Green Event Planning

Whether you’re planning a family reunion, an annual meeting for your workplace, or a community-wide festival, make it a more environmentally friendly event.
Planning a green event takes a little more time and effort, but the rewards are great. You will have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve conserved resources, reduced landfill waste, and shown a commitment to preserving a sustainable quality of life for our community and our world.

Best of all, you will provide a model for others to follow. Your family, neighbours, customers, clients, and community members will note with approval that you have taken the time to ensure that your event is environmentally friendly.

Top 10 Ways to Make Your Meeting Environmentally Responsible

1. Write It Up
Create an environmental statement or policy for the meeting as simple as, "We commit to minimize the environmental impact of our meeting by increasing the use of recycled materials wherever possible, reducing the amount of solid waste and disposing of waste responsibly." Be sure to get sign-off from hosts and suppliers.

2. Go Paperless
Using Web technology can cut paper use dramatically. A simple Web site for the conference can offer registration and confirmation. Email can serve advertising needs.

3. Meet Close
Insofar as possible, minimize the average distance that participants must travel. Choose venues close to the airport and within walking distance.

4. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Ask your hotel and meeting venue to provide visible and accessible reduction, reuse and recycling services for paper, metal, plastic and glass.

5. Avoid Individual Servings
Use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, pepper, cream and toppings.

6. Choose Green Hotels
Choose a hotel that offers a linen reuse program and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps in guest suites.

7. Eat Green
Include vegetarian options, and use caterers willing to provide locally produced foods in season.

8. When You Must Print…
Print all materials on earth-friendly papers, using vegetable-based inks, and use both sides of every page if possible.

9. Lights Out
Make sure that lights and air conditioning are turned off when rooms are not in use.

10. Inform, Instruct, Inspire
Tell participants and speakers about the "green" commitment of the meeting. Include verbiage on printed items and table tents.

Check here more tips of how to make your own green event!

Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

FastLane Gadgets and Tech - Woo Buffet and Restaurant

FastLane had its last networking event of 2009 at Woo, an Asian buffet restaurant right in the heart of the city.

With the theme being gadget and tech, there were presentations from many companies, including Palm, iLane, Belkin accessories, Hi-Tech Tattoos and Showcase TV. People could mingle with the industry's best while enjoying gadgets.

Hi-Tech Tattoos were there to personalize people’s mp3 players and phones and iLane showcased their GPS-sized bluetooth device which reads out emails from one’s smartphone.

Door prizes included: WiFi Personal Hotspot, iLane device ($399 value), $100 Hi-Tech tattoo gift certificate, just to name a few.

It was a great tech experience with the opportunity of networking with a variety of professionals.

Stay tuned! Check the website for upcoming FastLane events.

We hope to see you all at our next event on January 19th!
Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

Photos by Anthony Parazo

JAE associates celebrates 29th anniversary!

Champagne, cake and lots of good vibes were the order of the day when Great Canadian Promotions, Div. JAE associates Ltd., celebrated its 29th anniversary. Gatherings Event Planning proudly organized this event and took care of the décor, catering, AV equipment, gift bags and on-site management.

On September 3rd at the International Centre, clients, suppliers, friends and family joined the team to celebrate the occasion, in an event that featured a keynote address by Stefan Danis, CEO of Mandrake Toronto and NexCareer. Kurt Reckziegel acted as special MC, regaling all present with stories of promotional products from the beginning to the present.

We congratulate Ms. Rang and her team and wish them the best of success in the years to come.

Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

New venue in Toronto: Dark Horse Espresso Bar

Gatherings Event Planning is pleased to announce our new partner, Dark Horse Espresso Bar on Spadina Ave. As the official Management Office for Dark Horse, Gatherings is responsible for any rental and event's inquiries.

Dark Horse Espresso Bar is a fresh, new independent coffee house in the entertainment district of downtown Toronto. Lots of space to sit, with recycled bowling alley wood tables, and a well furnished lounge just behind the coffee counter.

If you are looking for a new venue, unique and modern to hold a function for up to 125 people, you just found it!

Come visit us, see this beautiful space and have an espresso!
Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

Great Benefits!
> No landmark Fees
> No exclusivity agreements
> Bring in your own Alcohol
> Built-in sound system
> Reasonable rates

Dark Horse Espresso Bar
215 Spadina Ave (just north of Queen St. W)
Toronto, ON M5T 2C7

Management Office
Gatherings Event Planning & Fundraising
E: info@GatheringsEventPlanning.com
T: 416.551.0241



Photo Credits:
Toronto Eats
Dead Sex Magazine
Miss Yu
Dar Mustafa
FoodHogger
Matt MacGillivray

FastLane Patio Networking - Jump Cafe & Bar

This month's event was held at Jump Cafe & Bar on 18 Wellington Street West. As usual, there were door prizes, appetizers, drinks and much more.

Guests were entertained by the live magician Dan Trommater, on-site body painting, and great music by DJ Jude Kelly while they explored the many outlets that could assist in achieving their career, social, and lifestyle goals.

Jump is an American style bistro with sky-high glass atrium ceilings and a New York style bar. Guests could enjoy the warm weather, while networking among interesting people of various business backgrounds.

We hope to see you all at our next networking event on September 22nd at Prego Della Piazza in Yorkville!

Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

Check the website for upcoming Events
Check SNAP article

Photos by Anthony Parazo

FastLane – Patio Party

On July 14th FastLane held its fifth event of 2009 at Marben Restaurant. Guests came out and enjoyed the warm weather while networking with many interesting people from an array of different professions.

A mix of great food, yummy martinis, fresh juice cocktails and a fantastic street side patio all helped put guests at ease and made them ready to have a fun night of mingling with other young professionals.

Once at ease guests met new people, traded tips and made beneficial contacts in a trendy modern atmosphere.

We hope to see you all at our last patio networking event in August!

Michelle Cheung & The Gatherings Team
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For the next FastLane event, we invite you to the August Patio Party at Jump Café and Bar in the Financial District.

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Time: 6:00pm – 9:30pm
Location: Jump Café and Bar - 18 Wellington St. West

Tickets: On-line in advance $25 or $35 at the Door, tickets include one drink ticket.
Drinks & appetizers, Gift bag, and Door prizes!
Buy tickets here.

Remember to buy your tickets soon, as space is limited.
Join the FastLane Facebook Group.

“Through the Garden Gate” Beyond the Bridle Path

Toronto Botanical Garden committee and Gatherings team organized the event "Through the Garden Gate" that was held on Father’s day weekend on June 20 & 21. Garden enthusiasts turned out in full force with a visit to the exclusive gardens in the Bayview Ridge to Banbury Avenue, a neighbourhood known for its exceptional residential design and expansive parklands.

The tour offered visits to 14 private gardens, where people were inspired by the talent and creativity expressed in all of these exceptional gardens. The event is an important fundraising event for the Toronto Botanical Garden whose purpose is to inspire passion, respect and understanding of gardening and all the proceeds help to support the program and services offered by the TBG.

Karla Buendia & Gatherings Team

Next year’s tour is already in the planning stages.
For more information about the tour please email us or visit www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca