Imagine a place where the latest innovations in green products, services, food, lifestyle and business are gathered together under a single roof – a place where environmentally sound policies are put into practice by a large community of people with common values.
That place exists in the form of the Green Festival Expo, a “dynamic marketplace where companies and organizations come to showcase their green products and services, and where people go to learn how to live healthier, more sustainable lives.”
This event is the longest-running sustainability showcase of its kind in the U.S., committed to uniting consumers, industry pioneers and the business community, and inspiring them to “work green, play green and live green.” To this end, the Festival offers attendees an array green food selections, demos, speakers and educational opportunities.
The Green Festival takes place from coast-to-coast, with events beginning in New York and moving on to Washington D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland. It’s not too late to attend this year on the West Coast, as the San Francisco and Portland events are slated for Nov. 13-15 and Dec. 11-13, respectively.
The show is produced by Messe Stuttgart, an international exhibition company with an impressive portfolio of sustainable tradeshows in the global marketplace, including, The Market for Good Taste – the Slow Food Trade Fair; FAIR HANDELN; YogaExpo; and Haus Holz Energie.
In “an effort to grow and maximize visibility for sponsors, partners, businesses and speakers participating in Green Festival,” a partnership has also begun with Finn Partners, a global public relations firm known for its uncompromising representation in the areas of corporate social responsibility and environmental conservation.
The Green Festival is a Green America certified business. For more than 30 years, this non-profit entity has dedicated itself to creating “a socially just and environmentally sustainable society” by championing sustainable businesses, living standards, clean food, clean energy and fair labor practices. In like manner, all of the exhibitors at the event are also certified by Green America.
Green America is a nonprofit event partner, along with Global Exchange, “an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world.”
The Festival itself is a paragon of sustainability, as it strives to become a zero-waste event. Many volunteers work together with staff and exhibitors to facilitate these key objectives:
- Recycle everything that can be recycled.
- Use event signs made of eco-friendly materials with the goal of reusing them.
- Use only event collateral made from recyclable materials.
- Use only energy-efficient venues.
- Offer incentives to participants who choose green transportation.
- No plastic water bottles!
- Use only food service items that are 100% biodegradable and collected/composted at the end of the event.
- Screen exhibitors and permit only those who are committed to sustainable business and have a legitimate, green product or service to participate.
Learn more about future event dates, locations and exhibitor requirements at www.greenfestivals.org.
Green Tip:
Interested in becoming a Certified Green Business? Green America certifies many types of businesses, including events and event planning companies. Their certification standards and application are available at http://www.greenbusinessnetwork.org/.
