Mission Statement

The FNTECH Green Planet Initiative represents our commitment to the environment. By reviewing our practices, establishing better waste management initiatives, and evaluating our overall supply chain, we are able to take measurable steps to creating a greener future.

In 2019, we made the decision to officially embark on this green journey by becoming members of the Green Business Benchmark (GBB). Through this membership, we are able to easily share the progresses we have made; learn new ways we can reduce, reuse, and recycle; and intelligently identify and outline our next set of eco-friendly objectives. Our goal is to be ultimately transparent about our efforts, and we invite our community to openly share in the process.

Green Business Benchmark Membership

As a company, we put people first and it’s hard to do that and not also address how we’re interacting with the environment we all live in. Prior to partnering with the Green Business Benchmark (GBB), we thought it would be too hard to become a “green” company. However, the GBB’s tools helped us to assess our current situation and identify targeted areas for improvement in an easy-to-understand way. In fact, since joining the GBB in 2019, FNTECH has successfully completed 51 initiatives with more on the horizon.

For more info, please click on the seal to the right.

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Warehouse Energy Conservation

Since first moving into our Santa Ana headquarters, we knew we wanted to shift from the outdated and inefficient metal/halide light bulbs to something better. (In a state plagued with an energy crisis, we know how important it is to reduce our energy consumption everywhere possible.) Initially, we installed motion sensor lights in our front offices. This helped, but the real impact was felt when we converted our expansive warehouse space to all LED lighting. We now use LED bulbs throughout our entire facility. This change allowed us to reduce our average daily energy consumption by a whopping 55.56%! We went from using 224 kWh a day to 99.54 kWh per day – a savings that could power four average U.S. households each day!

A Year of Virtual Events, Worldwide

Our FNvirtual Event Platform launched in mid-2020 and we’re proud to announce our numbers continue to grow! In 2021, we produced more than 30 virtual events! These productions took place in every time zone, were broadcast to and had participants from multiple countries, and were streamed on a handful of different platforms including our own virtual event powerhouse FNvirtual. We also produced events on Hopin, YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, and Splash. Some were 100% virtual, while others went the hybrid route…part in-person and part online. We are excited that many of our clients report they saw increases in both engagement and the number of participants from international locations. In addition, our FNstudios team has been extremely busy recording, editing, and streaming scores of sessions for clients around the world. Having a robust digital arm of FNTECH allows our team to stay safe and connected while at the same time reduces carbon emissions caused by conference travel. We consider those some BIG WINS all the way around!
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Printed Signage to Digital Monitors

Our path from printed signage to digital monitors was one that actually began in order to give our clients the freedom to make last-minute adjustments to their events. Over the years, we increased the number digital signs being used in place of printed materials and have seen firsthand the positive impact this change has generated.

In the past, we typically used Gator board and foam core for these printed pieces, which we now know takes anywhere from 80-450 years to biodegrade. In addition to going digital, we are also looking at other alternatives for event signage, such as sustainable inks, “evergreen” reusable materials, and various sustainable board materials, like Falconboard® and Katz Board.

Since 2015, we have used over 300 digital monitors to replace what would have been over 130 printed meterboards and over 175 printed easels. That is 800+ lbs of non-recyclable material that would have ended up in our landfills.

FNTECH made beautiful prints that our sponsors loved and then transformed them into great looking, useful bags. That’s a win-win in my book!

– Dirk Van Slyke, Open Compute Project Foundation

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle!

We are proud to publicly share our Upcycle Program, which turns printed fabric banners used for event branding and projection screens, into reusable tote bags. The research and waste diversion for this program started in 2015, and to date, we have been able to divert over one ton of old banner fabric from the landfill.

As of December 2020, we have produced 1,600 bags, which equates to 480 lbs of fabric banners, and have another 1,400 bags slated for production. These bags are not only fun, durable, and easy to wash, they are a great way for us to creatively reduce waste.

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Metal and Wood Shop

When it comes to material choices for our metal and wood fabrication shop, we strive to use resources that have been sustainably sourced and can be recycled.

One of the shop’s primary functions is to create our custom Wentex frames, which provide a sleek, seamless look for banners, as well as projection screens of all sizes. Wentex frames are made using 100% aluminum which has an infinite life cycle. Not only are we able to reuse our frames, but we recycle anything we can no longer use. In 2019, we recycled 1.5 tons of aluminum and steel.

From set pieces to lecterns, our wood shop is pleased to say we use wood products purchased through lumber yards that practice and support sustainable forest management. Not only are we using responsibly-sourced products, but through the use of our onsite CNC machine, we are able to create less waste by maximizing the amount of usable material on those products.

Conscious Onsite Catering

In November 2021, we were delighted to produce another successful Open Compute Project Global Summit at the San Jose Convention Center. This was one of our first large hybrid events, held concurrently both in-person and on our FNvirtual Event Platform. With nearly 2,000 attendees in person and COVID restrictions still very much in place, our catering manager ensured our boxed lunches were assembled and packaged using the most green/compostable options available. Additionally, we’re proud to use a venue that partners with Hunger at Home, an organization that collects excess food and goods to distribute to the local hungry and homeless. Happily, all leftover boxed lunches did not go to waste, but were donated to those in need.

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Donations

Donating to worthy causes has always been part of the FNTECH ethos; it’s part of our commitment to the environment and our community. Through the years, we have donated a variety of “gifts-in-kind,” including apparel and office supplies to electronics and A/V equipment. These donations to organizations like Vietnam Veterans of America and Olive Crest mean more to us than keeping waste from the landfill; it’s about supporting our community and the organizations we believe in.

At the end of the day, we have one earth we call home and we’re committed to keeping it clean and green.

For more information on the FNTECH Green Initiative, contact us at greeninitiative@fntech.com.