To showcase its new Delivered GrEAn program, EA Logistics, a pioneer in eco-friendly shipping, has announced that it will help 'green' one of the nation’s largest glamour industry trade shows by offsetting all shipping-related carbon emissions. The America’s Beauty Show takes place at Chicago’s McCormick Place March 1- 3, 2008, and is one of Tradeshow Week’s Top 200 shows, attended by nearly 50,000 beauty professionals.

'By providing free carbon offsets to our customers shipping in and out of the show, we are helping green one of the dirtiest but necessary facets of the trade show industry - CO2 emissions from freight,' said Mike Ellis, president of EA Logistics. To date, Delivered GrEAn has been offered by EA Logistics as a free option for eco-conscious customers. EA Logistics is taking the unprecedented step of securing carbon offsets across-the-board for all its customers at America’s Beauty Show.

'Our goal is to demonstrate the value of the service and accelerate adoption of carbon neutral freight in the trade show industry,' said Ellis, who estimates EA Logistics will offset approximately 50 truckloads of freight, sequestering an estimated 150 metric tons of CO2. The company also plans expand the program to other leading trade shows in 2008 on an industry-by-industry basis.

An established freight forwarder with a specialized Expo & Event Services division, EA Logistics developed Delivered GrEAn to help customers offset the carbon generated during shipping. 'Although it’s important to reduce carbon emissions to the greatest possible extent by reducing the amount of materials and buying locally, a certain amount of shipping is unavoidable. We wanted to offer our customers an easy, practical way to address this problem that doesn’t add any extra cost,' said Ellis. As a preferred carrier for the beauty, spa and cosmetology industry conventions, EA Logistics also handled significant volumes of freight for the International Salon and Spa Expo and the Beauty Revolution shows that recently took place in Southern California.

Trade shows and conventions have recently been cited as a leading source of pollution and waste, and show organizers and exhibitors are increasingly concerned about green exhibiting. Transportation of trade show displays and materials contributes significantly to an event’s carbon footprint. A typical trade show can generate as much as 25 truckloads of freight, releasing hundreds of metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere. With thousands of conventions, expos and trade shows taking place each year, the impact associated with moving freight alone can be staggering. A recent survey by EXHIBITOR magazine indicated that more than 80% of exhibitors plan to spend on green products and services in the coming year.

Through Delivered GrEAn, EA Logistics computes emissions for each shipment based on distance, weight and mode of transportation and offsets 100% of these emissions by purchasing carbon credits from Carbonfund.org, which then invests the funds in renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. After the shipment has been Delivered GrEAn, the shipper gets a receipt documenting the amount of CO2 that has been offset, which can be addressed to the client or the client’s customer. The program can be further tailored to fit the specific needs of booth builders, exhibitors, show management companies, general contractors and associations.

In addition to providing carbon offsets, EA Logistics also works to reduce pollution by using bio-diesel fuels in its trucks and adopting other eco-friendly practices in its business. Because of their environmental track record, EAL was also chosen to provide freight services for Stetson Exhibition Services in support of the US Green Building Council’s Green Build International Conference and Expo. EA Logistics was also named as Official Freight Carrier for Chicago’s celebrated 'Cool Globes' public art program in 2007.

EA Logistics is a domestic and international freight forwarder with a stand-alone division specializing exclusively in event and tradeshow freight. The company provides personalized service 24 / 7 / 365 via ground, air and ocean modes. EA Logistics handles transport for displays, provides official carrier support with on-site representation, moves caravans and offers complete warehousing services and delivers a full menu of trade show specific freight solutions. Whether the shipment is a small single shipment or multiple truckloads, EA Logistics has the depth of resources to cover transportation needs of independent businesses as well as large public companies.