Check It Out! Opportunity Green Conference in LA
After looking forward to it for several months, the Opportunity Green Conference is now just around the corner. To be held November 17 at UCLA, the conference’s organizers are asking a question that seems to be on everyone’s lips: “Is green the new gold?”
The conference will bring together those involved in all aspects of green business, from visionaries and entrepreneurs to executives and investors, all of whom are dedicated to building socially conscious, sustainable, and profitable enterprises.
Organizers have put together an impressive list of speakers, all well-known in the socially-conscious world of business, including
- Kevin Wall, Founder of Live Earth
- Jonathan Greenblatt, Co-founder of Ethos Water
- Josh Dorfman, Author/Producer of “The Lazy Environmentalist”
- Max Schorr, Publisher and Founding Editor of GOOD Magazine
- Graham Hill, Founder of TreeHugger.com
- Gunther Lie, Director of Interactive Media for Method Products
- Ellen Strickland, Founder/Owner of Livingreen
The agenda features a panel discussion entitled, “Real World Green Business: Challenges, Mistakes and Opportunities” moderated by sustainability consultant and visionary John Picard. In addition, the schedule provides many options for break-out sessions, including Green 2.0: Connecting to Our Community, The End of Cars: The Future of Mobility as We Know It, and Venture Capital in the Green Marketplace.
There are also significant opportunities for networking, most notably before the event even starts. Through EventVue, registrants receive a login that allows you to upload a short bio, picture, etc. Once in, you can see who else will be at the event, including their areas of expertise and what they are “seeking”. A bit like a personal ad, but perfect for networking – you can even contact other registrants through the system before the event.
With more than 500 expected to attend, this conference is certain to help business people learn how to make gold from their green.
Tags: CA, California, conference, Eco-Entrepreneurs, events, investors, LA, Los Angeles, networking, Social Entrepreneurship, sustainable business, ucla
November 19th, 2007 at 1:46 am
Hi Cassie, the event was, unfortunately very different than this. There were few networking opportunities, and very little information/advice on how businesses could turn ‘green into gold’, as you say.
The speakers were great, and Josh was an excellent moderator for his part, but the event just wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. Business people paid $250 each and, more importantly- a full day of their time and didn’t receive the value that was promised them.
PS- ‘Event Vue’ is still in ‘beta testing’ and does not work. Another let down.
PPS- All was not lost. The event planners certainly succeeded in turning ‘green into gold’. At $250 per head they netted at least $125,000. Everything, from the food, drinks, printing, even the venue itself was likely donated to them so the entrance fee was pure profit!
November 19th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for posting your experience - I have heard mixed reviews of the event. Personally, I thought that some sessions were better than others (as is always the case at conferences) but overall I was able to glean a few key takeaways. For example, it was a good reminder that green businesses are mostly like any other: the product/service must satisfy an unmet need for the consumer (just being green doesn’t cut it). This came through most forcefully during the session on branding.
I actually didn’t have any problems with EventVue, and was able to connect with others before the event. Sounds like there may be some kinks, though.
Overall, since this was a first event for the organizers, I think that it can only get better from here. I know that they are open to feedback, so I encourage you to provide it to them.
Cassie