Frequently Asked Questions

GreenBiz will bring together nearly 2,500 corporate sustainable professionals and leaders including executives working in sustainability, corporate responsibility, impact, net zero, reporting, environmental health and safety, communications and more. Bring your team, department or organization up to speed on the latest sustainable business trends. 79% of attendees are manager-level or above. Nearly 50% of attendees are from companies with annual revenue of $1B+.

Past attendees have included:

This year, we’re doing things a little differently. Our team is doing two things we believe will better serve you, our favorite attendees and fellow practitioners. 

1. Sharing a first look at top-of-mind sessions earlier than usual. This allows you to help us identify content gaps and attend an event that reflects what you truly want and need. By developing early content before the speaker nomination process opens in August, we can focus our time on creating the most impactful and community-driven sessions.
2. Shortening the nomination window to 3 weeks and speeding up the response time.  

These shifts allow us to be more intentional in curating timely, relevant and diverse content — and give us more time to connect with the people and ideas shaping the future of sustainable business.

This change also helps us focus our energy where it matters most: thoughtful conversations with those doing impactful work.

If you want to nominate an idea for a topic or speaker after seeing our program highlights, we’ll have a form available in early August. The application window and review process will be shortened from prior years. We are focusing more time on sourcing speakers from our networks, and we want you to have ample time to plan ahead. See you at GreenBiz 26!

Our analyst team architects our event mainstage speakers. You can pitch keynote speakers and topics in the speaker nomination window ~6 months before the event. 

For Trellis Events, we do two things a little differently than others:

1. Engage the attention of the live audience with a series of short, punchy keynote talks over 90 minutes. 
2. All speakers earn their mainstage speaking opportunity – we don’t accept sponsorship. 

Our most powerful keynote talks connect with the audience by making us think or feel, often by sparking curiosity, introducing new perspectives and sharing candid, authentic truths with personal and/or professional relevance to our core audience of corporate sustainability practitioners. 

• We have an open call for speakers ~6 months before the event. We read each entry and move forward with the proposals that match our audience needs. 
• We prioritize corporate sustainability practitioners leading initiatives within companies. 
• We prioritize diverse voices across sectors, regions, titles and backgrounds. 
• We also consider integrators, end-users, or market experts serving the business sector.
• We very rarely accept speaker nominations for product and service providers, consultants, developers and those with sales and business development roles.

Due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we will respond only to nominations that we are interested in pursuing. If we are interested in pursuing your nomination, we will be in touch by October 1.

 Speaking isn’t the only way to participate meaningfully in our events. Service providers can:

• Attend and network with corporate practitioners and peers
• Participate in closed door discussions with key attendee segments through private meals 
• Connect with our team about customized sponsorship opportunities to elevate your brand, execute targeted networking and craft custom convenings tailored to your organization’s goals and budget

Ready to explore ways to connect and engage with the Trellis audience? Contact sponsorships@trellis.net to discuss how we can work together.

Service providers include companies that offer third-party services to help clients plan, execute, measure or communicate their sustainability efforts, such as:

• Consulting firms and specialized agencies
• Legal or policy advisors focused on sustainability regulations
• Technology vendors offering ESG, carbon management or sustainability solutions
• Auditors and verification bodies
• Sustainability research or data providers
• Other professional service organizations selling into the corporate sustainability market

Volunteer roles include but are not limited to on-site registration support, A/V assistance, breakout session managing, and door monitoring. Shifts range from 4-5 hours each, and you are required to perform 2. When you are not volunteering, you will have access to the full conference, except for field trips. Please note that your overnight accommodations, transportation, and anything not listed above is your responsibility and is not covered by Trellis.

Learn more and apply!

It’s our priority to ensure that our event operations reflect the same values we promote at our conferences – from minimizing and diverting our waste to strategically planning our menus to partnering with innovative organizations who share our goals, we put sustainability at the forefront of the conference planning process. Explore some of our programs and partnerships below to learn more about what exactly we’re doing to live by our values. If you’re interested in sustainability partnership opportunities, reach out to <a href=“mailto:jessica@trellis.net”>jessica@trellis.net</a>

Mitigating our Carbon Footprint with CNaught

Trellis is exclusively partnering with CNaught to mitigate the carbon footprint of their four largest conferences with their diversified portfolio of high-integrity carbon credits, designed in partnership with Calyx Global.

The portfolio includes Calyx Global A-rated avoided emissions credits and B+-rated nature-based removal credits. Each project produces credits in the top 10% of Calyx-Global-rated credits for greenhouse gas integrity and has been subject to an Environmental and Social Risk screening designed to surface non-carbon risks.

Calculating our Carbon Footprint with Workiva

Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) is on a mission to power transparent reporting for a better world. We build and deliver the world’s leading cloud platform for assured integrated reporting to meet stakeholder demands for action, transparency, and disclosure of financial and non-financial data. Workiva offers the only unified SaaS platform that brings customers’ financial reporting, environmental, social, and governance (ESG), and governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) together in a controlled, secure, audit-ready platform. Our platform simplifies the most complex reporting and disclosure challenges by streamlining processes, connecting data and teams, and ensuring consistency. Learn more at workiva.com.

Workiva has partnered with Trellis to help calculate our annual and event-specific emissions inventory for GreenBiz 25, including scope 3 calculations. To learn more, please visit workiva.com.

Trellis Food Policy

We envision meals at Trellis events to be plant-rich, inclusive, delicious, abundant, and waste-free. We engage the food service teams at all venues we collaborate with on creating low-carbon menus that respect diverse dietary preferences and nourish our guests — balancing our sustainability goals with the needs of our community and the venue’s capabilities. We also work with the venue team to address food waste every step of the way, continuing our learnings from our 2023 Astrapto Food Waste Training.

Menu Planning with Greener by Default

We’ve partnered with Greener by Default, which consults with events and institutions to apply behavioral science to food policy, nudging diners towards sustainable plant-based options while preserving freedom of choice.

Food Donation with Copia

Copia is a proud Trellis partner, advancing sustainability initiatives by effectively managing food donations from Trellis events. By leveraging Copia’s advanced technology, donations are seamlessly matched to local nonprofits, creating a positive impact within the community while minimizing waste and greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

Copia is transforming how businesses large and small manage surplus by streamlining the donation process, making it easy to donate and track impact in real time. Together with partners like Trellis, Copia is combating food insecurity and helping our planet.

Achieving Circularity with Replenysh

We’ve partnered with Replenysh to enable material destination with full traceability. During the event, materials and compostables are collected source-separated; Replenysh’s technology then categorizes, routes, and tracks each material to end-markets. The materials are then reintroduced into a brand’s supply chain. Replenysh enables brands to retrieve net-new circular material streams from businesses and communities with unprecedented transparency.

Tackling Hard-to-Recycle Waste with TerraCycle

Our partnership with TerraCycle makes it possible to divert waste by recycling items that are not accepted by curbside services. Hard-to-recycle trash can be deposited in the Zero Waste Boxes with the corresponding waste stream found throughout the event venue. TerraCycle is an international and award-winning waste management company with a mission to eliminate the idea of waste.

Sustainable Printing with YBC

We have partnered with YBC Production to prioritize sustainability when it comes to all of our signage. YBC Production is dedicated to extending your brand presence, without extending your carbon footprint. By recycling all eligible consumables, exclusively utilizing eco-friendly inks, and prioritizing the offset of our own carbon footprint, we print with a purpose. Learn more about YBC’s commitment to sustainability here.

Water Restoration with BEF

Business for Water Stewardship (BWS), a program of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), helps businesses work collaboratively with community and policy stakeholders to advance solutions that ensure people, economies, and ecosystems have enough clean water to flourish. BWS unlocks collective corporate action to accelerate real, measurable, and lasting water solutions. Since 2009, BEF has facilitated 100 corporate partners providing $28M in funding support to fund 450 water projects restoring over 45 billion gallons of water to date.

Sustainability Strategy with Impact Collective Group

We’ve partnered with Impact Collective Group (ICG) to develop Trellis event’s sustainability strategy. With their support, we are evaluating our sustainability initiatives and policies and planning our future impact. ICG empowers companies to achieve peak performance through customized Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) solutions. With decades of experience across a variety of sectors, including manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and education, our expert team excels in key sustainability standards and frameworks such as IFRS, ISO, GRI, TCFD, and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. ICG collaborates with leading universities and industry pioneers to ensure our clients’ long-term success and resilience. Learn more about us at impactcollectivegroup.com.

GreenBiz registrations are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, we can transfer your existing registration to a colleague or provide a credit memo for you to apply the amount you paid to a future Trellis event within one year. Please contact Trellis Support if you need to cancel or transfer your registration.

You are no longer required to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test upon arriving on-site at the event.

Free COVID tests will be available at registration for anyone experiencing cold or flu symptoms or who believes they may have been exposed to COVID.

If you test positive, please follow the CDC isolation guidelines.

Trellis Group Expectations

1. Provide a safe, professional, and respectful environment for all participants.
2. Offer a space where people are free to express their identities and ideas.
3. Presume that everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value.
4. Do not assume that everyone has the same knowledge or context, and encourage questions.
5. Ensure that relationships, conduct, and conversations among event attendees, digital users, speakers, journalists, exhibitors, and sponsors remain respectful, participatory, and productive.
6. Provide an environment free from discrimination or harassment of all kinds.

Trellis Group reserves the right to ask anyone in violation of any of these policies to leave Trellis Group events, activities, and digital forums.

Trellis Group Anti-Harassment Policy

Trellis Group is committed to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone. Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

• Offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, etc.
• Sexual language or images in public spaces.
• Deliberate intimidation, stalking, or following.
• Harassing photography or recording.
• Sustained disruption of talks or other events.
• Inappropriate physical contact or unwelcome sexual attention.
• Unwarranted exclusion or patronizing behavior.

Aggressive solicitation of sponsors, exhibitors, or other attendees is strictly prohibited. All attendees are expected to engage in respectful and non-disruptive interactions; violations may result in removal from the event without a refund.

Trellis Group Anti-Harassment Policy

If any participant at a Trellis event engages in harassing behavior, Trellis Group may take any appropriate action, including warning the offender or expulsion from the event, activities, and digital forums.

If you are harassed, notice someone else being harassed, or have any concerns, please contact a staff member immediately by emailing support@trellis.net or visit the on-site registration desk. Staff will assist you in contacting hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, providing escorts, or otherwise ensuring your safety for the duration of the event.

If you cannot reach a Trellis Group staff member or if it is an emergency, please call 911 and/or remove yourself from the situation.

We value your attendance and hope that by communicating these expectations, we can all enjoy a safe, inclusive environment.

Special thanks to our friends at Code for America, whose Code of Conduct and Anti-Harassment Policies helped inform our own.

Photography, Audio, and Video Recording Policy

Sponsors/Partners/Speakers:

Registered sponsors, partners, and speakers are welcome to take photos and record content of their respective breakout sessions and side events. As a courtesy to speakers, please obtain approval from those recorded on a panel if you plan to distribute the original content. Any photography or filming should not disrupt the event experience. Credit must be given to the event and event organizers, Trellis Group.

• No photos or video recording of keynotes for commercial purposes or with professional equipment (whether or not audio is used).
• No photos or video recording of sessions unless you have a speaker participating in the session, have received written approval from all speakers involved, and have notified your Trellis customer success manager (applicable to sponsors).
• No photos or video recording of general event areas, such as the Expo, for commercial purposes or with professional equipment.
• Photos or video recording of your booth are allowed, as long as all equipment fits within your allotted booth space.

Press:

Registered press are welcome to record program content for journalistic purposes. Credit must be given to the event and event organizers, Trellis Group.

• No photos or video recording of keynotes for commercial purposes or with professional equipment (whether or not audio is used).

Trellis purchases carbon credits through Carbon Direct. Effective January 1, 2024, California Assembly Bill 1305 on Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures requires companies making climate claims related to carbon offset credits to disclose specific information about those claims and credits.

The law applies to companies that:

• Claim to achieve “net zero emissions.”
• Sell a product they claim is “carbon neutral.”
• Make similar claims related to the purchase or use of voluntary carbon offsets.

These companies must:

• Disclose how their claims were verified.
• Share progress toward measuring that goal.
• Disclose whether there is independent third-party verification of the company data and claims.

As Trellis has previously purchased carbon credits, we have provided information relevant to these disclosure requirements. Review this PDF for more details on our purchase.

Trellis Group (formerly GreenBiz) is a media and events company that accelerates the just transition to a clean economy. Through events that galvanize, stories that amplify, peer networks that bond, and industry-leading analysis, we define markets and advance opportunities at the intersection of business, technology, and sustainability. We are a passionate team that builds and empowers communities to confront the threats of climate change and solve the thorniest challenges of our time. Learn more about what we do here.