CTIA Wireless 2008 goes almost green

* Author: Bill Detwiler

I’ve been attending tech conferences from the past 10 years and have always been dumbfounded by the mountains of paper these events waste. I would wager most of the show guides, press releases, product brochures, and expo floor maps end up in a landfill instead of being recycled. Yet as the “green movement” gains support in the corporate world, many businesses and organizations are at least trying to reduce their waste output.


CTIA Wireless 2008 - Goes Green

At CTIA Wireless 2008, conference attendees were asked to join the green effort by placing old show badges, unwanted show materials, and even old cell phones in collection bins placed around the Las Vegas Convention Center. Beyond getting attendees involved, CTIA touted their own green initiatives, such as printing materials on recycled paper, switching to a single-piece badge instead of a three-piece design, encouraging exhibitors to deliver material electronically, and even asking the convention facility to use biodegradable materials in the concession areas.

CTIA Wireless 2008 - Recycling Centers

I’m glad CTIA is making an effort to reduce wastes and recycle, but I think they’re missing at least one opportunity to lessen their environmental impact–stop printing the massive CTIA Show Program and Directory. Even if the show guide is printed on recycled paper, I would imagine that most will end up in the trash bin and not a recycling center.

CTIA Wireless 2008 - Show Program and Directory

I didn’t have a chance to weigh the CTIA Wireless 2008 tome, but I didn’t carry it back on my flight because I was worried it would put my checked bag over the airline’s weight limit. And, there was no way I was carrying it back on my shoulder. Does the guide really need to be this large? I now the book is an advertising opportunity for exhibitors and show sponsors, but aren’t there more effective ways to interact with attendees?

If CTIA wants my advice for improving their green initiative, here are my suggestions for next year’s Show Program and Directory: