Trammell Crow Growing the Earthx Family

by Sheila Julson

When talking about environmental sustainability, industries like commercial tuna fisheries or big oil usually don’t come to mind, but sustainability advocate and philanthropist Trammell S. Crow knows how to bring green-minded individuals and the business community to the table to achieve a common goal: saving our planet. Earthx, founded by Crow in 2010, has grown into the largest eco-celebration on Earth. Recent spinoffs include EarthxFilm and EarthxTV.

The free EarthxExpo will take place place from April 21 through 23 at Fair Park, in Dallas, bringing together, businesses, environmental organizations, conservation groups, academics, politicians, government hundreds of exhibitors, kids’ activities and an adult playground. The EarthxCongress of Conferences, to be held April 19 to 23, will be their most diverse in terms of demographics, ethnicity, gender, age and topics, including wildlife, climate and justice. There will be 14 conferences on five stages featuring speakers, panel discussions, short films and more.

Crow’s interest in environmental issues goes way back, but his advocacy ramped up after retiring from the Trammell Crow Company, a commercial real estate firm started by his father. Crow and fellow businesspeople fought against the largest power company in Texas’ plan to build 11 coal-fired power plants in the state. Their organization, Texas Business for Clean Air, quickly

Crow has since been involved with environmental initiatives such as ConservAmerica, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, the Trust for Public Land and Texans for Clean Water. “It’s been a whirlwind for the past several years,” He says of the Earthx growth. “When we canceled in 2020 [due to the coronavirus pandemic], we canceled 800 exhibits, conferences and films.”

Crow and the EarthxTeam held the event virtually the following year, which gave them an opportunity to grow beyond one weekend in April. In 2022, they launched EarthxTV, a global network that promotes the environment and sustainability through original and acquired programming. “When we had to cancel everything and watch all the conferences online, it sank in that that is our future,” Crow remarks. “We started with a small budget for on-location shoots, and it got better and grew into a TV station.” As of October 2022, EarthxTV, available through Spectrum, reached 11 million homes in America and 32 million homes in Europe from Ireland to Romania.

Crow notes that Earthx Half-Earth Day, held for the first time last October, will showcase EarthxFilm as a standalone event. In 2022, they partnered with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra for the U.S. premiere of Sibylle Szaggars Redford’s multidisciplinary artistic performance The Way of the Rain, narrated by her husband, environmentalist and actor Robert Redford.

With Earthx2023 this April, Crow is eager to resume the event at full capacity. He feels a sense of urgency as climate change accelerates, advising, “I see beauty every day. What’s the greatest thing on Earth? Each other and the natural world around us. And time’s a-wastin’.”