HD Expo is Green, Sustainable, and Eco-friendly

i have been looking forward to writing here again but have been busy with hd expo in vegas last week. it's one of the largest expos and conferences for the hospitality industry with over 1,000 exhibitors available over 3 days as well as numerous panels, workshops, networking opportunities and award ceremonies. their sold out 'green day' was a good indication that more and more of the industry is serious about greening their properties. there were also many more vendors this year who offered sustainable and eco-friendly products covering many categories like fabric, furniture, lighting, carpets, flooring, tile, countertops and even beams!

for my first day of hd expo in vegas, i participated in part of 'green day' which concluded with a cocktail reception offering organic beer from mothership and samuel smiths and sustainably farmed wine from benton lane. the party highlighted some green hospitality products including a chair upholstered in valley forge fabric. i love how they paired a somewhat elegant-patterned and textured fabric with the organic and more casual look of kirei. it was the first time i heard about valley forge fabrics and i'm so glad i learned about them. they are the largest supplier of fabric for the hospitality industry. in 2007, they established a company-wide program called FRESH which stands for 'fabrics redefining environmental standards (for) hospitality'. per their website, their fabrics are "synthetic yarns derived from post-industrial and post-consumer recycled products which are made at a low impact manufacturing platform. FRESH fabrics are 100% recycled content - no blends. because of their unique construction, FRESH fabrics are recyclable and there is an established reclamation service that will transport FRESH fabrics to a recycling facility at the end of their life cycle. way to go valley forge!

the cool material on the arms is kirei board which is an engineered panel product made form the stalks of the sorghum plant. after harvesting these plants for food around the world, the stalks are heat-pressed with a non-toxic adhesive to form lightweight and strong panels.

many other companies presented wonderful green options like the natural carpet company who has perhaps the largest selection of natural fiber carpets including bamboo fibers which produce very soft finishes. they also teamed up with the prestigious wynn designer, roger thomas, to create elegant, unique carpet designs.

earlier that 'green day', we discussed the importance of green interior elements. even though a building or space may be deemed green and/or have earned plenty of LEED points, it is still important to include as many green interior elements as possible. we agreed that it's silly to create a green structure that allows a guest to inhale toxic cleaning products or off-gassing from interior materials. fortunately there were plenty of vendors at hd expo with beautiful options for sustainable or eco-friendly products.

stay tuned for more treasures from hd expo including a group of artists and craftsmen from whales!