The American Wind Energy Association typically incorporates a community service project into its annual Windpower conference and exhibition, since giving back to the event’s host community aligns with the association’s focus on sustainability and renewable materials. For this year’s event, which wraps up today at the Orange County Convention Center, organizers took a new approach: they partnered with an Orlando nonprofit to put a community service activity right on the show floor.
“The primary reason people come to Windpower is to network with each other, so what a great opportunity to network and do something good for the community at the same time,” said Jana Adams, the association’s senior vice president of member value and experience. Adams said the strategy also has benefits for exhibitors. “The audience is going in a million directions. So any time we can come up with unique ways to draw people in and keep them anchored in the hall, that will hopefully add some value for exhibitors as well.”
Organizers are hoping attendees will assemble 9,000 kits for Clean the World, an Orlando-based nonprofit that collects and recycles soap, shampoo, lotion, and other hygiene products from hotels and manufacturers and then distributes them to homeless shelters in the United States as well as to developing countries. Attendees could stop by the station in the back corner of the exhibit hall between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day to assemble the kits.
“It’s toward the back, so it keeps people moving through the exhibit hall and gives a reason for people to get to the different corners of the hall,” Adams said.
This is the first time Windpower is taking place in Florida. More than 7,000 industry buyers, suppliers, and researches are attending the event to learn about the latest products and topics related to wind energy.
