Eco-Event Planners Practice What They Preach

September 27, 2010 at 11:04 am (Business, Events, Life Style, Marketing)
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Stephen Bolling

In search of the latest breakthroughs in sustainable design and green living I’ve been to many seminars, lectures and product fairs.  It’s surprising how many event planners don’t use sustainable practices in their events.  Wedding planners sit down with hotel staff to work out every little detail so why shouldn’t all event planners? From the smallest private event to large conventions it’s important that your business, your product and your lifestyle be reflected.  As more and more entrepreneurs are finding it advantageous to green their business, we now are beginning to see event planners use green practices and using those green practices to plan events.

I would like to introduce you to Johanna R. Walsh.  Johanna is an eco-event planner and founder of Twirl Management in San Francisco and sits on the Board of Directors for the Northern California Chapter of the Green Meeting Industry Council.  For her, “marketing, product launches, holiday parties, conferences, trade shows and special events are typically the informative and celebratory portion (of a brand’s) life cycle.  The risk of not having a green event brings criticisms of green washing.  Eco-savvy attendees know the difference between organic and not, farmed verses fresh water, seasonal versus imported.”

For eco-event planners it’s all about going the next step and presenting the lifestyle not just the product.  Johanna offers some great tips to follow when planning your next event:

Gorgeous and green: sustainable event design

By Johanna R. Walsh

Johanna R. Walsh

What fun is going green if you can’t look great while doing it?

Design makes its way into every type of event, whether it is the professional aesthetic of a corporate meeting or elaborate creations for high-end weddings. Adding eco-friendly practices to creating event ambiance is much like greening other aspects of your events. Start by asking yourself: Where are your products coming from? How are they being used during an event? What happens once the event is done?

Rental décor items are easy to reuse. A variety of linens, serving ware, furniture, vases and the like are available from event rental companies. By renting items, you can eliminate tons of waste from landfills as plates and serving ware replace Styrofoam cups and plastic utensils, and linens replace bolts of fabric that would be custom-cut, stapled to tables and then thrown out. To go a step further, ask your rental companies ask about their internal sustainability practices, such as their cleaning process, hanger collection, prop recycling and delivery practices.

If you must custom-design pieces, consider sourcing green materials. Cost, availability and client approvals all can become, dare I say, trickier when factoring in the environment.  For now, sustainable building materials cost more than traditional materials. Cost trades in other portions of your budget may need to be considered to afford things like FSC-certified wood and VOC-free paints.  If reclaimed or found props are requested, the idea of pre-approved design goes out the window. It’s also important to keep in mind that good sourcing of recycled materials takes a great deal more time than placing an order with your typical supplier. Many companies have attempted to go down this route for design, only to turn around and ask for props that look recycled instead of actually being recycled, due to time constraints.

Sustainable floral design mirrors sustainable food and beverage. Local, seasonal and organic are key words when speaking about flowers. Choosing seasonal flowers ensures that the arrangements are much richer and fresher for your event. Drought-resistant plants, like succulents, offer innovative design possibilities. Try to move away from fresh-cut flowers; instead, consider renting plants, shrubs or trees.

I know I’ve focused more on the difficulties of green event design in this column, and not the fun part. But, there is a lot of creativity and innovation that can come from eco-parameters. One of my favorite examples of thoughtful event design was when the Robin Hood Foundation designed their entire gala out of school supplies that were in turn donated to the New York City education programs they support. The tables centerpieces consisted of One Lap Top Per Child laptops, while they were doing a buy one, give one program. The laptops on the table went to local schools, while an equal amount were sent to children in the developing world.

This was a great example of incorporating responsible design practices as well as designing with the client’s goals and objectives at the core.


For more about how to put on a green event you can check out more advice on Johanna’s website:

http://twirlmanagement.com/

If you would like to be interviewed or have your article posted on this blog please e-mail me at sbolling@me.com

Stephen Bolling

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Accessible Homes could be the Norm for Future Homes – PART 1

September 10, 2010 at 11:32 am (Architecture, Life Style, Universal Design)

Stephen Bolling

You might have a key fob that automatically turns off your car’s security system and unlocks the door.  Most drivers with newer cars do.  Despite its increased cost over a manual key it has become a standard in the auto industry.

You might have a remote that opens your garage door and turns on the garage light.  Most homeowners, especially those in the suburbs, do.  And very few would opt to save a few dollars by selecting a manual door, even with the added incentive of reducing the household’s energy bill.

But here’s something you don’t have.  A key fob that triggers a sensor by your front door, turns on the porch light, turns off the security system, and unlocks and opens your front door.  Some homeowners actually do have similar devices.  Today they’re expensive, but if installed on a large-scale in new developments they could be as common as your car’s key fob or your garage door’s remote.

The entry sensor is the type of product that was designed out of necessity to help disabled homeowners.  Creating products and homes for people with special needs is not new, but the growing industry is coming up with solutions that are attractive to anyone and could be in many homes by the end of the decade.  Installing them in greater numbers will drive the prices down and owner enthusiasm will encourage developers to provide them as standard products in new homes.  There is a need and a profit to be made.

ADT door sensor unlocks and opens door.

 

As people mature their homes need to adapt to their health needs.  Building homes that meet that need requires greater levels of skills and knowledge.  Gone are the days of products that looked as if they belong in the emergency room of the hospital.  Teams of medical and design professionals are coming together to create products and spaces that are warm, attractive, exciting and desired by both able and disabled users.  They are being designed to be the norm for all home environments and in turn they are increasing the desirability and value of the home.

All disabilities and clients are not the same and cannot merely follow disability standards.  From arthritis (the most common functional disability in the United States) to back problems, heart disease, respiratory disease, learning disabilities, speech impairments and deteriorating conditions such as ALS, MS and spinal cord injuries it is not uncommon for most homes to house someone with a disability at some time.

As people get older their vision deteriorates, their balance and coordination decreases and their strength and endurance diminishes.  Memory loss requires special considerations such as glass or open cupboards to reduce misplaced items.  23% of people between the age of 45 and 54 have a disability.  That percentage rises to 45.4% for ages 65 to 69.   This spikes to 72.5% for those over 75.  3.3 million people use wheelchairs or similar devices.

Developers should build homes with solutions that meet these challenges because the need is there and there is a profit in providing something new, useful and exciting.

In my previous article I wrote that for the real estate market to rebound the housing industry needs to sell a newer, better product.  They need to find their equivalent of the iPhone, Blue-Ray or Bluetooth.  Here are some products that help the disabled but could be used useful to anyone and be attractive selling tools for new homes:

A kitchen with self-cleaning or adjustable height counters, cabinets on rails, remote-controlled appliances with automatic shut offs and ovens with side-hinged doors.

Remote-controlled adjustable counters by Baselift

Portable grab bars for the injured or sick and towel racks, toilet paper holders and bathtub soap trays that hold a person’s weight and can be used as permanent grab bars.

Shower heads with adjustable heights and bathroom vanities on casters that pull out from under the sinks.

Pull-down clothes poles in the wardrobe closet and lighting that turns off when the door is closed.

Wider doors, space-saving pocket doors and easy sliding windows

Stairs with contrasting color at the nose and double height railings for kids and adults.

Gates at the top of stairs for toddlers and those with balance needs.

Today’s homes need to reduce energy costs but they will also need to provide for the elderly, the sick, the injured and the permanently disabled.   Homes will need to make our daily lives easier and less stressful.

Invisia Collection with Integrated Support Rail by HealthCraft

Sources:

Specialized Home Design (Scott Anderle, Physical Therapist): http://www.shdesigns.net/

Institute for Human-Centered Design (Kathy Gips, Director of Training): http://www.adaptenv.org/

Pierce Lamb Architects (Deborah Pierce, AIA): http://www.piercelambarchitects.com/

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/

The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University: http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/cud/

Data Accountability Center:  https://www.ideadata.org/default.asp

Trace Center, University of Wisconsin: http://trace.wisc.edu/

Products:

Remote-controlled adjustable counters by Baselift: http://universal-design-products.com/baselift_worktop_lift.htm

Invisia Collection with Integrated Support Rail by HealthCraft:  http://www.healthcraftproducts.com

Stephen Bolling

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Newer, better homes needed to draw consumers

September 2, 2010 at 11:36 am (Architecture)

Stephen Bolling

Everyone is aware the home market is in trouble. This has created mass lay-off in architecture and construction offices and brought less work for manufacturers of building products. Some firms have gone down from 100 employees to 10, others have folded completely. The main problem is not so much the economy, home prices are low, and mortgage rates are historically low. The main problem right now is that the public doesn’t have an incentive to purchase homes.

Its unfair and too easy a target to always blame the economy. People ARE spending money. Consumers are buying higher-quality and more fuel-efficient cars, they’re buying electronic and communication devices that make their life easier, iPhone and iPads, they’re spending extra to watch 3D movies at the IMAX, they’re buying HDTV’s and Blu-Ray DVD’s. Not just the wealthy, the middle income and sometimes low income, and they all have one thing in common…they’re savvy; they want high-quality and cutting-edge technology to make their lives easier.

Consumers want better, they want what’s new, and they want to be at the forefront of new technology that will lower their energy bills and make their lives easier preparing food in the kitchen, bathrooms easier to clean and use less water and spaces where they can multi-task, work from their computer and take care of their kids. What they are shown instead are homes that are similar to those from the 90’s, the 80’s and even the 70’s. Homes are still sticks, stucco and drywall with no relation to the environment, the sun or the breezes. Despite well-meaning programs like LEED and EnergyStar, the bottom line today is how cheap it will be for the developer to build, not how much you will benefit from lower energy costs. In today’s economy that certainly is true. Mass produced homes are money pits and the public knows it. The homes being built provide space, often too much space, and often too little where its needed most. People want efficiency in space but also in how that space operates and what that space provides the consumer.

The housing industry needs to find their iPhone, their Blue-Ray, they need to utilize technology like Bluetooth is utilized in communications. People will pay, and pay more, if they feel they’re getting something for their money that’s different and better than what was on the market last year. People like the idea of lower energy bills, less heating and cooling repairs, and homes that don’t feel like warehouses. And they like the idea of homes that make their lives less stressful. A home that is actually working for them is less stressful.

Alternative materials used in construction such as insulated panels, insulated concrete blocks and straw bale significantly lower energy bills and also provide much safer structures in fire. Initial costs are higher but the quality and performance make up for it. Grey water and rain barrels are items added by the homeowner after market, they see the value in it, why aren’t developers providing these? Developers offer buildings with LEED verification and awards that state the homes are environmentally responsible. But much of that reward might be due to things such as being close to a bus stop the owner never uses or by the amount of people the developer is able to cram onto a lot. LEED can be used as an indicator that homes are being built with an intention to be environmentally sensitive and lower energy costs, but as it is used today, LEED is and has always been more valuable to the developer than the owner. The owner wants real tangible products that make their life better financially or efficiently. They want to see the results if not daily, at least seasonally.

The industry will provide green buildings if there is an incentive from the building department or other government agency but they need to start providing items that will encourage people to buy. These incentives are good, and they might make the difference for some people, but the architecture and construction industries response to consumer needs and demands, not the government, will ultimately drive the built economy. Too many architecture and construction firms are stubbornly in their comfort zone. They don’t want to incorporate new ideas, they don’t want to keep up with other industries and technology and public demand unless required by code. They want to sell the same thing they’ve always sold and slap a green label on it. People are beginning to tell the difference between a label and actual improvements. They’re waiting for the industry to provide something new.

Stephen Bolling

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