WEF seeks to go beyond providing an exceptional conference experience to also safeguard our environment, benefit our host communities, and foster inclusion and growth within our professional community.

By attending WEFTEC, you're not only investing in your own professional growth but connecting with something much bigger – a community that’s dedicated to positive change!

Environmental Stewardship

WEFTEC is embracing sustainability like never before. In 2023, WEF started the process of certifying WEFTEC as a sustainable event using the Events Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards. From reducing waste and offsetting emissions to promoting sustainable sourcing, the event is setting the stage for responsible practices that you can be proud to be a part of.

Here are the steps that we’re taking:

• Move toward a Zero-Waste Event. This involves minimizing waste generation and maximizing recycling and composting efforts. It includes reducing single-use plastics, encouraging attendees to bring reusable items, and implementing efficient waste management practices.
• Advance Stakeholder Education & Engagement. Educating and engaging attendees, exhibitors, and partners about sustainable practices and environmental issues raises awareness and encourages broader adoption of sustainable behaviors.
• Improve Sustainable Sourcing. Selecting environmentally friendly materials, products, and services are considerations that guide our decision-making process for sourcing. These choices encompass everything from event decorations and promotional materials to food and beverages.
• Improve Overall Social Impact. Sustainability cannot be achieved without the inclusion of social action, mental wellness, equity, and inclusion. WEFTEC is determined to become an event that focuses on the importance of mental wellness, and being an event focused on inclusion.
• Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions include optimizing transportation options, minimizing energy consumption, and using renewable energy sources whenever possible.
• Improve Water Management Practice. Given the nature of the event and WEF’s expertise, improving water management practices is particularly relevant. This includes showcasing sustainable water technologies, educating attendees about water conservation, and minimizing water waste during the event.

We need you to help us create the most sustainable WEFTEC possible. Visit the Sustainability page to make a contribution to climate conservation, find ways to reduce your own environmental footprint at WEFTEC, and take our Sustainability Pledge.

Make WEFTEC
More Sustainable

Giving Back & Community Service

WEFTEC is also committed to benefiting our host communities. Through volunteer projects, you’ll have the chance to roll up your sleeves and make a hands-on difference. From creating essential hygiene kits for children in need to building green infrastructure that enhances local water quality, your actions will resonate far beyond the event.

Here's an overview of the volunteer projects that WEF offers during WEFTEC:

• Water Palooza. Water Palooza is an education fair held at an elementary school — this year at the Ole A. Thorpe Elementary School on Friday, September 29 — where the focus is on engaging students in hands-on activities related to water. The event aims to promote the value of water and encourage students to become stewards of their local water environment. Students participate in various stations to learn about their local water environment, conservation efforts, and how they can protect the environment at home. This project not only educates young minds but also instills a sense of responsibility for the environment.
• Community Service Project. Through this project volunteers build green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and bioswales, to manage stormwater and improve the local water environment. Beyond the practical benefits, this initiative also serves as an educational opportunity for the community, highlighting the value of water and sustainable practices. This year’s project, Today’s Water Students, Tomorrow’s Water Leaders, will be held on Saturday, September 30, to transform drainage and flooding issues at Ole A. Thorpe Elementary School, into a beautiful, welcoming, green space with a rain garden.
• Cradles to Crayons – Hygiene Kits. Onsite at the convention center, on Monday and Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., you will have the opportunity to create hygiene kits for children. These kits provide essential items such as shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and deodorant. These kits are distributed to children experiencing poverty in the Chicago area. Volunteers also have the option to write notes of encouragement to accompany the kits, adding a personal touch. Look for Cradles to Crayons near the WEF Bookstore.
• Open Books – Online Book Drive. The Open Books initiative addresses the need for books in classrooms in Chicago’s public schools. The city has just 90 full-time librarians across more than 500 schools to serve 290,000 students. This program helps to build classroom libraries to ensure access to books. You can donate through Open Books at any time.

Donate a Book

Inclusivity and Diversity

WEF maintains diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as a core principle of our organization’s mission. This dedication is celebrated and advanced at WEFTEC in several ways.

• Inclusive Technical Program. Throughout WEFTEC you will be able to find sessions on such topics as environmental social justice, integration of social equity into utility planning, affordability, and more. See all the sessions in the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Focus Area.
• Affinity Breakfast Series. These breakfasts seek to create a sense of community and a forum to advocate for change that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion. They bring together people who share a common identity and provide a safe space to discuss issues facing the group. (Note: Participation is limited to individuals that identify with the specific groups. There is no cost to participate but you must register.)
  
  

Wellness and Mindfulness

Your well-being matters, too. With so much to see and do at WEFTEC sometimes you need a break to take care of yourself. WEFTEC has your wellness in mind.

• Zen Yoga (registration required). Join us on Tuesday, October 3, at 7:00 a.m. for an hour of yoga to get you energized for your day. This 1-hour, instructor-led class will focus on a hybrid-style yoga class that combines traditional Vinyasa poses with longer-held deep stretches to calm the mind, while resetting and realigning the body. 
• Meditate Between Meetings in the Mindfulness Lounge. Need a break from the WEFTEC excitement and crowds? Take advantage of this quiet space in Room N231 at McCormick Place. Available from Saturday through Wednesday, meditating in the Mindfulness Lounge can help you improve creativity, happiness, performance, communication, empathy, and productivity.
• WEFTEC Wellness Challenge. Join this challenge to enjoy some healthy competition with your peers as you walk, participate, and learn! Download the Heka Well app and sign up. Then you can earn one point per step as well as engage in bonus activities to earn a chance to win prizes and work your way up the leaderboard.