Created in 2009, Pepcom celebrated Earth Day with its second annual EcoFocus event by inviting over 50 technology companies to showcase the latest in green technology at the Metropolitan Pavilion in downtown Manhattan.
The invitation-only event welcomed over 300 journalists and featured exhibits from technology heavyweights such as Hewlett Packard, Sony, Phillips and many others. Attendees were greeted with eco-friendly gift bags at the entrance and an open upscale buffet and martini bar, which served as an immediate exhibit for those who experienced a long workday.
“Yea, I’m here to see the latest green technology, but coming from work, the bar is looking good right now [laughs],” said Evolve Media Group’s Marketing Director Keith Curtain.
Once settled, reporters walked across the Pavilion and discussed the latest products and technological advancements from the several exhibits on display.
Making a second trip to EcoFocus, President of ZipGoesGreen.com, Michael Aaron discussed the importance of the Earth Day event. “This is a cool event—the notion of where sustainability and the environment meet—or rather where sustainability and technology meet. And that’s just an interesting idea to explore in terms of product development,” said Aaron.
Aaron’s latest project, 3D Bottles, are bottles that contain a hidden “hologram-like sequence in 3D,” which come to life when placed in front of any webcam. Definitely one of the show’s more interesting, yet bizarre products.
Sony’s Marketing Manager Brad Parker was pleased with his first trip as well to EcoFocus, and pushed the electronic company’s latest Vaio netbook eco-lineup.
“This is my first time at the event. We’ve definitely come this year with a strong line-up. Our spring lineup is 100% eco-friendly and energy saving ready,” said Parker.
One of the more popular exhibits, Sony’s Vaio W-Series combines top-notch netbook features with eco-friendly casing. “23% of the palm-rest and exterior utilize recycled cd/dvd debris waste,” said Parker. In addition, the green netbook is sold with it’s own recycled carrying case.
This year’s EcoFocus embodied the significance of Earth Day and proved how both the event and green technology have evolved, and will continue to as time progresses.
“Technology is enabling and empowering. If you can integrate technology into a green product, you can make it more effective and more interesting…it makes for a better product,” said Aaron.
—Alejandro Bracetti