Invite Corporate Social Responsibility professionals from Fortune 100 companies, consultants and practitioners of CSR strategy to a gathering to collaborate on building a better future and you had better walk the sustainability talk.  That is exactly what Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) accomplished in November, 2015, in San Francisco.

Participants, speakers and sponsors expected a high level of environmental initiatives as the event’s commitment was communicated through the website, blog posts, presentations, and, of course, the actual experience.  Their expectations were exceeded by creative and thoughtful planning.   CSR professionals experienced:

  • 100% shade grown, organic, fair trade coffee
  • 100% local and seasonal fruit, wines and cheeses
  • Complete elimination of bottled water, saving 2,310 plastic bottles and $15,881
  • All condiments were served in bulk with no individual packets allowed
  • 100% china service for all catering functions
  • Topping it all off was a “San Francisco Food Truck Fusion” reception featuring local food truck vendors.

If the attention to food wasn’t enough, consider the communications materials:

  • 100% of the signs were locally sourced and required no shipping, saving money and carbon emissions from transport
  • Signage was produced using 100% post-consumer recycled content paper
  • Name badges were printed on 100% recycle content paper and the design completely eliminated the need for badge holders
  • Lanyards were made of 100% recycled content plastic and recycled.

And the list goes on.  For all the details, we invite you to read the full case study.

Pleased by the outcome, but ready to raise the bar this fall in New York City, the planning team led by Pamela Schwartz, has a set of recommendations they are diligently working toward and are perhaps best described by this year’s theme, BE BOLD! Join us to experience a sustainable, mindful, and healthy event designed to use the power of human connection to create change in the world.