Reno Green Summit Outstanding Success

City of Reno Green Summit

Reno’s Green Summit at the incredible new Joe Crowley Student Union on the beautiful University of Nevada campus couldn’t be seen as anything but a major success.

Reports are noting that close to 300 people spent the afternoon at the summit, filled with informational booths from a variety of vendors and organizations from around the region.  As a representative from our green social network, Project ecoBrand, I can tell you that the opportunity to connect with the other vendors and attendees was really welcomed and appreciated.

The display tables were provided free of charge by the City of Reno, who did an outstanding job planning, organizing, coordinating and executing this great City branded gathering.

The Reno Gazette-Journal noted “close to 50 people attended a session on recycling and plastic bags” – and the main session was filled to the brim with individuals who spent the afternoon connecting and learning more about how we can all become more eco-conscious in our daily lives – as well as providing much needed inspiration to our City leaders.
Jason Geddes, the city’s Energy Administrator, says he expects to present several options to Reno City Council on Oct. 23 for regulating plastic bags, as well as an update on recycling negotiations with Waste Management Inc., which collects trash locally.  Jason’s efforts should be applauded by us all.

I had the opportunity to connect directly with several City Council members, and spent a good deal of time talking about how the event might be made more effective and accessible to our community.  I can tell you, Reno is truly progressive when it comes to our environmentally consciousness – and it’s really inspiring to be part of that effort.

Stay tuned for more updates about the event, and Jason Geddes’ final report to the City of Reno.

In the meantime, I’d really welcome your comments and thoughts about the event.  Together, we can make this a core value to our community, while developing habits and systems that will protect our environment, and our children’s future.

The Wonders of Springs Preserve

It was one of the first truly inspriational explorations into the sustainable market sector that we had – and what a start to a journey it was.

Springs Preserve sits squarely in the middle of Las Vegas. The $250 million, 180-acre project is nothing short of a wonderland of low-water, energy-efficient buildings and gardens. The actual springs on this site once provided water for all of Las Vegas, which, by the way, means “meadows” in Spanish.

Now the The Las Vegas Valley Water District and a team of architects have restored and revamped the site with sustainability displays intended to raise public awareness of green-building practices. There are six football fields worth of low-water gardens, with 20,000 species of drought-tolerant plant life, plus a 30-acre “Cienega” or desert wetland.

This new facilities cannot be fashioned any other way than to say it’s the desert’s true oasis. Certainly an oasis among the glittering lights of the Strip that is clearly visible from many vantage points around the facilities.

The visitor attractions are incredible, and start near the front gate with The ORIGEN Experience:
A hands-on approach to understanding the fascinating history and fragile eco-system of the Las Vegas Valley.

There two main galleries, the ORIGEN Experience and the Desert Living Center.

The ORIGEN Experience enables visitors to sense the historic essence of the land. ORIGEN exhibits include a simulated flash flood, a gallery on the cultural history of the area and replicas of an ancestral pueblan village. Kids old and young are encouraged to dig for, and identify fossils and view live exhibits of local flora and fauna.

The Desert Living Center provides classes, training and exhibits that help residents learn practical tips about eco-friendly living that encourage and enable them to implement a wide range of green living tips into their daily lives.

The Las Vegas Springs Preserve offers a recreated desert wetland, a gift shop, a children’s playground with oversized replicas of various wildlife, a resource library, educational video games and a Nature Exchange, where kids can trade in their own shells, stones and other artifacts for other like items. There are also nature trails and 8 acres of gardens with over 1,200 plants species on site. An 1,800-seat amphitheater provides nighttime entertainment

While you’re visiting, you won’t want to miss the Springs Preserve Cafe operated by Wolfgang Puck with a surprisingly perfect view of the Strip skyline and in 2009 the Nevada State Museum will relocate to the Preserve. More on those incredible developments as they become available for the public.

Project ecoBrand Launch

One of the distinct advantages of working in a truly collaborative environment is the ability to focus your attention toward a common goal. Collectively, we put our heads together to ask one simple question – What kind of work or client inspires us?

The answer was immediate – and unanimous. We want to focus new work with eco-based clients that can not only provide a valued resource to prospects, but also give back to, and protect our earth.

But how do you do this well? First… as always… a ton of research was undertaken. If we are going to help our eco-prospects position and market their brand, then we’d better understand the industries they’re engaged in on a daily basis.

We began, as a stroke of luck, at Las Vegas’ newest eco-adventure area: Springs Preserve. And what a start that was. It took several weeks, countless hours of research and learning – but we finally came to the understanding of the industry – its potential growth and suppliers, and felt a deeper affinity with the eco-branding process overall.

And so, launches our effort to reach out to, and partner with eco-friendly suppliers of products. At first, we’ll focus our efforts on getting those suppliers into the eyes and hearts of commercial real estate developers and projects. What better way to show the mass appeal, and the bottom-line cost savings than to help connect these niche suppliers with their much larger target market?

We’ve created an incentive program for anyone who knows of a good prospective client for SmartBrand, but more importantly, a good partner that suits our skill set in developing strong brands, and implementing campaigns that create true word-of-mouth virility.

So after reading this, ask yourself. Who do I know that might need a truly dedicated team of creatives focused on developing innovative brand platforms for eco-based products or services?

And then…call us, or visit our site to tell us more.