Dispatch From Greenbuild

Published Nov 20 2008, 02:24 PM by Chris Faraone

2

These greeniacs who took over the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center this week are sharp. I hand the press guy my business card, but he returns it to cut back on waste. I haven’t even been at Greenbuild for three minutes and already I’m behind the times.

After filling in my contact information on computer a young woman tells me to collect my badge and goodie bag downstairs. Considering how uncomfortable they are with my wasting seven square inches of paper, I’m surprised they didn’t skip the freebies.

But, like at every other conference, I get a bag of useless junk. As much as it sucks to roll around a green circle jerk and critique how much waste there is, I can’t believe they printed an “Expo Guide” and a “Conference Program.”    

The exhibition hall is nothing short of a Republican nightmare. Or, for those who aren’t irreversibly stubborn and will at least pretend to believe this country needs to smarten up, it’s a profiteer’s paradise.

In two hours I don't see a single dreadlock. The patchouli-drenched Vermont couple that makes wooden toilet bowls doesn't have a booth, nor does your hippie cousin who builds compost bins out of used diapers.

This industry has been completely hijacked by small businessmen in short-sleeved dress shirts. Three years ago most of them were likely selling office supplies and insurance; now they’re hocking earth-friendly furnishings and equipment for harvesting rainwater. 

Several businesspeople who I speak with claim to have been in this industry for years, and I suspect that most of them are full of shit. I ask one dude who owns an aluminum company how his company is green beyond the color of its logo, and he’s outrageously offended by my skepticism: “Maybe you should read our literature before you make assumptions.”   

So – which booth is the most popular? Easy – the one with Guitar Hero. What are they selling? Who the hell knows? I think something to do with edible commercial flooring.

I’ll give the conventioneers some credit; everyone does a solid job of separating recyclables in the conveniently located receptacles. It’s a good thing, too, because between the brochures, pens, plastic cups, and empty water bottles, there’s more crap to toss than there is spewing from these salespeople’s mouths.      

Ann Coulter's Mink Exposed

UMN to Latinos: "Thanks For Voting Obama"

2 Comments

• Perrie Hayes said:

  I bet you didn't know... To make the GreenBuild Expo even greener, organizers offered  EA Logistics’  Delivered GrEAn® program to help exhibitors reduce and offset the event's transportation-related carbon emissions.  

             "GreenBuild is already an exemplary green event and a model of sustainability on many levels," said Anah Corley, Vice President - Business Development for Stetson Convention Services, the show's general contractor and a leader in sustainable events.  "As GreenBuild moves forward with their requisite sustainability guidelines, we want to support the exhibitor's efforts and resourcing by including Delivered GrEAn® by EA Logistics as our preferred green carrier. By doing so, we're expanding our program and creating a legacy of improved environmental practices amongst event participants."

  Trade shows and conventions have been cited as a leading source of pollution and waste, prompting the meetings and events industry to develop new ways of reducing the potential impact of green exhibiting. Transportation of trade show displays and materials contributes significantly to an event’s carbon footprint.  A typical trade show can generate as much as 25 truckloads of freight, releasing hundreds of metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.          

  “The environmental impact of show-related shipping can be enormous and the industry is just beginning to grapple with the need for eco-friendly transportation,” said Mike Ellis, president of EA Logistics.  “As the preferred green carrier, we can demonstrate how the Delivered GrEAn® program can complement other greening efforts and make a real dent in the environmental impact of a major event.”

  November 20, 2008 3:21 PM

• Carly Carioli said:

  @Perrie: leave the infomercials on yr site, plz. kthx bye!

  November 20, 2008 5:12 PM

Leave a Comment