iHollywood Forum begins today its second annual “Hollywood Goes Green” conference held this December 8-9, 2008 at the Hilton Universal in Los Angeles. The high profile conference, addressing environmental issues in entertainment and media, will host more than 40 speakers and 35 sponsors and exhibitors. The exhibit floor features cool products and services based on environmental innovation. The opening night reception on Dec. 8 includes a wine tasting party and reception hosted by the Mendocino Winegrape and Wine Commission from 6pm-9pm, featuring a variety of wines from the Mendocino region.
“GM is pleased to be the title sponsor of Hollywood Goes Green for the second year,” said Dave Barthmuss, Environment & Energy Communications Manager at General Motors. “Our goal is to show the entertainment industry what GM is doing to reinvent the automobile and our company by quickly moving toward all sorts of electrically-driven products. We’re excited to display the Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid, and offer attendees a chance to test drive the new Saturn Vue 2 mode hybrid and the emissions-free, petroleum-free Chevy Equinox electric fuel cell vehicle.”
“While celebrities have long been environmental activists, studios and production companies have been cautious about adopting the green philosophy as it applies to their business operations,” says Zahava Stroud, President and Co-founder of iHollywood. “Today, during an economic slowdown, implementing sustainable solutions is a necessity within global entertainment business operations to improve profitability. Studios and broadcast networks are committing resources to reducing their carbon footprint across the board in entertainment production, distribution, and marketing.”
“We attract entertainment pros from business, creative, production, tech, talent, facilities, programming, business affairs, and finance to learn how Hollywood can increase its profitability and plan a meaningful sustainable strategy,” said Stroud.
An opening panel features Hollywood executives discussing how studios and broadcast networks are implementing sustainable and environmental strategies across their business operations. Beth Colleton, Vice President, “Green Is Universal” (GIU), NBC Universal, said, “I’m pleased that for the second year, NBC is participating in Hollywood Goes Green. We believe that Hollywood can use its influence to raise environmental awareness, activate consumers to protect the environment, and incorporate eco-friendly practices in our daily operations. This event shows how Hollywood’s sustainable initiatives can join in the commitment of corporate America.”
As an example of topics addressed at the conference, Away We Go, Focus Features’ upcoming contemporary comedy from Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes, substantially reduced its carbon emissions and environmental impacts during production earlier this year. As part of a pilot project, initiated by Green Media Solutions and Earthmark, with the support of Green Is Universal, the production team implemented stringent sustainability guidelines to determine how green a production could become if sustainable practices were observed across four key areas: Energy, Transportation, Construction/Set Materials and Waste.
They pioneered the use of biodiesel fuels in location vehicles and generators, replaced standard automobiles with hybrids wherever possible, avoided using tens of thousands of plastic bottles by distributing reusable aluminum water bottles to cast and crew, and redirected 49% of their waste away from landfills into recycling and composting. Their carbon emissions reductions and other environmental achievements were monitored and evaluated by the bi-coastal team from Green Media Solutions, and the results were verified by scientists from Terra Choice Environmental of Ottawa, Canada.
The details of their efforts are illustrated in the report being released today, “Away We Go: A Pilot Study of Sustainable Film Production Practices” at the Hollywood Goes Green conference in Los Angeles. The initiative was spearheaded by Executive Producer Mari Jo Winkler and Focus Features VP of Physical Production Jane Evans, in collaboration with New York-based partners in Green Media Solutions, Meredith Bergmann and Katie Carpenter. For a copy of the report, please go to www.greenmediasolutions.net or contact Mollie Zipkin at mtz@greenmediasolutions.net.
To view the entire agenda and sponsors, visit: www.hollywoodgoesgreen.com
About iHollywood Forum, Inc.™
Founded in 2000, Los Angeles-based iHollywood Forum, Inc. produces roundtables and business summits about Hollywood, business and technology. The summits attract a diverse mix of Hollywood and technology executives, entrepreneurs, technology executives, attorneys and others to learn and make deals in an intimate environment. Sessions are moderated by top journalists and analysts.
