SIA Snow Show Gets Greener

Recycling efforts, community donations and convention center policies make the Snow Show a more sustainable venue to convene the industry

SnowSports Industries America (SIA), the snow sports industry’s member-owned trade association, hosts its annual SIA Snow Show in the Colorado Convention Center (CCC) in Denver — a venue that 1,900+ Trade Show Executive readers recognized as having the Most Innovative Green Initiatives by a Convention Center. The CCC was named the world’s first environmentally sustainable meetings facility in December 2012 by being the first to achieve the APEX/ASTM Environmentally Sustainable Meeting Standards with a focus on waste management, energy conservation, air quality, water quality and conservation, procurement and stakeholder engagement.

“A healthy environment is clearly an important part of the snow sports industry’s success, and SIA wants to make sure the industry’s Show doesn’t detract from it,” said SIA’s trade show director, Debbie Desroches. “Each year we implement green practices before, during and after the Show to reduce the impact of the thousands of people it brings together.”

SIA makes a point to offset the environmental impact of the annual Snow Show. In addition to printing its signs on recycled material and covering the exhibit hall with recycled carpet, the 2013 Snow Show installed compost collection bins at the front and back of the Exhibit Hall. The Show also increased the number of recycling cans around the perimeter of the Exhibit Hall and, with Terramar Sports’ sponsorship, added about 100 recycling cans around the Show Floor. Additionally, all of the computers used for registration were donated to the Colorado Convention Center (CCC), which in turn donates them to local non-profit organizations.

Snow Show attendees have noticed the lobbies flooded with natural light and the CCC’s single-stream recycling, but probably haven’t noticed the convention center’s solar panels that annually offset 280 metric tons of carbon dioxide. The CCC sustainability programs divert 57 percent of waste from landfills, with more than 300,000 pounds donated for reuse or repurposing by various community organizations. The CCC also saved 1.5 million kWh in 2012 by replacing lighting, hot water pumps and air handler units.

“The nice thing about level-one certification is that it only requires-cost neutral action. It is mostly allowing you to identify your impact and make reduction goals,” said Lindsay Arell, CCC sustainability programs manager said of the venue’s sustainable certification. “Then I can look back and see the positive result. Hopefully this will spur more action with even more positive results.”

Visit the Snow Show website for more information about the Show’s sustainability efforts.

– SIA –

Celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2014, SnowSports Industries America (SIA) is a non-profit member-owned trade association with a long history of working to support the snow sports industry. SIA works year-round with North American snow sports suppliers, retailers, reports, reps and service providers to develop products and programs for their individual and collective business needs. With member support and industry participation, SIA annually hosts the industry’s largest core winter sports trade show, the SIA Snow Show, along with the On-Snow Demo/Ski-Ride Fest and the Sourcing Snow supplier show. SIA also helps retailers and resorts connect with snow sports participants around the country through Snowlink.com. Learn more at Snowsports.org.