Just like the old “fern bars” of my early days when, “What’s your sign?” was a frequently asked question, the newest version of this opening line for sustainable planners may be about your venue’s diversion rate. You know, the amount of waste diverted from the landfill during/after an event.

If you can’t answer at least 40%, you won’t be rockin’ the new Level One APEX/ASTM Standards for Exhibits. That’s right, the Level One requirement is a minimum 40% diversion rate for the show floor. This question is a sure thing, because the planner is required to include this request in the RFP, in their contract and then prove it happened.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.