Sustainable Event Opportunities Abound

Any gathering can be successful and sustainable in co-dependent manners.  Even if only a few best practices are implemented at first, any organization can make a difference.  With experience, remarkable progress can be made to satisfy growing market demand for greener events.  

Our goal is to bring best practices in sustainability to on-campus and community events through initiatives in:

• Waste Diversion:  Recycling & Composting
• Organic and Local Food Choices
• Energy & Water Conservation
• Public Education & Awareness

Current and Past Student Projects Include:

Smooth Running, Inc.:  Marathons & Surf Festivals

Smooth Running sponsor’s athletic endurance events on land and water. Several students have worked with these partners since 2012 to help make their events more sustainable.  At Melbourne Music Marathons, trash cans have been replaced by separate recycling and composting bins. Students work on pre-and post-event site planning and work race day to ensure no cross-contamination occurs. At the Ron Jon Beach and Boards Fest, Florida Tech students work with Smooth Running and Keep Brevard Beautiful on site planning, recycling, and dune restoration. Florida Tech students also manage  information tables to provide information on sustainable best practices on- and off-campus.

Keep Brevard Beautiful

Florida Tech students also work annually with in their non-profit mission to motivate and educated business, school group and individual partnerships to reduce litter, recycle, and improve the environment for the economic benefit of Brevard County. Volunteer efforts between KBB and Florida Tech students have involved several major events including the KBB Annual Sustainability Awards, Ron Jon’s Beach N’ Boards Fest, Trash Bash 2012, Runaway Country and various beach cleanup's.

Beneath the Waves Film Festival

is a non-profit organization that is run completely by graduate students and post-doctoral researchers dedicated to raising public awareness about marine conservation using film as a media platform. In 2013–2014 we launched the Youth Making Ripples program which is an opportunity for K–12 students to serve as a voice for our oceans. Mini festivals are held on campus at the beginning of each year and are a great way to get involved and engage the community about the broader impacts of scientific research.

Florida Tech’s Women’s Business Center

Students are working with the Women’s Business Center at Florida Tech to make the events they produce more sustainable. We are currently co-developing guidelines for planning and executing a near zero-waste event at this year’s upcoming Space Coast Women’s Business Expo in August 2013.  This is the WBC ‘s largest annual fundraiser.  We are working to expand recycling practices and initiatives throughout the Women’s Business Center and the adjacent areas of the Harris Commons facility.

Annual International Festival at Florida Tech

Florida Tech's annual International Festival celebrates Florida Tech’s wide cultural diversity and international community. We have worked with I.S.S.S. to improve sustainable practices at their annual international festival. This is done by providing recycling for the event and by assisting local sustainable food vendors. Florida Tech students also do sustainability booths to educate people about the different sustainable programs offered on campus. A fun children’s activity area, focusing on recycling, has also been developed to help educate the next generation of responsible and environmentally conscious leaders.

For more information on Green Events on- or off-campus, or to volunteer at these events, please contact Emily Sybo.