2019 Sustainable Exhibiting Guide

SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2019

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Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

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We’re committed not only to leading through best practice in sustainability and supporting local communities, but also to inspiring action from the global meetings and events industry to maximize its efforts too. We take the approach that we’re all in this together, so we share what we learn every step of the way.

We recently published our annual sustainability report thanks to our sustainability consultants, MeetGreen®. The report shares our results, best practices and areas for improvement. You can download a copy here.

New record – 93%We’re proud to have achieved an increased APEX/ASTM level 1 score of 93%. As far as we know no other trade show on the planet has ever got this far.

Thanks to our donation programs and the responsible recycling channels at the Sands Expo, we diverted 93% of show waste away from landfill, our highest rate to date! Supporting Las Vegas non-profit organizations such as Opportunity Village, the Shade Tree Shelter and Spread the Word Nevada is an important part of this.

Working with many of you we launched a water refill movement last year to reduce single-use plastic bottles by increasing water coolers and refillable water bottles. We also went straw-less and introduced paper recycling on all booths. These initiatives are now a key part of our sustainability strategy.

What if we all cut down on waste?This year our Talking Point is ‘Imagination’ and we’re asking ‘what if we all committed to cutting down waste?’ So I invite you to make a sustainable exhibiting pledge. By pledging to support three initiatives, you can help make the show even more sustainable.

We hope the ideas in this guide inspire you to get involved – and to step up your commitment to action.

Please share it with your partners. Even if you try just ONE NEW idea, it will make a real difference.

Thank you for your support every step of the way.

Our approach to sustainability

CARINA BAUER, CEO, IMEX GROUP

Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

The heartbeat of the global business events community 3

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Make your sustainability pledge

Make a sustainability pledge by committing to three green actions to minimize your environmental impact at the show.

We’ll be highlighting every single booth that joins the pledge with a bright green booth number.

Choose (or more!) of the following ideas:

1. Reduce all single-use plastics AND paper, including brochures

2. Join the IMEX refill movement - don’t offer bottled water – order a

water cooler and encourage everyone to bring their own re-usable

water bottles

3. Appoint a waste management champion to encourage and teach

waste reduction on your booth

4. Talk to your booth constructor about using sustainable materials

and what they can do to reduce the waste they create

5. Use public transport or walk where possible to and from the show

6. Offset your travel to the show through a carbon offset program

7. Consider ordering sustainable and low food-miles catering

(see p.4)

8. Reduce or only offer sustainable gifts/giveaways

9. Attend a sustainability education session at the show to learn

new tips

Make your pledge here Deadline: August 16, 2019

Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

The heartbeat of the global business events community 4

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STEP 1: Pre-show planning

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS• Use digital options over printed materials• Don’t bring more brochures than you need • Choose sustainable, useful giveaways that have a life

long after the show• If you need to print then choose post-consumer

recycled paper and vegetable based inks• Print locally to reduce CO2 emissions and shipping

costs• And make printed materials timeless (not date

specific) so they can be reused

PACKING & SHIPPING• Avoid styrofoam packing peanuts, these are not

recyclable• Choose biodegradable packing materials• Use recyclable packaging• Shipping Top Tip - Use the Smartway Partner list to

find an environmentally friendly shipping center

JOIN THE IMEX REFILL MOVEMENT – help reduce single-use plastic• Order a water cooler for your booth • We’ll give you an IMEX refill sticker for your cooler • We’ll promote your booth on social media as being

part of the refill movement • Email roger.lehner@imexexhibitions.com to confirm

you’re joining the movement (we can only promote your cooler if we receive an email from you)

To order: search ‘catering’ and then ‘water cooler service’ on the Sands Exhibitor Service Center.Top tip: order several water refills at a time to minimize delivery costs.

FOOD & DRINK• Order sustainable (locally produced or vegetarian)

food for your booth catering• Avoid single use plastic cups and cutlery and order

compostable serviceware • Ask your team to bring their own re-usable water

bottles

BOOTH PLANNING• Share this guide with your booth constructor today• The hardwall booth package includes recyclable

carpet in colors: blue jay, pepper and black. (Same price as non-recyclable options)

• Booth recycling:• Space only booths should order separate

recycle bins for paper• Hardwall booths will have a paper recycling bin

included

BRING YOUR OWN (BYO)Please ensure you BYO:• Water bottle (we’ll save enough energy to power a

household in the US for 2,507 hours)• Coffee cup (we’ll save at least 37,000 coffee cups)• Bag (we no longer produce a show bag)• Book (to donate to Spread the Word Nevada at the

IMEX Giving Back booth)

Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

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STEP 2: Responsible travel

TRAVELING TO LAS VEGASAll IMEX America hosted buyer flights and shuttle bus transfers are carbon offset thanks to our partnership with the Costa Rica Tourism Board. Do you carbon offset your flights?Many carbon offset programs are available. Here’s one example: The Nature Conservancy.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTThere are plenty of public transport options in Vegas. However walking as much as you can is the most sustainable option.

Walking times to the Sands Expo:Caesars Palace (20 minutes), Cosmopolitan (30 minutes), Encore (10 minutes), Trump (15 minutes)See all transport options here.

Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

The heartbeat of the global business events community 6

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STEP 3: During the show

Support our donation programs

HOW TO DONATEReview the exhibitor donation participation letter. Visit the Sands Expo Business Center to pick up donation stickers to place on the items for donation and the Sands Expo team will pick them up. Small booth items: Deposit smaller items in the donation bins around the show floor.

WHAT CAN YOU DONATE?• Tables and shelves, furniture and household items• Booth structures (by prior agreement)• Booth graphics• Pens, notepads and office equipment• Promotional and giveaway items• Cut flowers in good condition

Your items will be donated to several Las Vegas charities who need our help, some of these include:

• Opportunity Village • Shade Tree Shelter • Teachers Exchange • Project 4 Humanity

BADGE BACK PROGRAMAt the end of the show please leave your badge and lanyard in the collection boxes at the exits to the hall. Lanyards are donated for re-use.

GENERAL WASTEWe’re extremely proud to divert 93% of ALL show waste away from landfill! You can help by:• Disposing of compostable items along with food in the

compost bins in the food service areas• Looking out for non-compostable items in your meal, such as

chip bags, salad dressing and condiment packets, and NOT placing these in the green compost bins

• Placing recyclables such as paper, plastic bottles, and cans in the recycling bins

• Flattening and stacking your cardboard boxes on your booth for collection

• Packing all plastic wrap and visqueen in a pile at the corner of your booth

• Using non-reinforced visqueen to protect your booth carpet as this is recyclable – nylon reinforced visqueen is NOT recyclable

Our donation program re-uses and recycles leftover materials from the show that would usually go to waste.

At the end of the show leave your unwanted items with us and we’ll donate them to a network of local charities. This will reduce your shipping costs and carbon emissions from transportation.

Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

The heartbeat of the global business events community 7

MenuClick to navigate

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STEP 3: During the show

EDUCATIONThe latest sustainability education takes place during our FREE, pre-show day of education, Smart Monday, powered by MPI, and throughout the show on our Inspiration Hub.All sessions are listed under the sustainability track. The full program will be available on our website in mid-July.

WATER WISE WEDNESDAYWe support Water Wise Wednesday by offering food that minimizes water use. Look for the water drop symbol on the food menus around the hall as these indicate menu options with low water use. For example, if you replace your usual beef burger with a bean burger you’ll save 1,707 liters of water. If everyone followed your example we could save 17 million liters—critical in Las Vegas where water levels are at an all-time low. Learn how much water different foods take to produce here.

IMEX GIVING BACK BOOTHLook out for the Giving Back Booth on Smart Monday – spend a few minutes or more to make hygiene kits for Clean the World and donate a book to Spread the Word Nevada. During show days (Tuesday-Thursday) the booth will be located outside the entrance to the hall.

AWARDING INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABILITY

We’re proud to run the Innovation in Sustainability Award with our partners EIC. Congratulations to this year’s winner Global Climate Action Summit. The award is presented at IMEX in Frankfurt. Applications for 2020 will open at the end of the year.

MEETGREEN®A huge and heartfelt thank you to our sustainability consultants MeetGreen® for supporting us on our sustainable journey. To find out how they can help with your next event, contact Eric Wallinger by email: eric@meetgreen.com

Our approach to sustainability

Make your sustainability pledge

STEP 1Pre-show planning

STEP 2Responsible travel

STEP 3During IMEX

Thank you for taking the time to exhibit sustainably at IMEX America

RememberIf all exhibitors make just one small change together

we’ll make a one big difference

SEPTEMBER 10-12, 2019