Sustainability Mandate

Prioritizing sustainability is critical to the BUILDEX team, and our parent company Informa as we realize our events cause environment impact. BUILDEX, is striving to identify, understand, and address these impacts to achieve continual improvement year after year. Our areas of focus continue to be: waste management, energy and water conservation and community engagement.

Climate Smart Certified

In 2020 Informa Canada Vancouver, the parent company of BUILDEX proudly become Climate Smart Certified!

The training provided by Climate Smart allowed our team to identify and analyze our events greenhouse gas emissions and design practical solutions within our community.  In addition to the measures outlined below, these solutions complement Informa’s Faster Forward initiative to become carbon neutral by the beginning of the year 2025 and a Zero Carbon and Zero Waste company by the beginning of the year 2030.

Progress Made

  • Replaced all single use plastic with China service and compostable ware.
  • Increased our waste diversion rate by 20% in the past two years.
  • Completely eliminate paper showguides in 2021 keeping over 10,000+ physical showguides out of waste receptacles.
  • In 2020, 60% of BUILDEX educational content provided a form of sustainable guidance to the market professionals.

Waste Diversion

  • Regular communications to exhibitors assisting them to shift to more sustainable practices.
  • Back of house materials sorting to maximize waste diverted from the landfill.
  • Designated cardboard and soft plastics drop off areas allowing larger recycling capture for move-in/out.
  • A 3-bin systems (recycle, compost, landfill) are placed throughout the show floor.
  • In 2020 BUILDEX diverted 3,028kg of waste out of landfills by use of recycling and compost. That is 45% of all our show waste- with an aim to up this to 65% by 2022.

Venue Support

  • Vancouver Convention Centre is a double LEED platinum certified facility.
  • Housing a six-acre living roof featuring more than 400,000 indigenous plant and grasses the VCC’s roof is designed to act as an insulator, reducing heat gains in the summer and heat losses in the winter.
  • Their modern black water treatment plant recycles grey and black water that goes back into the building for washrooms use and rooftop irrigation during warmer weather.
  • A diversion of 75% of the total internal waste generated, this includes batteries, lighting ballasts, wood, organics, metal, glass, plastic and much more.
  • For more information on Vancouver Convention Centre sustainability initiatives click hereFor more information on Vancouver Convention Centre sustainability initiatives click here.

Energy/Water/Carbon

  • Energy consumption is measured and monitored on the show floor during BUILDEX.
  • HVAC used on a “need” basis only during move in/move out.
  • Overhead Lighting on exhibition floor are all energy efficient LEDs. Lighting levels are set to 50% during move in/move out, and less than 50% during event hours.
  • Heat is turned off during move-in and out.
  • Enforcement of non-idling ordinance of 5 minutes or less for suppliers and exhibitors.
  • BC Carbon Offsets were purchased to create a carbon neutral event at BUILDEX Vancouver 2020.

Community Engagement

  • Partnership with Habitat for Humanity to support their charitable action with the donation of our coat check revenue.
  • 70% of our speakers are active members of the local holistic construction industry in the Lower Mainland.

Exhibitor Sustainability

Think Sustainably and consider these 5 points when creating your booth:

  1.  Reduce physical handouts and “swag”. Instead use QR codes and technology to provide information electronically. (If you must print paper products — use recycled paper)
  2. Reuse and Recycle. Consider using booth material & signage that can be reused year after year. (Exclude specific dates or locations)
  3. Avoid materials such as foam, plastic, and chemicals or adhesives.
  4. Use energy efficient LED lights whenever possible to highlight areas and products within your booth, while keeping energy consumption minimal.
  5. During Move-In/Move Out ensure you utilize the cardboard & hard/soft plastic recycling bins. (If elements of your display cannot be recycled — consider donating re-usable material to companies like Habitat for Humanity)

Attendee Sustainability Tips

  1. Download your badge on your phone — this eliminates use for a badge or lanyard on site.
  2. Download the show app — new in 2021 this replaces a physical show guide.
  3. Take public transit or carpool to the event whenever possible. The Vancouver Convention Centre is conveniently located beside the SeaBus and Waterfront Station.