《纽约时报》Climate Forward Summit 体验装置背后的可持续设计细节

NEW YORK—On Sept. 23, climate scientists, advocates, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders gathered at The Times Center in midtown Manhattan for the fourth annual New York Times Climate Forward Summit.

The agenda included a robust program of high-profile speakers like Erin Brockovich and Jane Fonda—but before attendees sat down for the main event, they immersed themselves in a multimedia activation created by creative agency MKG.

The agency has brought New York Times reporting to life every year since the Summit began, but this time, the team was tasked with creating an experiential exhibit that was much more robust than previous years.

Photo: Ben Draper

“For the past three years, our exhibits have been heavily focused on articles and photojournalism,” said Aisha Lopez, senior graphic designer at MKG.

For the 2026 event, the exhibit went far beyond two-dimensional prints and screens.

Based on the New York Times’ long history of participating in expeditions to Antarctica, the activation helped attendees to understand the reporters’ experiences in a deeper way.

“Our goal was to make nearly a century of reporting something you could step inside,” said Lopez.

Photo: Ben Draper

To do so, the exhibit pulled in artifacts and tactile objects from an expedition from January and February of this year, when a team of scientists and two Times reporters explored the Thwaites Glacier, a massive formation roughly the size of Florida. One of the journalists, Raymond Zhong, shared details of his trip on stage that morning.

“We followed the reporter’s journey and his experience of what it was like to go on this expedition and report on Antarctica, from the tools he used to the environment that he was dealing with, all while highlighting the data they were trying to capture,” Lopez shared.

Photo: Amy Gordon/BizBash

Displays showcased original notebooks from the expedition, audio recordings and video footage from camp, clothing and equipment, a tent that the team actually used, and even snacks that the group ate.

“It was important for us to make sure that storytelling and the words and the experience from the journalist came through first and foremost,” said Nadia Tai, senior 3D environmental designer at MKG.

Photo: Ben Draper

Additional elements like large rocks and locally sourced greenery helped set the scene.

“It gave the displays a bit more structure and more of a base-camp feel,” Tai shared. “We wanted to make sure that you could physically see what it was like, not just see everything looking pristine.”

However, what attendees saw was just the tip of the, ahem, iceberg. At the request of the client, sustainability informed every aspect of the exhibit.

“We are very aware that the nature of events leads to a lot of waste, which is counter to sustainability,” says Lopez. Thus, MKG developed a multifaceted framework that consisted of eco-conscious and recyclable materials, biodiesel trucking and local vendors, bulk ordering, and donating and repurposing materials after the event.

Photo: Ben Draper

As the climatic threat posed by AI data centers was a major theme of the day, the MKG team used absolutely no AI at any step during the 2.5-month project.

And while this activation was solely for the Summit, all of these practices are implementable for future projects, which excites the MKG team.

“I really look forward to working on Climate Forward because it feels like I'm doing something important, something that's very conscious of our industry and how we approach sustainability,” said Tai.

Added Lopez, “It’s honestly a feel-good project. I really love what this event stands for, the people that it brings together, and the conversations that they put on a pedestal.”

About the Author

Contributing Writer

Amy has been covering meetings and events, travel and hospitality, and digital commerce and shopping for more than two decades; view her portfolio here.