Most people associate sustainability with the products we are using and their effect on the environment. However, there are three principles of sustainability (environment, economy and society), and the universally accepted definition of sustainability is “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Through the pandemic, many industries—including events and meetings—had to become flexible very quickly to remain sustainable. Moving forward, flexibility and sustainability will continue to remain critical in every decision we have to make as an industry, including decisions such as:
How flexible are the venues, vendors and terms?
How can we get our participants/employees on the same page, working together as one team?
How can we best increase productivity while staying safe and environmentally conscience?
At So Cool Events, we believe coming together for shows, conferences, incentives or educational seminars is critical to the sustainability of the industry. In-person gatherings promote a healthy working environment; excites and invigorates your employee/attendee’s social interaction with associates and management; and reinforces virtual-formatted educational seminars with on-hand specialized training and problem-solving networking.
So Cool Events is constantly developing and expanding our products with an environmentally friendly and safety-forward focus on sustainability—from LED lighting systems and Eco-conscience furniture products, to following the best practice guide accreditation from the American Rental Association’s “Clean, Safe, Essential” program.
So Cool Events has also been re-purposing and recycling products for many years. Whenever possible, we’ve reinvented our furniture line through reupholstering or customizing our lines. Examples include re-purposing existing wood barrels and oil drums for highboys and bars to keep them out of landfills. Our Oasis Island Banquette was conceived for our Urban Garden Event by stripping the upholstery and recovering it with hedge material. For our Antonio Furniture line, we had an artist custom paint the outdated upholstery to give it a new and edgy design. Additionally, when So Cool Events discontinues a line of furniture, we host an annual garage sale or donate our closed-out product lines to charities to make sure someone puts it to good use.
Flexibility is the key to our growth and experience. For the last 20 years, through economic and national crises and changing event trends, So Cool Events has adapted and charted a successful path to partnering with our vendors and clients alike to achieve excellent results that remind everyone why we are “so cool.” We look forward with optimism to the next 20 years of creating unusual and exciting events by being creatively flexible and consciously sustainable.