How ‘Green’ is CEDIA Expo 2009?

Can a trade show focusing on home electronics be green? CEDIA is certainly trying.

CEDIA Expo 2009, being held this week in Atlanta, has made some green initiatives such as eliminating paper from educational course guides.

According to the organization, last year CEDIA saved more than 10,000 pounds of paper by reducing print quantities, 9,000 of which was saved by moving to a paperless format for the CEDIA University course participant guides.

CEDIA is again offering its participants a chance to offset their carbon emissions from travel by donating $5 to the CarbonFund.org. Last year's CEDIA member donations went towards CarbonFund.org's reforestation projects.

There are bound to be more green electronics at the Expo, and CEDIA will mark the signs of companies exhibiting green products with a green icon (see above) in the showfloor pocket map, exhibitor signage, and the show directory.

There are two green sessions available to participants. "Getting into Green: Understanding LEED and Green Building Programs" is a three-hour course held on Thursday morning with a detailed discussion of each green building program and where custom electronics installers can make a direct impact on projects.

A free, three-hour Thursday afternoon panel discussion on "How to Make Money and a Difference in the Green Building Industry" will discuss opportunities as well as the threats in green building. Participants from various backgrounds include architects, builders, and CEDIA member companies with extensive experience in this type of project.

For more information on the courses, go here.