Eco-friendly events: Good times are getting better for the planet
Sometimes it seems like the defining characteristic of a human gathering is the sheer volume of waste we generate. Like the Olympics, the Democratic National Convention made a big effort to reduce and mitigate the effect of some many people gathering in one place, with widely publicized recycling efforts and public transportation.
There's also a growing trend for smaller events, like company parties, launches, and even weddings to be managed in a green-friendly way. The interest and desire -- and need for expert help -- to throw an eco-friendly event is so high that a whole new branch of events management exists to help people green up their gatherings.
It makes sense. Events have so many moving parts and new green innovations spring up overnight. It helps to have a skilled local contact, on whom you can count to manage the logistics of waste management and make sure the limo fleet has enough recycled cooking oil to get the bride and groom from the church to the open air pavilion for the reception.
I recently met Johanna Walsh who runs Twirl Management, an eco-events company in San Francisco. While this is a pretty green city, she shared that even here it's hard for DIY planners to keep things green when the planning gets chaotic.
Johanna told me that most of the green action at an event happens way behind the scenes, in the infrastructure of how it's produced. A green event planner works to find ways to minimize waste, source food and supplies locally, and makes arrangements to have the lowest possible environmental impact.
Another important aspect of green event management is to make sure that the quality and experience stays consistently high, and that the green side doesn't fall into gimmick land. For most of Johanna's clients, the eco-friendly angle is part of the benefit, but most of the time the green solution actually makes the event better. And while she loves to educate consumers when it's appropriate, most of the time attendees don't even realize an event is green because it's not the point of the event.
For example, as part of one company's holiday party, Johanna arranged for a shuttle to and from public transportation. This cut down on the cost of parking and valets, plus people loved that they didn't have to worry about drinking and driving. The green benefit that went unnoticed by almost all of the attendees was a significantly lower carbon footprint for the party.
Like so many other environmentally conscious practices, green events are becoming more common because they make sense from the perspective of cost, quality and effectiveness. This momentum is exciting! You can even imagine the time, soon, when this approach is so mainstream that it loses the green label, and it's simply "the right way."
So remember, next time you throw a party, consider all of your green choices. Or call in an expert. Help is out there!
Another important aspect of green event management is to make sure that the quality and experience stays consistently high, and that the green side doesn't fall into gimmick land. For most of Johanna's clients, the eco-friendly angle is part of the benefit, but most of the time the green solution actually makes the event better. And while she loves to educate consumers when it's appropriate, most of the time attendees don't even realize an event is green because it's not the point of the event.
For example, as part of one company's holiday party, Johanna arranged for a shuttle to and from public transportation. This cut down on the cost of parking and valets, plus people loved that they didn't have to worry about drinking and driving. The green benefit that went unnoticed by almost all of the attendees was a significantly lower carbon footprint for the party.
Like so many other environmentally conscious practices, green events are becoming more common because they make sense from the perspective of cost, quality and effectiveness. This momentum is exciting! You can even imagine the time, soon, when this approach is so mainstream that it loses the green label, and it's simply "the right way."
So remember, next time you throw a party, consider all of your green choices. Or call in an expert. Help is out there!
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