Happy Sustainable Holidays!

Make Merry Choices

Just like that, another year winds down. From all of us at the Society for Sustainable Events we wish you Happy Holidays and best wishes for a joyous holiday season!

We’re actually in the season of Samhain right now, which in the Celtic and Gaelic traditions is the end of harvest time and the start of the darker season, a season of reflecting, but also sitting by warm fires and being with those we love.

In that spirit I’m reflecting on choices, the choices we all make in our consumer lives as well as our event lives. They are tied together in many ways. We all have the power of choice.

We CAN choose to give or not give gifts to attendees (or friends and family). If we choose to give something we can choose to make that a sustainable, fair trade item that won’t end up in landfill. We can also choose to work with local vendors to avoid the carbon output of shipping items from long distances.

We CAN choose fresh, local, organic, sustainable, seasonal (FLOSS) food that actually tastes good and brings joy to attendees and provide refreshment breaks that renew them and leave them ready and eager for the rest of the day.

We CAN choose to travel less. We can ask ourselves if we really need one more site trip or really have to go to another industry event. When we must travel can we combine that trip with other activities that might mean one less trip in the future?

We CAN choose to work with destinations and venues that support our sustainability efforts with policies and processes of their own or the willingness to work with us to implement our sustainability goals.

We CAN choose to work with vendors that have their own sustainability policies and processes and support our goals, vendors that become part of your sustainability team.

This list could go on and on. I hope you get the idea. It’s about choices. It’s about using your power to make choices that align with your values and goals.

Another choice we can make is to continue to partner with other organizations to bring you both innovative and practical ideas for your sustainability journey.

Recently on October 30th, SFSE participated in a Behind The Scenes Tour at Trellis Impact at the San Jose Convention Center. You can see what Trellis is up to HERE.

Here are some of the resources highlighted on the tour:

Resources & Partners

• Waste & Materials:

  • GreenWaste – waste processing and sorting

  • Earthlight – reusable lanyards

  • R.World – reusable cups

• Carbon Accounting and Offsets:

  • CNaught – carbon offsets

  • trace by Isla – carbon accounting

  • Zero Labs – renewable energy certificates

• Food and Beverage:

  • Copia – food donations

  • Greener by Default – plant-forward menu planning

SFSE will continue to provide these kinds of opportunities and educational resources in the new year. Keep an eye out or visit our website to learn more or to get more involved with SFSE. We are always actively looking for volunteers, committee members and potential Board members.

Hppy Holidays! See you in the New Yea

Paul Salinger
SFSE Board President

GET INVOLVED!

We are always looking for volunteers that want to get more involved with our efforts. If you’re interested in getting more involved please contact us at info@societyforsustainableevents.com.