Sustainability Unconference Vision
The Sustainability Unconference is one of the most fun, inspiring, and action-oriented events we’ve seen. In our first ever event in Honolulu, the only constructive feedback we received was that more time was needed…for everything! And while there have to be limits on the time for the sessions, the consistent desire for more time to explore ideas, concepts, and action plans speaks to the primary driver of the Sustainability Unconference: Think Globally, Act Locally.
Vision: the future of the Sustainability Unconference
So where does the Sustainability Unconference go from here? Well, with most things, the key to making bigger impacts is scale.
The long term plan for the SU is to create a licensable product (more or less like a TEDx style event) that can be used by sustainability leaders in every community to bring together a meeting of the minds with peers in the sustainability space. We gear the event to create real outcomes: people write commitments on the event’s program, and through sessions during the day, they meet others with similar interests and are encouraged to formulate action plans with them to think globally, act locally, and follow up afterwards. And of course, a lot of business cards are exchanged, which we facilitate in a speed networking session at the end of the day, which helps raise the tide of green business that can lift all ships.
As the company licensing the SU, we would provide a manual to a local organizer, support, the SU branded website and social media, and exposure through our media company, Important Media, one of the world’s largest sustainability-oriented media companies (see here for an example). We would likely also do apparel that they can sell, and the revenues for the event tickets, sponsorships, and affiliate sales would then be shared between licensor and licensee.
If you are interested in helping see this vision come to life, whether it be through interning, sponsoring, or signing up to run a Sustainability Unconference in your area, please drop us a note to accounts@importantmedia.org. Thank you, and we look forward to working with you to help create a better world.
