Paul Zilk

Saturday, 24 January 2009 10:24

Why he is cool:  Paul Zilk is the CEO of Paris-based exhibition organizer Reed Midem, which organises leading international professional tradeshows in entertainment (music and television), commercial real estate and urban management.  Nearly 80,000 business leaders, officials and personalities from 120 countries attend Reed Midem events each year.

Through environmental conferences, Green World awards, information campaigns and green practices, Zilk has since 2006 aimed to encourage the influential  global entertainment and commercial property industries to act responsibly and help combat climate change.

Cool facts:  Reed Midem has awarded Green World Awards to notable people including French photographer/ecologist/reporter Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis, Japanese broadcasting company NHK, China's Centre for Sustainable Energy Technologies and others. 

Reed Midem's employees and clients also walk the talk.  The some 400 employees ride the train rather than fly when possible. Enormous quantities of glass, paper and carpeting are recycled and printing reduced at all Reed Midem events.

Zilk also initiated the "Green Exhibitions" campaign for the company’s parent group. The campaign names Green Leaders, educates its employees and encourages action at Reed Exhibitions, this means more than 2500 employees working on more than 450 trade shows worldwide.

Paul Zilk, an avid Alps hiker, has seen many familiar glaciers disappear over the past 20 years.  "There may be differing points of view on climate change, but we cannot afford to risk the future of the planet -- everyone must act" he says.