NORCROSS, GA (October 15, 2008) – Eager to hear straight talk about "going green," approximately 170 business leaders from 80 companies convened at the inaugural EcoExpo in September at the Hard Rock Hotel in Tampa, FL.  The event, hosted by Unisource Worldwide, Inc., one of the leading distributors of paper, packaging and facility supplies in North America, consisted of environmental education presentations from noted industry experts combined with an eco-supplier trade show.
 
"We hosted the event to provide a platform to educate business leaders about the advantages of 'going green,' said Hal Warren, Business Manager for Unisource in Tampa.  "Many business executives think 'going green' will cost more money, which usually is not the case," said Warren, "and they also were interested to find out more about eco-friendly products that are available in the marketplace."
 
EcoExpo 2008's wide-ranging program of seminar presenters and topics included:
 
- Doug Gruber, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, SMART Papers, "The Environmental Movement:  The First 30 Years."
 
- Eileen Curran, Director of Marketing Communications, North America Protective Packaging Unit, Sealed Air Corporation, "Offering Sustainable Solutions to the Protective Packaging Customer."
 
- Gary A. Jones, Director of Environmental, Health & Safety Affairs, Printing Industries of America/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation, "Sustainable Green Printing."
 
- David Lunati, Director of Marketing, Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc., "Designing for Sustainability – While Navigating the Eco-noise."
 
- Nancy Geisler, Vice President of Sustainability, Unisource Worldwide, Inc., "The Corporate Role in Sustainability."
 
- Mark Diani, Segment Vice President, East Region, Unisource Worldwide, Inc., "Exploring the Ins and Outs of Green Cleaning."
 
The 2008 EcoExpo trade show featured displays from industry suppliers, including Rubbermaid, Sealed Air Corporation, Domtar Corporation, SMART Papers, Berry Plastics, SGS Systems, Spartan Chemical Company, Unisource Printing Papers, Georgia-Pacific, Appleton Coated Papers, Unisource Facility Supplies, Topkote Products, GOJO Industries, the Printing Association of Florida, Monadnock Paper Mills, Inc. and Unisource Packaging.
 
"The conference was deemed a success by the majority of the participants, presenters and sponsors, and Unisource is considering hosting the EcoExpo as an annual event," said Warren.  The conference also underlines Unisource's ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.
 
For more information about Unisource products, please visit www.unisourcelink.com, or contact Unisource at 1-800-unisource.  The Web site www.unisourcegreen.com provides up-to-date resources and information on environmentally-friendly products.