There has been no study done to validate the “fact” that the convention industry is second only to the construction industry in terms of waste output. While this assertation may prove to be true when someone does an LCA that ranks industries, it has not been proven.

The source of this “truthiness” turned out to be an event contractor with a green program and was first made at a convention industry gathering. This assertation was clarified and debunked in a leading trade journal (Exhibitor Magazine). Unfortunately some other trade mags repeated the assertation before it's truth was validated. It might well be true but at this point it has not been proven. EPA says it has never ranked industries.

If someone wants to do the LCA's to rank industries, go forth!

By the way, there will be a new LEED-type standard forthcoming to help conventions/meetings/events go green in earnest. It should be approved by ASTM in the coming months, and the process has been sponsored by EPA and the Green Meeting Industry Council and the Convention Industry Council's APEX group. It will be exhaustive and the most comprehensive activity-based standard for this industry. It will touch everything from emissions from transportation of people and freight to the waste streams at hotels to the composting of food to energy use at facilities and so forth. It will give shows, contractors and exhibitors a set of objective criteria and metrics to support their greening efforts.

There has been no study done to validate the “fact” that the convention industry is second only to the construction industry in terms of waste output. While this assertation may prove to be true when someone does an LCA that ranks industries, it has not been proven.

The source of this “truthiness” turned out to be an event contractor with a green program and was first made at a convention industry gathering. This assertation was clarified and debunked in a leading trade journal (Exhibitor Magazine). Unfortunately some other trade mags repeated the assertation before it's truth was validated. It might well be true but at this point it has not been proven. EPA says it has never ranked industries.

If someone wants to do the LCA's to rank industries, go forth!

By the way, there will be a new LEED-type standard forthcoming to help conventions/meetings/events go green in earnest. It should be approved by ASTM in the coming months, and the process has been sponsored by EPA and the Green Meeting Industry Council and the Convention Industry Council's APEX group. It will be exhaustive and the most comprehensive activity-based standard for this industry. It will touch everything from emissions from transportation of people and freight to the waste streams at hotels to the composting of food to energy use at facilities and so forth. It will give shows, contractors and exhibitors a set of objective criteria and metrics to support their greening efforts.