IMEX America 2023 was classified as the brand’s fifth zero-waste event in a row, despite a 25% increase in attendance.events. Photo Credit: IMEX America
IMEX has published a sustainability report revealing the successes,
experiments and learnings from last year’s IMEX America show, as well as
what the organising team can bring to this year’s show taking place in
Las Vegas from 8-10 October.
Produced with sustainability consultants MeetGreen, the report
examined the environmental activities and planning in the run-up to and
during IMEX America 2023, sharing notable achievements in waste
diversion and energy use, as well as highlighting all-important areas
for continuous improvement.
Last year’s IMEX America was classified as the brand’s fifth
zero-waste event in a row, despite a 25% increase in attendance. This
was made possible with efforts including:
- Turning 93% of event waste into compost, material recycling, and donation channels
- Donating 4,535kg of recovered event materials, supplies and furniture
- Eliminating 16,079 single-use plastic bottles through reduction initiatives, and
- Using an estimated 132,000 kWh of renewable solar energy, reducing approximately 95.5 metric tons of event emissions
For this year’s IMEX America, the brand sourced for a new craft paper
material to replace the plastic badge holders for all 15,000+
participants, marking another step for IMEX's goal to reduce single-use
plastic. Lanyards will also be made from organic cotton – which uses
less water compared to regular cotton. At the end of the show, the
badges and lanyards will be shipped to TerraCycle, where they will be
separated for recycling.
Following the Better Stands pilot at IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX will be
using the same methodology at IMEX America as part of an industry-wide
initiative to cut out “build and burn” booths forever.