SUSTAINABLE EVENT STRATEGY

Creating Equilibrium is committed to reducing its environmental impact and leaving a positive social and environmental legacy for its host city and event venues. The event planning team is implementing a sustainable event strategy in accordance with best practices in event sustainability, using internationally recognized systems such as ISO 20121 and the APEX/ASTM green meeting standards.  Attendees will have the opportunity to reduce their own environmental impact and to learn from seeing these sustainability strategies in action.   

GREEN VENUE HIGHLIGHTS

  • Concert and Village Green Festival - The Village at Squaw Valley offers visitors several ways to embrace sustainability:
    • Water bottle refill stations throughout The Village serve to divert over 28,000 bottles from the landfill each season.
    • Carpooling is rewarded by offering free premium parking spaces to guests who carpool.
    • Electric car chargers are available at the base of the resort.
  • Visions Conference - The Resort at Squaw Creek combines green building initiatives with environmental practices:
    • A green roof and hydroponic gardens grow herbs and produce for guest meals.
    • A comprehensive waste diversion system collects all excess food as compost and sends recyclables to a local recycling center.
    • All guest rooms are equipped with ultra-efficient CFL and LED light bulbs.
    • Water savings is achieved via low-flow aerators on all faucets on property.
    • Staff uses only 100% eco-friendly cleaning supplies on property.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

  • Creating Equilibrium is proud to support the Tahoe Food Hub - a non-profit organization whose mission is to galvanize our community to build a regional, sustainable and equitable food system. All attendees are invited to experience the Tahoe Food Hub Taste of the Village Tour!
  • Eat your way around the Village while sampling the delicious bounty of local and regional growers through the lens of Squaw Valley's local chefs. The restaurants of the Village will feature special menu items throughout the weekend that highlight seasonal ingredients produced by Tahoe Food Hubs' community of sustainable and ecological farmers, all within 100 miles of North Lake Tahoe.  Featured dishes include:
  • ROCKER@Squaw - Rocker House Salad – field greens, pickled beets, cucumber, radish, Humboldt fog goat cheese, with a herb vinaigrette.
  • TWENTY-TWO BISTRO - Tahoe food hub salad - baby red romaine mixed with red butter lettuce, rainbow carrots, suyo cucumbers, asian pears, cherry tomatoes, and crispy wonton strips with a sesame soy vinaigrette.
  • UNCORKED - Tahoe Food Hub Cheese Plate – Buff Blue from Cowgirl Creamery, Truffle Tremor from Cyrpess Grove and Dry Jack Vella Cheese Co.
  • SOUPA – locally-sourced chicken, bacon ranch sandwich.

DÉCOR and STAGE DESIGN

  • Creating Equilibrium production teams and exhibitors align their operations and practices with the event’s overall sustainability strategy.  Highlighted efforts include:
    • Creative set and booth design features recycled milk crates.
    • All set pieces are engineered for reuse at future Creating Equilibrium events.
    • All stages feature high-efficiency LED lighting.
    • A local, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified printer is contracted tocomplete any printing required.

RESOURCE RECOVERY GREEN TEAM

  • Creating Equilibrium’s Green Team implements a comprehensive waste diversion strategy to divert traditional landfill waste to composting and recycling centers. The plan includes:  
    • Eco Stations and Green Team staff strategically positioned throughout the event space with clear educational signage explaining the three streams as:
      • COMPOST     Food | Liquid | Wet Paper | Compostable Packaging
      • RECYCLING     Plastic | Aluminum | Paper | Glass | Cardboard
      • LANDFILL      Plastic Utensils | Chip Bags | Plastic Wrappers | Styrofoam | Straws
    • Kitchen measures in place to ensure that catering scraps and excess food that cannot be donated are sent to compost.

EDUCATION & LEGACY

  • Creating Equilibrium is dedicated to leaving a positive environmental legacy and engaging attendees in its sustainability strategy. Highlighted legacy-building and education initiatives include:
    • Pre-event attendee communications convey the event’s sustainability goals.
    • Green Team members serve as ambassadors who provide information about waste diversion to attendees, vendors, and staff.
    • Props, plants, and décor items will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of South Lake Tahoe following the event for arts and crafts programs.

CARBON NEUTRAL CERTIFIED EVENT

  • Creating Equilibrium measures its carbon footprint, and the emissions from event-related activities will be neutralized via verifiable carbon offset projects. Emission sources will include:
    • On-site energy consumption
    • Participant and staff transportation
    • Participant and staff lodging
    • Waste disposal to landfill
    • Shipping and freight

See sustainability in action?  Post with #greenevent and share!

Creating Equilibrium supports local farmers, including:

  • Del Rio Botanicals, West Sacramento, CA
  • Dragon Gourmet Mushroom Farm, Sloughhouse, CA
  • Full Belly Farms, Guinda, CA
  • Yung Farms, West Sacramento, CA
  • Capay Organics, Capya, CA
  • Coke Farm, San Juan Bautista, CA
  • Laura Chanel Cheese, Sonoma County, CA