At its Vision Barcelona conference in November, Symantec diverted 55 percent of the waste away from landfills. "Visible, colored bins really stand out when you see them all around the venue, and they help our attendees recycle correctly," says Claudia van't Hullenaar, principal specialist for Symantec global event marketing.
Sustainability can carry over from one event to another. Intel created 400 messenger bags from large vinyl banners that had been used at a 2010 conference. The bags became giveaways at future Intel events and some were donated to schools, saving 5,500 square feet of material from landfills. "We do re-purpose other signage. The trick is to not date your material," says Lou Cozzo, Intel's corporate event marketing manager.
