Winners' Circle
Sustainable Exhibits in a Wasteful Industry | Rhiannon Andersen, Steelhead
The trade show industry generates roughly 600,000 tons of waste a year, and Rhiannon Andersen has spent 21 years inside it. As CMO and owner of Steelhead Productions, she helped rebuild the company’s economics around rented components and custom overlays, led the business through B Corp certification, and pushed sustainability into all 13 departments. This episode covers what actually worked, what it cost the owners, and why measuring sustainability every month is what makes the program real. Guest Rhiannon Andersen , CMO and Owner, Steelhead Productions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannonandersen/ Website: https://www.steelheadproductions.com/ Chapters [00:00] Welcome and the least sustainable industry [00:57] What Steelhead Productions does [01:12] Recognizing bad industry practices [01:50] Renting the base, customizing the overlay [03:30] Becoming a certified B Corporation [04:02] The nine month B Corp application [05:10] From social work to marketing [06:27] Restarting after 9/11 and COVID [08:27] Why face to face is growing again [10:06] What happens when a show ends [11:49] Sustainability across 13 departments [12:19] Binders to iPads and hand dryers [14:37] One water station, 30,000 bottles diverted [15:17] Paying for sustainability from owner distributions [16:03] Cutting energy use per employee by 60% [16:26] Measuring consistently [17:42] Six years as one of Nevada’s best places to work [20:14] Give Happy and paid volunteer time [21:23] Advice for owners [22:56] Congratulations and close Key Takeaways Trade show waste is a business model problem, not just a materials problem. Steelhead’s access model rents the structural components and sells customization on top, so booths still look custom while more parts return to inventory instead of the landfill. Sustainability works when every department owns a piece. Printed project binders became iPads, paper towels became hand dryers, and one water station diverted about 30,000 plastic bottles in a year. The individual changes look small, but together they matter. Consistency is the program. Steelhead reports sustainability metrics every month at a company wide meeting, even during the busiest weeks. If leadership lets it slip, the team reads it as optional. Resources Mentioned Steelhead Productions: https://www.steelheadproductions.com/ B Corporation certification: https://www.bcorporation.net/ Trade show waste data: https://www.accesstca.com/blog/waste-reduction-exhibit-program/ 2025 State of Events report: https://www.bizzabo.com/blog/power-of-in-person-events-2025 Award Recognition Steelhead Productions won Sustainability Initiative of The Year in the Business Intelligence Group Sustainability Awards for the Exhibit Happy initiative. Submit a nomination: https://www.bintelligence.com/awards/sustainability-awards Subscribe New episodes of The Winners’ Circle every week: https://www.bintelligence.com/podcast
