The Times Discovers Eco-Minded Event Production

"One mark of a really good party has always been an almost biblical catalog of waste and excess, lovingly expressed in gallons of Champagne, acres of fabric, plywood and red carpet, and jetloads of exotic flowers. But in a year dominated by talk of the green movement, such practices can be viewed not just as unseemly but as downright anarchic—and not in a good way." So begins a look at eco-friendly event production (or at least eco-aware production) in today's New York Times.

We've explored this phenomenon extensively, and the piece looks at some events we've already covered here: the Cooper-Hewitt's National Design Awards, where David Stark incorporated 6,000 pounds of recycled paper into the decorations, and the Museum of Art and Design's Visionaries gala, which employed packing materials as decor that the museum could use for its move later on.

But the highlight of the piece might be this quote from Stark: “I started to think about all this stuff because I’d be going to events and the invitation would be printed with the words, ‘This is a green event!’ and there’d be burlap tablecloths and green lighting—and I don’t mean fluorescent bulbs but the color green—and somebody would stand up and say, ‘Change starts here!’ and I’d think, You’ve got to be kidding.” (For a detailed look at how you can really go green, check out these 15 tips.)

Also in today's Times: a look at stylish female DJs, some of whom we featured last year in this roundup of New York's hottest DJs.