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Environmental IMEX                             

Help make IMEX even more Environmentally Friendly, IMEX's Green Suppliers, The IMEX Corporate Responsibility Centre, Environmental Research

 

 

 

 

IMEX, in partnership with the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), is committed to educating the industry on the best environmental and CSR (corporate social responsibility) practices available and to doing all we can to “green” our exhibition.

The IMEX Corporate Responsibility Project has been developed to give both exhibitors and visitors an opportunity to increase their awareness and knowledge of environmental and social responsibility within the meetings industry.

Our Environmental Aims and Initiatives

  • IMEX has a Green Team for exhibitors, hosted buyers and visitors.
    • The aim is to reduce waste, to increase awareness through environmental educational sessions and to encourage exhibitors to switch to hydroelectricity for their stands at the exhibition.
  • 'Share your Spares' USB recycling.
    • Bring your spare (pre-cleaned) USB sticks to the show and we will donate them to schools in India through our NGO partner there.
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  • Encouraging responsible travel.
    • Encouraging attendees to travel by train where possible and offering carbon free train travel to Frankfurt with Deutsche Bahn to all European hosted buyers. This made carbon savings of 21 tonnes in 2011.
    • Using bio-diesel buses for 20% of hosted buyer transfers and operating an anti-idling policy for all buses.
    • Ensuring the exhibition can be reached by public transport.
     
  • Recycling materials produced by IMEX, wherever possible.
    • Using halls that have a recycling policy - 88.5% of waste at IMEX was recycled in 2011. The remainder was incinerated, with the energy created being used to generate free power for the local community.
    • 95% recyclable polypropylene carpets are used in the hall.
    • Badge lanyards are made from plant silk, a biodegradable, sustainable, organic material manufactured from the waste stems of grain crops.
    • We use recycled and recyclable paper badges and luggage tags coated in corn-starch laminate.
    • We provide reusable, recyclable polypropylene visitor bags and jute bags for Association Day.
    • Using recyclable, recycled or sustainable source paper, whenever possible when producing IMEX materials.
    • Collecting flowers after the show for homes and hospitals.
     
  • Reducing paper consumption in the office and on site.
  • Using energy efficient exhibition halls and using hydroelectricity for all power during the exhibition including build-up and breakdown.
    • IMEX was the first trade show in the meetings industry to offer hydroelectricity to exhibitors.
    • The use of hydroelectricity in 2011 made savings of 36 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
  • IMEX runs the only Green Awards for the meetings industry:
    • Green Meetings Award, Green Exhibitor Award, Green Supplier Award and the Commitment to the Community Award, presented at the IMEX Gala Dinner.
  • The IMEX Challenge:
    • A bi-annual initiative designed to give meetings industry professionals the chance to work side by side in a physical challenge that will benefit a host community.
  • Ensuring venue food and beverage providers use china and washable cutlery wherever possible.
    • All coffee and tea provided in seminar rooms is fair trade and sugar is provided in bowls instead of in individual packaging.

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Help make IMEX even more Environmentally Friendly

Whether you are exhibiting at or visiting the show you can help us make IMEX more environmentally friendly by:

  • Using the Frankfurt walking map published in the IMEX Show Guide and Floorplan.
  • Join the IMEX Green Team
  • Visiting the Corporate Responsibility Centre at the show to pick up advice on how to make meetings and events greener.
  • Using the recycling bins placed throughout the hall.
  • Carbon offsetting your flights to Frankfurt or travelling by train.

Exhibitors can also:

  • Apply for the IMEX Green Exhibitor Award.
  • Use recycled or consumable products as giveaways and avoid giveaways made from endangered or threatened species.
  • Use hydroelectricity.
  • Use soy-based ink and recycled paper to produce any promotional material and reduce the amount of material brought to the show.
  • Purchase supplies that have minimal packaging and recycle any cardboard, freight boxes or plastic wrappings.
  • Use stands made from sustainable or reusable materials or designed in an environmentally friendly way.
  • Incorporate indoor air quality principles into displays.
  • Use the collection system for leftover flowers for homes and hospitals.
  • Use the badge scanners to obtain visitor profiles.
  • Look out for this symbol when ordering supplies from the IMEX online exhibitor manual, which indicates eco-friendly products.

 

 

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IMEX's Green Suppliers

IMEX works with several green suppliers:

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The IMEX Corporate Responsibility Centre

Corporate Responsibility Centre

Environmental and Corporate Responsibility Centre Partners

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Environmental Research

IMEX carries out regular research on green issues in the meetings industry. View the latest research on the Global Data Exchange.

 

"IMEX's green initiatives mark it as a kind of environmental conscience for the industry"

Hanna Grey

THA Group, UK

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