Join us at our next event

SFSE hosts and collaborates on events that drive meaningful conversations and action in sustainable event planning. Our events bring together professionals, experts, and organizations dedicated to creating a greener, more responsible industry.

Upcoming Events:

SFSE Spring Fling!
May 6, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Diane Disney Miller Exhibition Hall, San Francisco Presidio

Let’s Spring into Sustainable Action and celebrate growth and renewal at the SFSE Spring Fling Fundraiser! This fun-filled annual gathering brings our community together to support SFSE’s mission of Sustainability in Action. The event also helps preserve the Presidio, an iconic national park fostering climate resilience, community well-being, and environmental education.

Want to make a greater impact? We are accepting silent auction donations to support SFSE’s initiatives.

Register Here
Donate to the Silent Auction

Past Events & Highlights

Our past events have included conferences and discussions focused on advancing sustainability in the events industry. Below are some recent highlights:

Bridging Sustainability and the Wellness of You: (1/9/2025)

The discussion emphasized the importance of change leadership in sustainability, highlighting the need to address both logistical and emotional aspects. Key points included the significance of emotional responses to climate change, the role of moral imagination, and the necessity of guiding stakeholders through complex emotions. Practical strategies such as reflective listening, vulnerability, and intentionality were recommended. The session concluded with a call to balance hope and despair, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and collective action in sustainability efforts.
We had three great speakers, all of whom you should follow. You can also find more information about them on the links below.

  • Dr. Renée Lertzman addressed climate anxiety, including grief over current losses or anticipated changes.
  • Alyah Salma Kanso explored how emotions can help us connect with diverse stakeholders, show up authentically, and lead with impact.
  • Marley Finnegan walked us through how her team successfully prioritized and reframed high-carbon-emitting practices at the Democratic National Convention.

Patio Perspectives Episode 7: (11/15/2023) – watch HERE
Topic: Shouldn’t We Be Choosing and Rewarding Responsible and Sustainable Venues?
In this episode of Patio Perspectives host Paul Salinger and guest speaker Lindsay Arell discuss how to select and reward responsible and sustainable venues, look at emerging trends for venues, how to ask better questions when working with destinations and venues and getting the right data so you can report on the good work you want to do for your sustainable event.

Patio Perspectives Episode 6: (10/18/2023) – watch HERE
Topic: Creating a Culture of Sustainability
Join host Paul Salinger and guest Joel Makower, Chairman and Co-Founder of GreenBiz Group, as they discuss how we can create a culture of sustainability within our organizations.

Patio Perspectives Episode 5: Is it Time to Ditch the Word Sustainability? (09/20/2023) – watch HERE
Topic: What would it be like if we removed the word sustainability and leaned into strategy and climate literacy to comprehend what we want to accomplish? In this far-reaching conversation Anna Abdelnour and Paul Salinger dig into what new skills may be required in a climate crisis world, what the right questions might be to develop a more strategic approach to event sustainability and the absolute need to measure your impact and how to better use the data you capture to make better decisions for ongoing improvement.
​
Patio Perspectives Episode 4: How IMEX Became a Leader in Sustainability (08/19/2023) – watch HERE
Thanks to all who joined for Patio Perspectives Episode 4 Hosted by Paul Salinger with special guest Roger Lehner, IMEX

Patio Perspectives Episode 3: How to Travel Responsibly and Sustainably (06/23/2023) – watch HERE
Thanks to all who joined for Patio Perspectives Episode 3 Hosted by Paul Salinger with special guest Shawna McKinley
Topic: Approximately 8% of the world’s carbon emissions are caused by travel and the travel industry is a significant contributor to climate change. This has enormous implications for the future of the event industry. Air travel, driving and other forms of transportation make up the largest part of an event’s carbon footprint. How you get to/from and around your destination makes a difference and is potentially a grave threat to the live event industry’s future. In this episode of Patio Perspectives we’ll explore some of the implications and some potential solutions to traveling more responsibly and sustainably. Shawna McKinley is a teacher, writer and consultant with over two decades of extensive experience in furthering discussion, learning and action on how to travel and plan events in a time of climate change. 

​Patio Perspectives Episode 2: Rethinking Food Choices as a Carbon Reduction Strategy  (05/17/2023) – watch HERE
Thanks to all who joined for Patio Perspectives Episode 2 

Patio Perspectives Episode 1: Looking at the big picture (04/19/2023) – watch HERE
Topic:
–How to reduce our overall emissions, both individually and within our organizations.
​-Are we taking the appropriate actions, on a big enough scale, to do our part as an event industry and mitigate the effects of climate change?
-How do we take the first steps in reducing emissions and still execute effective and successful events?