Sustainability | IAAPA Expo

IAAPA and its partners are committed to advancing sustainability efforts across the Expo wherever possible. The initiatives outlined below support IAAPA’s policy and contribute to improving the overall performance of the event.

As the organizer, IAAPA aims to lead by example. We are committed to continually improving our Expo operations. The following are key sustainability practices at this year’s Expo:

Sustainable travel guidance on IAAPA’s website, encouraging attendees to walk from nearby hotels where feasible, use public transportation, or share rides to reduce local transportation impacts.
Travel information collected during the registration process to calculate the climate footprint (CO₂ emissions) of attendees traveling to the Expo.
Sustainable accommodation options highlighted on IAAPA’s website and accommodation booking platform, including hotels close to the venue to help reduce transportation needs and related emissions.
A sustainability booth at the new IAAPA Central in the West Hall, offering opportunities to ask questions, network, and explore ways to get involved, with a rotating presentation highlighting key programs and resources.
Accessibility and inclusion measures in collaboration with Orange County Convention Center and event partners, including step-free access, wide aisles, accessible toilets and parking, and free admission for personal assistants.
Several rooms for nursing mothers.
A prayer/meditation room.
A Quiet Room for attendees experiencing sensory overload, anxiety, or overwhelm.
The IAAPA Team Room and other catering areas managed directly by IAAPA use reusable china and glassware as the main option throughout the Expo, with compostable “grab-and-go” options available only for staff when needed. New messaging encourages reduced use of single-use items.
Provide composting option for waste to both reduce the amount of food waste going to Central Florida landfills and make compost to support the local food system.
Two new sustainability ribbons will be introduced to help increase visibility and raise awareness.
Partner with Give Kids the World to collect donated exhibitor products such as plush, games, t-shirts, supplies, and more.
Opportunity for attendees to contribute to the IAAPA Foundation scholarship fund through donations.
The education programme includes sustainability-related sessions and encourages diverse representation across speakers and panels.
Education sessions are recorded and made available through the Connect+ app and IAAPA’s online learning library. Wordly also provides live transcription and translation, allowing attendees to read or listen in their preferred language on their own devices.
Reduction of printed signage whenever possible.
Digital distribution of all Education session handouts.
Digital administration of Education session surveys.
Digital distribution of Exhibitor materials.
No IAAPA show guides are printed, attendees and exhibitors are encouraged to use the website and Connect+ app.
All exhibitors are encouraged to follow the newly added Sustainability Guidelines in the Exhibitor Manual.
The voluntary IAAPA Exhibitor Sustainability Pledge continues, with on-site follow-up moving from a paper form to a digital questionnaire. New Sustainability Pledge booth stickers and ribbons available increasing visibility.
Ear plugs are available at registration, and in the member lounge.
At least two clearly labelled waste streams are available throughout the show floor to facilitate recycling, with further sorting backstage (paper, bottles, cans, plastic).
Return of over 80% of event carpeting and padding via GES for cleaning, re-seaming, and repeated reuse before donation.
Badge design eliminates the need for additional badge holders; tickets are integrated with badges instead of printed separately.
Collection and recycling of lanyards and badges using TerraCycle.

IAAPA has partnered with companies that support IAAPA’s sustainability initiatives. The following are some of the key vendors and their sustainability efforts at this year’s Expo.

GES (General Services Contractor)

Encourage exhibitors to use exhibit rental packages, ECO Exhibit Systems+, with custom graphics printed on environmentally friendly and sustainable fabric consisting of up to 100% recycled post-consumer products.
80%+ of all carpeting and padding used at an event returns to the production facility to be cleaned, re-seamed and reused as many times as possible before being donated.
Dark colored speckled booth carpet is recommended for use due to ease of maintenance and cleaning increasing the product life cycle. Carpet and padding are used multiple times, cleaned and stored locally. Carpet with recycled content is also available as an option.
Fabric drape is cleaned and repaired on a regular basis to maximize number of use.
Partnered with the industry leader in event furnishings to provide sustainable, reusable furniture.
Digital platforms optimize ordering process and service delivery as well as reduce paper consumption during the design, planning and execution.
Reusable, modular systems for show and booth structures, lowering carbon emissions from the production and manufacturing process of new materials.
Content banners and graphics printed on 100% reusable post-consumer recycled material as well as single-use recyclable paper are available upon request.
Recommend a more generic content on graphics to increase the opportunity for use year-over-year.
Post and enforce “No Engine Idling” policy in the warehouse and on show site.
Utilize transportation software to increase the efficiency of our fleet and track GES carbon emissions within a destination or region.
Recycle programs at both warehouse and show site based on facility capabilities for cardboard, paper and aluminum.
Printer inks with VOCs (volatile organize compounds) are not used.
Utilize Energy Star electric equipment and power down at night, whenever possible.
Source material and labor locally when possible.
Heavy equipment fueled by electric or propane, unless directed by the facility.

Orange County Convention Center

Renewable Energy - The OCCC’s North-South building houses a 1 MW rooftop solar farm and five on-the-ground solar arrays which offsets an average of 100 kWh of energy use per month.
Building Efficiency - The OCCC incorporates natural lighting from floor-to-ceiling windows and is currently converting to LED lighting throughout concourses, meeting rooms, eating areas and office spaces. During off-show hours, escalators and moving walkways are powered off to conserve energy. During show move-in and move-out, lighting is reduced, and A/C is limited.
Smart Irrigation - 100% reclaimed water is used to irrigate the OCCC's 400-acre campus, and the North-South building utilizes smart irrigation to sense efficient watering.
Waste Reduction - OCCC works with clients and contractors to reduce event waste by 20-25% annually. We strive to increase our annual waste diversion by 3%.
Recycling Receptacles - Our campus is home to over 575 outdoor and indoor landfill & recycling duos at our concourses, meeting rooms, bus stops, outdoor entrances, walkways, and pedestrian bridges. These receptacles were manufactured in the United States using recycled plastic.
Water Bottle Filling Stations - The North-South and West buildings are equipped with multiple water fountains with built-in bottle filling capabilities.
In August, the North-South Building achieved LEED v4.1 O+M recertification at the Platinum level - the highest level awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council and the first Platinum certification in OCCC history.

Sodexo Live! (Catering)

Center-to-Table Gardens - 81 indoor aeroponic grow towers consist of 44 planting spots per tower and produce over 50,000 lettuces and herbs annually.
Food Donations - Donates any unused or surplus of food items to local organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Orlando Union Rescue Mission.
Back of House Compost - Food scraps are collected back-of-house and deposited in designated organic compactors. The OCCC’s organic waste hauler then takes the organic food waste to be processed into nutrient-rich soil.
Cooking Oil Recycling - The recycling of cooking oil ensures that we are properly disposing of such waste. We partner with Brownie’s Septic and Plumbing to pick up and recycle our cooking oil and grease turning it into biodiesel.
Smart Recycling Assistants - implementation of AI Recycling Assistants for centralized zero-touch zero-waste stations that gamify recycling and boost diversion.

PRG (Audio-Visual)

Extensive inventory of efficient LED automated and conventional lights.
Reducing cycle test times on equipment to lower electrical consumption.
Proprietary luminaires like Best Boy(R) and Bad Boy(R) offer high-output and lower power consumption.
PRG's Orlando location means less air and truck transportation.
Repurposing its proprietary luminaries with energy-efficient LED light engines.
Extensive recycling policy including general waste, used equipment, scrap metal from lighting, audio, video and scenic operations, bulbs and expendable items containing potentially hazardous chemicals.
Components include proprietary green products including BAT Truss (compact, lightweight), Series 400 (singular cable/networking for data and power), and Best Boy (high output, low power consumption).