hen Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Inc. planned its exhibit for the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) show in Las Vegas, the Daytona Beach, FL-based company wanted to prove to the conservation-minded audience that it was as Green as its shades were cool.

Built with the aid of Chicago-headquartered exhibit and event firm Czarnowski Inc., which based its design on a concept by the advertising firm McGarrah Jesse LP of Austin, TX, the 20-by-30-foot double-deck structure resembled a rustic riverside cabin. After discovering a vacant West Virginia barn that dated to 1910, Costa used the farm building's materials - a treasure of timber that included knotty yellow pine, poplar, and red oak - to construct the faux fishing lodge.

When attendees entered the booth, they were greeted by sales representatives who initiated conversation by pointing out how the exhibit's use of recycled materials showed Costa practiced what it preached when it came to the environment. They noted the recycled-wood floors, walls, and tables, as well as sunglasses, shirts, and caps placed on racks made from the recovered wood.

Moreover, the exhibit was illuminated by vintage floor lamps, while guests rested from the show's tumult on antique chairs and stools. A pulley system recovered from the barn found new life as a bucket-transport system: Staffers could fill the pulley's bucket with sunglasses or other items, and then dispatch it to sales reps chatting with customers on the upper deck.

By using the reclaimed wood and metal, as well as vintage products, the company estimated it saved 5,930 gallons of gasoline that would have been burned if it had used new materials, which would have also required additional processing and shipping. Furthermore, the recycle-reduce-reuse approach resulted in an undeniably eco-friendly exhibit that proved to ICAST attendees that Costa is a visionary company in more ways than one.e