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"Go Green" Expo Gets You Thinking
The trendy phrase "think green" has really gone mainstream thanks to the first ever Go Green Expo that recently hit the Big Apple at The Hilton Hotel in midtown. The eco-friendly event successfully introduced thousands of city slickers to more than 250 exhibitors from environmentally friendly services and products. One highlight included Bazaar del al Paz, a retailer that creates one of kind modern home furnishings crafted from salvaged and reclaimed tropical hardwoods in Indonesia and not to mention Simply Young, a refining spray by Belegenza who claims the product is an effective organic alternative to Botox. Attendees also witnessed a slithering live display of Worm Java, an appropriately named fertilizer concoction that acts like caffeine for plant life. Basically, it's fancy plant food that "promises to make up what your plants aren't getting." Go Green founder and CEO Bradford Rand conceived the idea for an eco-friendly Expo after watching former Vice President Al Gore's film, An Inconvenient Truth. Rand was thrilled to see the Expo come alive and attract such a massive turnout, "We had nearly 10,000 people participate. There was a lot of energy and electricity and more importantly we helped educate New Yorkers on thousands of non-toxic alternatives for make-up, soap, clothing and furniture."
Several speakers showcased how they maintain a more green business. Con Edison contributed by offering to pay for their customers' admission into the event if they elected to switch their service to wind power. The Expo also featured an Eco Film Festival, which premiered several films including, the Sundance 2008 Audience Winner, Fields of Fuel. The director, Josh Tickell, was on hand for a post Q & A to a sold out crowd.
The two-day event kicked off the with a black tie, gala awards dinner that benefited The Riverkeeper Foundation. What was for dinner? Thanks to Racheal Ray who created the organic menu, guests feasted on an array of entrees including Tomato Cucumber salad, Lemon Poppy Chicken with Sweet Pea and and Mint Couscous, Sea Bass in an Herb Butter and Roasted Pasta Alla Norma.
The festivities honored several Eco-industry leaders including Chief Executive of Riverkeeper, Alex Matthiessen; CNN Correspondent Anderson Cooper (accepted via satellite); Publisher of Ogden Publishing, Bryan Welch; US House of Representatives Congressman Steve Israel; David Bach, author of The Automatic Millionaire & Go Green: Live Rich; CEO of Discovery Communications, David Zaslav; Founder of Tree Hugger, Graham Hill; Founder of Live Earth, Kevin Wall; President of Live Earth, Nina Guralnick; and CEO of Con Edison, Kevin Burke.
The environmentally conscious guest list including actress Sissy Spacek, Wayne Wilcox, Summer Rayne Oakes, Barlow Jacobs, Robert Kennedy III, Lauren Bush and David Lauren sat front row as "America's Next Top Model" judge and fashion photographer Nigel Barker emceed an eco-friendly fashion show. Lydia Hearst and Keira Chaplin were just a few eco-clad models that strutted down the green catwalk and showcased the debut of Maggie Norris Couture's Eco-Couture Collection. Plus, there were 12 authentic explorers who walked the runway, including Dr. David Gallo who actually co-led an exploration of RMS Titanic. If you missed the Go Green Expo, log onto gogreenexpo.com and discover exciting new ways to lead a greener lifestyle and then gear up to participate in the show next year in NYC and expanding to Los Angeles, Georgia, Texas and Connecticut.
Entertainment & Feature Correspondent, Director, Writer and Executive Producer, Gina Glickman can be seen on News 12 Long Island and log onto hamptons.com for more celebrity action with Gina, on "Main Street" series.
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