibitions and events industry.
“Creating a more sustainable show is a long road but a worthwhile one,” IMEX Group CEO Carina Bauer said in a statement. “It takes plans and processes but most importantly people across every role, job and vested organization to make change happen. Learning and bumps are all part of the experience, as sustainability is never truly ‘finished.’ It’s exciting to see our industry working towards stronger stewardship and to be a part of such progressive action. We’re keen to share our experiences in an open and transparent way so that others can learn from them.”
APEX
According to MeetGreen’s audit — which included more than 300 data points measured against the international sustainability standards published last year by ASTM International and the Convention Industry Council’s (CIC) Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX) — IMEX America 2012 achieved 63 percent compliance with the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Event Standards, Level 1.
“This was an interesting process as APEX is obviously a new standard and IMEX selected the event destination and list of suppliers long before the standards were available. That meant that IMEX’s ability to meet some criteria for year one was limited,” explained Michael Luehrs, sustainable business advisor, MeetGreen. “That being said, we really saw a highly motivated team evolve and work together, bringing the plans, talent and leadership needed to create some very exciting results. At future IMEX America shows we’ll be working even harder to improve performance against the APEX standards.”
Results
Key areas of achievements, according to MeetGreen, were:
• Waste: A total of 87.5 percent of exhibit waste from the Sands Expo and Convention Center was diverted from landfills — 72 percent when combined with show-related events and meetings held at The Venetian|The Palazzo.
• Food: Forty percent of food served at The Venetian|The Palazzo and the Sands Expo and Convention Center met sustainability criteria. What’s more, 12 metric tons of organics and service waste was composted by the hotels and convention center.
• Recycling: Ninety-four percent of the total carpet on show floor was reused from previous events. Additionally, attendees worked with Clean the World to sort used hotel soaps and bottled amenities for recycling and donation.
• CSR: Sixty-three staff and attendee volunteer hours were donated to serve Las Vegas nonprofits, which also received $5,000 that was raised through the IMEX Badge Back Program. Additionally, 1,861 kg of show food and exposition materials were donated to local charities.
Said Jenny Yu, director of global sustainability for the Las Vegas Sands Corp., “Partnership between suppliers and planners is essential. Working with IMEX America is a rewarding experience for us because it helps us expand our Sands ECO 360° Meetings Program. Together, we have achieved extraordinary milestones in areas such as recycling, sustainable food purchase, attendee education and CSR activities. And, we’re looking forward to going even further for IMEX America 2013.”