Green is the Way to Go
At SF Mart Green Show, Design Leaders and Visionary Thinkers
Inspire Designers, Retailers
SAN FRANCISCO, California, September 27, 2007 /San Francisco Mart/ -- How does an entrepreneur, capitalist and self-described industrialist become a pioneer of corporate responsibility? Ray Anderson, chairman and founder of Interface, recounted his company’s profitable sustainable journey during closing remarks of the San Francisco Mart’s Live Green, Live Well sustainable furnishings + design show last week.
The “recovering plunderer” inspired attendees with his story of “doing well by doing good”, and thus was the intention of several hundred sustainable designers, educators and manufacturers as they converged upon Live Green, Live Well, the industry’s first trade fair solely dedicated to eco-friendly furnishings and design.
Attendees immersed themselves in educational sessions and availed themselves of the expertise of the presenters as well as of the exhibitors. Bio-mimicry, bau-biologie, cradle-to-cradle, indoor air quality, life-cycle assessment, rapidly renewable, triple bottom line and volatile organic compounds were just some of the lexicon explained by experts in the field. Attendees asked insightful questions as they learned about green certifications, processes and products. In essence, they discovered innovative and practical ways to incorporate sustainability into their design projects and retail showrooms.
“At the San Francisco Mart, we want to encourage designers and retailers to enrich their own eco-consciousness, and that of their clients and customers, by familiarizing them with green products and practices,” says Roseann Carini, the SF Mart’s general manager. “Compared with related industries, such as architecture and building products, the home furnishings component is in its infancy, yet demand is reaching an extraordinary level, especially in Northern California.”
In keeping with the eco-conscious nature of the show, the San Francisco Mart availed itself of the wealth of local expertise More than half of the presenters were from California, while 75 percent of exhibitors derived from California, thus reducing the show’s carbon imprint.
Ten highly informative educational sessions were co-sponsored by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID). Speakers included:
- Ray Anderson – Chairman & Founder of Interface, Inc.
- David Bergman – LEED-AP; principal, David Bergman Architects/Fire & Water Lighting; Instructor, Parsons School of Design
- Gerry Cooklin - CEO & Chairman, South Cone; Founder & Chairman, Sustainable Furniture Council
- Lydia Corser – USGBC, ADPSR, NKBA, CKD; Principal, Eco Interiors
- Deborah Dunning – founder & CEO, The Green Standard.org
- Rowena Finnegan - Certified Bau Biologist, Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC); Owner, Eco-terric
- Eric Corey Freed – LEED-AP, USGBC, ADPSR; Principal, organicARCHITECT
- Nicholas Greene - BBP, LEED-AP, CGBP; Design Consultant, Eco-terric
- Jennifer Roberts – LEED-AP; Author of Good Green Kitchens
- Victoria Schomer – ASID, AIA, LEED-AP; Principal, Green Built Environments
- Annette Stelmack – Allied ASID, USGBC; Proprietor, INSPIRIT; Former Design Director, Associates III
The exhibitors at Live Green, Live Well had the extraordinary opportunity to connect with sustainability-minded professionals who drive the market for products. Nearly 40 exhibitors proudly displayed their high-quality, beautiful and environmentally-friendly products, which included organically constructed furniture and upholstery, natural & organic bedding, hand-made Tibetan wool carpets, recycled and refurbished lighting, hardwood flooring and carpet made from rapidly renewable and recyclable materials, and home accents made from post-consumer glass.
Exhibitors included Beronio Lumber, Blue Plum Designs, Books Inc., Brand Kitchens & Design, Ceramic Tile Design, Danmer Custom Shutters, Decima Island Designs, EA Designs, Eco-terric, eGO Vehicles, Falcon Waterfree, Fire & Light, FLOR, Foamorder.com, French Brothers, Go Green Candles, Green Home Center, Green Light, Gustave Carlson Design, Kaaya, Knu, Liberty Valley Doors, Magnolia Lane, New Pacific Direct, NextEnergy, NOOD Flooring, Pacific Gas & Electric, Padma’s Plantation, Palacek, PermLight, Peti Antik, Pixel Organics, SF Department of Environment, S-D-H, Sherwin-Williams, South Cone, Sustainable Furniture Council, Sustainable Spaces and Zipcar San Francisco.
Plans for next year’s show are already in the works. Dates are set for September 17 & 18, 2008. “We intend to deliver an even bigger and better show in 2008,” says Carini. “We want to be a catalyst in green design by bringing eco-minded manufacturers and customers together, providing a dedicated forum for socially responsible commerce to flourish.”
The San Francisco Mart is one of Northern California's premier wholesale design centers. Built in 1937 as the home of the Western Merchandise Exchange, the historic art-deco building continues to serve as a home furnishings and home accents center open to the trade only. Conveniently located in San Francisco’s Civic Center area, the SF Mart is situated close to freeways, public transit, major hotels, restaurants and other attractions. For information, visit www.sfmart.com or call .
Source: San Francisco Mart
CONTACT: Ellen Hall
Website: www.sfmart.com
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