6.05.2008 - 02:01pm ET

Register to attend FREE Virtual Energy Forum (June 10-11) can watch and engage with John Kerry, Newt Gingrich and Energy Experts from leading companies, LIVE over the Web

(CSRwire) BOSTON,MA.,AND THE WORLD WEB - June 5, 2008 - The Virtual Energy Forum,the world's first-ever, online-only event focused on energy and sustainability, today announced that registrants of next week's Web event (June 10-11, 2008) are already saving 6,800,000 lbs of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in airplane, hotel and automobile emissions by attending this event. It is anticipated that more than 10,000,000 lbs of CO2 emissions will have been saved by the end of the Forum.

The Virtual Energy Forum calculated this estimate of how its event will yield massive energy savings and a significant carbon footprint reduction through its partnership with CO2Stats.com.


See how the estimate was reached at: http://www.co2stats.com/veforum/calc.php


In comparison, the US Green Building Council's 2004 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo generated 8 million lbs. of carbon dioxide pollution with 7,700 attendees, used 600,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, 29,000 therms of gas, and resulted in 11.6 million air-travel and 478,000 vehicle miles.

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (January 2008 in Las Vegas) emissions from hotels, guest rooms, freight, exhibit sites, and shuttle buses totaled an estimated 20,000 metric tons of CO2. This figure doesn’t include the added impact of air and car travel to and from the show of its 140,000 attendees and representatives of the 2,700 exhibiting companies.

"There are an estimated 15,000 'green events' currently going on, or upcoming in the near future," said Robert Rosenbloom, CEO of PlatformQ, producer of The Virtual Energy Forum and other online-only events. "Rather than conduct yet another energy-hungry physical event that purports to be 'green', the Virtual Energy Forum will be the first truly energy-efficient, mass gathering on the subject of energy."

According to a December 2007 article in Tradeshow Week Magazine, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers that "tradeshows and conventions represent the second most wasteful industry in the United States" (after construction).

With Trade Show Executive Magazine recently estimating the average cost of a business trip in 2008 at $1,110, and with the price of oil and gasoline at an all time high, and its trickle down impact on the skyrocketing costs of travel, lodging, running and participating in a conventional real-world convention—online-only events are increasingly attractive.

In an business environment where saving money and resources while proactively pursuing "green" initiatives and operations are imperative—online events deliver a double bottom-line benefit—helping profitability and the environment at the same time.

The Forum's virtual nature will allow an online conclave of energy experts, never before assembled. These include keynote speakers John Kerry, Newt Gingrich and energy advisors to Barack Obama and John McCain; as well as innovators (from organizations including HP, Harvard, SAIC, Microsoft, Volvo, and the Department of Energy) who will share best practices for energy efficiency, Green IT, cleantech and sustainability.
See: http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release.do?id=864817

The Virtual Energy Forum's innovative online format supports the conference's focus on energy efficiency and enables carbon-friendly interpersonal interactions that aren't possible in the physical world:

• A virtual exhibit floor and virtual booths featuring over leading technology product and service providers including: Cimetrics, Constellation NewEnergy, Delta Controls, Environmental Advantage Law LLPC, Lynxspring, MagnaRay, NSTAR, Reliable Controls, Siemens, Site Controls, Sofame, SunTechnics, Tioga Energy, and UTC Power.
  
• Live chat among attendees and exhibitors, with the opportunity to easily exchange contact information and collect materials in a virtual briefcase
  
• Live streaming video presentations from more than 30 alternative energy thought leaders - with the opportunity for attendees to ask questions of these experts and interact with them in real-time.
  
• The interactive sessions are arranged into five thematic tracks:
  1) Corporate Sustainability, 2) Investing in Green Energy, 3) Energy Management Best Practices, 4) Green IT, and 5) Putting Renewable Energies to Work.

For more information please contact:

Commitment to Transparency: This organization is committed to transparency and stakeholder dialogue and encourages your comments and feedback.

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