Frequently Asked Questions

VERGE empowers professionals decarbonizing and future-proofing their organizations and supply chains. Join the early movers and fast-followers financing and deploying novel and established climate technologies to gain insights on the future of the industry, navigate the changing policy environment, and deepen connections for collaboration.

At VERGE, you’ll meet more than 3,500 professionals and hear from 300+ speakers across more than 80 sessions. 

Plus, you’ll have access to 500+ speakers in more than 150 sessions across VERGE, Bloom, and GreenFin.

VERGE is part of Trellis Impact 25, giving attendees access to three leading events taking place together— GreenFin, Bloom, and VERGE. Trellis Impact 25 bridges climate and nature strategies with sustainable finance, empowering professionals to accelerate innovative solutions to our planet’s biggest challenges.

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 of people 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.

Volunteer roles include but are not limited to on-site registration support, A/V assistance, breakout session managing, and door monitoring. Each shift ranges from four to five hours and you are required to perform at least two shifts. When you are not volunteering, you will have full access to the 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 Group.

Check back soon for more volunteer information and how to apply!

VERGE registrations are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, we can transfer your existing registration to a colleague or we can 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 proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arriving on-site at the event.

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

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

Trellis Group expects that all Trellis Group events, activities and digital forums:

• Are a safe, professional and respectful environment for all participants.
• Are a place where people are free to express their identities and ideas.
• Presume that everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value.
• Don’t assume that everyone has the same knowledge or context, and encourage questions.
• Ensure that the relationships, conduct and conversations among event attendees, digital users, speakers, journalists, exhibitors and sponsors remain respectful, participatory, and productive.
• Provide an environment where individuals are free from discrimination or harassment of all kinds.

Trellis Group reserves the right to ask anyone in violation of any of these policies not to participate in Trellis Group events, activities and digital forums.

Trellis Group Anti-Harassment Policy
Trellis Group is dedicated 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 and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion; sexual language or images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; sustained disruption of talks or other events; inappropriate physical contact; unwelcome sexual attention; unwarranted exclusion; and patronizing language or action.

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

If you are harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of the staff immediately by emailing support@trellis.net or visiting the on-site registration desk. Staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the event.

If you cannot reach a Trellis Group staff member and/or 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 widely 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 informed 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 prospective breakout sessions and side events. As a courtesy to speakers, please first receive approval from those recorded on a panel if planning to distribute the original content. Any photography or filming should not be disruptive to the event experience. Credit must be given to the event and event organizers, Trellis Group.

• No photos/video recording of keynotes for commercial purposes or with professional equipment (whether or not audio is used)
• No photos/video recording of sessions unless you have a speaker participating in the session, you’ve received written approval from all speakers involved AND have notified your Trellis customer success manager (applicable to sponsors)
• No photos/video recording of general event areas such as the Expo for commercial purposes or with professional equipment
• Photos/video recording of your booth is okay as long as all of your 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/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 that make climate claims related to carbon offset credits to disclose information about those claims and credits.

The law requires a company that (1) makes claims of achieving “net zero emissions,” (2) sells a product it claims is “carbon neutral,” or (3) makes other similar claims related to the purchase or use of voluntary carbon offsets to:

• Disclose how those claims were verified;
• Share progress toward how that goal is being measured;
• Disclose whether there is independent third-party verification of the company data and claims listed.

As we have previously purchased carbon credits, we’ve provided information relevant to the disclosure requirements. Review this PDF for more information pertaining to our purchase.

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 jessica@trellis.net.

Trellis Food Policy

We envision Trellis event meals as 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 Group 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.

Partnership with Replenysh

We’ve partnered with Replenysh to enable material destinations with full traceability. During GreenFin, we will collect and source-separate materials and compostables; Replenysh’s technology will then categorize, route, and track each material to end markets to be 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 things 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.