Health Conference

Hail to the "Embracers"

Monday, February 13, 2012 by Jared Brick

Recently I was asked to present a compelling "business case for sustainability." It is a common question innovative business students are attempting to answer inside the Presidio MBA program for Sustainable Management. At first, I thought I would bring up all the great evidence and case studies that already exist for proving why businesses need to move in this direction… then something occurred.

I started to think about all the grand evidence that exists in the world and how little it actually impacts our decisions. Consider the overwhelming "evidence" out there on the following topics. Cigarette smoking, global warming, alcohol abuse, fast food health impacts, obesity, exercise and fossil fuels for energy … the list goes on and on. There are mountains of data that "prove" the case for or against these societal issues and thus "prove" the case for a better way. Yet in the end, some people simply refuse to believe strong data, clear evidence or compelling arguments and continue their old ways.

But this post is not about them, it is really celebrating you, the online LOHAS community. It is about how you should be applauded and hailed as the "embracers" of sustainability and health. The way you live, shop and support new markets is your achievement, hopefully to be imitated, as it is the highest form of flattery.

A recent study by MITSloan shows that "embracers" are leading their industry and not waiting for a core of sustainability to be included sometime in the future … they know the future is now.   This thinking is paying off and the "laggards" or cautious adopters are thus falling even further behind.

There are many others out there that are not working as hard as we are, to find the best sustainable solutions for our modern living and in business. They can be considered "laggards", the people we feel we have to "prove" that sustainability works and that they should adopt it.   Now I am certainly a believer of sharing best practices, but proving that health and sustainability are important … really? Mother nature designed us to think and find the best solutions for our own survival, we are in the process of our own evolution now and I am not sure proving our case is the best use of our time and energy.

Clearly, you are the innovators and early adopters, the people on the front lines of our very evolution, pushing for change, not waiting for it arrive or be handed to us. You are seeking out solutions every day to the very ills of our way of life and not willing to settle for conventional thinking, standard products or disconnected living. Each time you spend money, you are considering larger impacts, each time you vote you are planning our collective future, each time you invest you are creating a new markets.

The best part is that the world is finally listening, societies are paying attention, communities are shifting. Your innovative thinking and bold actions are getting noticed all the world over. You are bucking the trends, you are going against the grain and you are the exception to the rules. Forget having to "prove the case", continue to live your lives your way and let that be your shining evidence to the world.

The MITSloan report identifies seven best practices that "embracers" share:
   1.   Move early
   2.   Balance long-term vision with short-term impact
   3.   Drive sustainability philosophy from both the top-down and the bottom-up
   4.   Don’t make sustainability a silo
   5.   Measure in whatever way you can
   6.   Remember the intangible benefits
   7.   Communicate your expectations

I congratulate you for listening to your true gut instincts, your breakthrough mind and most importantly your compassionate heart. I look forward to shaking your hand at the June 2012 LOHAS conference in Boulder.

Jared Brick is a current student at the Presidio Graduate School in San Francisco.

You can follow him here:
http://twitter.com/jaredbrick

LOHAS Wellness Trends

Tuesday, February 7, 2012 by Ted Ning

After scanning health and wellness trends for 2012 here are a few that caught my eye along with my own perspectices that are LOHAS related.

1. Yoga & Meditation as Mainstream Treatment: Interest in alternative treatments will experience a second surge. Even though interest in alternative treatments is already high, more people, practitioners and patients will be willing to experiment with new remedies, activities and lifestyle changes to avoid these kinds of medications. A study[10] finds that of the 41 million Americans that use mind-body therapies like yoga or tai chi, 6.4 million are now doing them because they were “prescribed” by their medical provider. Yoga, tai chi, qigong, Feldenkrais, guided imagery, acupuncture and other practices will continue to gain attention due to their ability to calm, soothe and attend to medical situations such as chronic pain, hypertension, obesity and stress. With returning PTSD suffering Iraqi war veterans and stress brought upon with tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes there will be a greater interest in how trauma affects us both personally and in our institutions, including our workplaces and schools and how to respond in effective ways.

2. Awareness & Prevention Will Have a Renewed Focus: As chronic diseases account for many of our healthcare issues and costs there will be a revitalized focus on preventative medicine. Anticipate the integration of wellness programs into businesses by employers and provide resources programs to encourage better health and prevention. This was predicted in our 2011 wellness trends but anticipate stronger campaigns on all fronts as health becomes a larger issue for society.

3. The Empowered Consumer Continues to Rise: The DYI trend among consumers will continue in 2012. And technology plays a large role here. Research shows that 80% of U.S. Internet users claim to have used the web to search for health-related information and answers. And that is just search. Many platforms from interactive healthcare kiosks to social media to personalized health sites are allowing consumers to empower themselves. As consumers increasingly turn to self-service technologies and channels, the entire healthcare industry has a tremendous opportunity to reach, engage and interactive with today’s empowered consumer. And that will yield some powerful results from consumers to doctors to advertisers.

4. Family Wellness Travel: The boom in solo travellers continues to rise for wellness holidays but more families are now searching for these types of getaways. Parents want their children to be healthy on holiday and also keep busy with plenty of activities so they don’t get bored. More resorts are also introducing healthy children’s menus so they can learn good habits early. Parents also want to be able to enjoy holistic activities and spa treatments, whilst their children are staying active.

5. Retail Plays an Increased Role: In response to the DYI demand from consumers in-store clinics and healthcare kiosks will play vital roles to connect with consumers for better healthcare access, awareness and treatments. Consumers are still frequenting brick-n-mortar stores; connecting with them while they are there offers great opportunities for healthcare providers, advertisers and the retail locations.

6. Holidaying with Health Gurus: Top health and fitness experts now work at some of the leading resorts around the world. More people want to receive dedicated support and guidance from the best in the industry; wellness retreats are bringing in the top yoga teachers, nutritionists, doctors, personal trainers and more health gurus to raise their game. Clients want to be inspired and informed so that they can lead a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle when they return home. Expect more tailored programs to be developed such as ones provided at Tao Inspired Living or Rancho La Puerta.

7. Obesity Awareness: Losing weight will continue to be the primary reason consumers seek personal training support as the public responds to the expanded messaging concerning the dangers of physical inactivity and obesity. The recently released Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index report that showed a modest improvement in the nation’s obesity rates for the first time in more than three years is a very encouraging sign. However, the fact remains that three out of five Americans are still overweight or obese, requiring more work to be done.

8. Whole-life training: Lifestyle/ Wellness coaching will become a bigger trend with more personal trainers, fitness centers and spas looking to holistically improve client lifestyle and expanding their education and training to include this skill set. There are efforts to clearly define the parameters of coaching and help distinguish coaching (which is future-focused) from other professional services like counseling (which delve into a person’s past). The medical industry and academic groups are examining the value of wellness coaching. Harvard Medical School (www.harvardcoaching.org) now underwrites an annual conference on coaching’s role in healthcare. One of the many research initiatives being analyzed by the International Coaching Research Forum (U.K.) is developing coaching as a global, academic profession. Companies like Wellpeople.com (U.S.) offer certified on-site or virtual wellness coaches for spas, hospitals and businesses. Anticipate fitness facilities to hire nutritionists and other allied healthcare professionals such as physical therapists and psychologists to serve the expanding needs of their health-conscious members including wellness, nutrition, and stress-management programs.

9. Community Collaboration: Access to fitness services and education will continue to expand in local communities including activities in gyms, parks, and recreation centers. Local leaders are taking a more active role to address health issues in their communities. This includes proactive measures through school-based education programs and engagement with low-income and at-risk families. The Canyon Ranch Institute provides Life Enhancement Programs in underserved communities of the South Bronx, Cleveland, and Tuscon to prevent, diagnose, and address chronic diseases.

10. Healthy Fast Food: There will be a greater push to keep students and employees healthy. This will mean a closer examination of cafeteria food in schools and on-site vending machines in work places, including information on how eating patterns create stress, obesity and health and behavior problems. As more people recognize the failings of fast food and food processing companies expect vendors to upgrade their product offerings to develop and market products that are not only healthy but actually promote health.

11. Clean Eating Focus: The food-health connection will be very important. As we learn more about "clean eating" -- consuming foods without preservatives, chemicals, sugars and other additives -- our habits will change as we read labels even more carefully and appreciate the rewards of more energy and fewer chronic illnesses. Along with clean eating, we will also become aware of the problems associated with GMO crops that have been over-hybridized by corporations for fast growth and easy harvest. The Non GMO project, The Institute for Responsible Technology and others are working on raising awareness for consumers on the hazards of GMO foods on the environment and health.

12. Evidence based Spa Therapies: There has been a significant amount of efforts put forth by skincare companies and alternative therapy groups to provide research backing the results of treatments. SpaEvidence is a web resource that gives the world easy access to the “evidence-based medicine” databases that doctors use, so they can search thousands of studies evaluating which spa modalities are proven to work, and for which exact conditions.

Feel free to add any that I may have missed.

Top LOHAS-ish Fall Conferences for 2011

Thursday, August 18, 2011 by Ted Ning

Here it is mid August and already I have to start working on my conference attending schedule for the fall of 2011. It seems like I have to do this earlier and earlier each year primarily because there are so many LOHAS oriented conferences being added or are catching my attention that I did not know of before. I have done a post on what events I think are important the past 2 years and here is my 3rd installment of top green/health and wellness/social enterprise/sustainability/leadership conferences worth considering as you plan your conference schedule for the fall.

For those new to the conference scene, there are two seasons – fall and spring. There are associations and organization that provide 1 or 2 events a year usually during those months. This is primarily because summer is a time when many set up personal vacation time and winter has more holiday time and weather issues.

Conference strategy
In determining which event is best for you take a look at the speakers and topics that will be presented. It is also important to look at the sponsors and how the event is presented via the event website. This will give you a feel on the type of companies that will be attending the event and what type of audience the event is trying to attract. By viewing the agenda content you can get an idea on how in depth they plan on going on topics. Also look at the networking opportunities that are in the program. Some events consciously embed them in the program via receptions, meals and outings and others do not. It is really up to you to make the best of the time for your own networking purposes.

On site
I find attending events to be incredibly stimulating. However I also find them to be extremely exhausting. Make sure you eat right, drink plenty of fluids, keep to a good sleep schedule and maintain a steady energy balance. For the large trade shows make sure you wear comfortable and supportive shoes for those hours on the exhibit floor. There are plenty of after party events to attend at which you can have some great business talks. It is up to you to make sure you know what formula works best for you. Set up meetings in advance if you can. That way you have some anchors to build the rest of the day's plan around and not get too lost in the shuffle of things - especially if they are large trade shows.

Leadership
Women in Green - August 30-31st Santa Monica CA
Focuses on women in leadership positions that promote green business. Although all the speakers are women you don’t need to be of the double X chromosome to attend. This is the second year of the event and according to people who attended last year it was about 200 people. This year there should be more.

Conscious Capitalism - OCT 12-14 Austin TX
You need an invite to attend this prestigious event that brings many CEO’s together to discuss conscious leadership within organizations. It is a relatively small event with around 200 attending. John Mackey of Whole Foods co-founded this and has people ranging from the CEO of the Container Store to Jean Houston speaking on how business can drive conscious change.

Green
Green Initiatives Conference Sept 29-30th Ft Lauderdale FL
A new event on my radar that has some interesting presenters and sponsors. The event team that is putting this on look like they have a tech background and may be one of the main focuses of the event. There are larger corporations participating such as DOW, HP and Coca Cola. It looks like they will focus on sustainability within larger companies and case studies from experiences.

SXSW Eco Oct 4-6 Austin, TX
SXSW music festival looks to sing a new green tune this year with the addition of a green event. Former LOHAS speakers who will be presenting include Simran Sethi and Philippe Cousteau. This is thier first year and the B2B event looks interesting. A great idea tagging it onto SXSW.

Opportunity Green Nov 9-10 Los Angeles, CA
OG is in its 3rd year and brings together green business and sustainable design in LA. They have about 800 attendees from all walks of life – corporate, entrepreneurs, media and of course Hollywood. They hold a great green design competition and it is a high energy event with interesting sessions and booths ranging from LED lighting for studios to BMW to water filters.

BSR - Nov 1-4 San Francisco, CA
The big one for the larger corporations that has been around a long time focusing on the corporate responsibility of multi-national corporations. Last year they had over 1000 in attendance. If you are looking to connect with the bigger companies on CSR initiatives this is the one to check out.

Funding and Finance
SOCAP Sept 7-9 Fort Mason, San Francisco CA
A vibrant event focusing on investing into social entrepreneurship. This event brings together large funds and banks with social entrepreneurs. Competitions on business plans are submitted ahead of time for a competition for funding and there is great education on raising capital for the startup and social enterprises.

SRI in the Rockies OCT 2-5 New Orleans, LA
A flagship event for social responsible investing(SRI) that brings SRI funds together with financial advisors. They also bring in a mix of speakers who focus on humanitarian, social and environmental impacts such as Jane Goodall, David Bornstein, Hunter Lovins and Bill McDonough. If you want insights on SRI and where it is headed this is THE event to attend.

Slow Money OCT 12-14 San Francisco, CA
Slow Money is a network of food activists, investors and entrepreneurs who nurture a range of conversations in order to actively develop funding and investment channels for local and sustainable food enterprises. Like Slow Food, they have local gatherings and a larger main event promoting a slow and steady investment into businesses who are seeking an alternative to the conventional Wall Street type investor. Speakers include David Suzuki, David Orr and Vananda Shiva.

Investor's Circle OCT 26-27 Philadelphia, PA
A membership organization that support a great entrepreneurs that are addressing social and environmental issues. They look at 10-15 high impact deals that are seeking investment. They also provide a due diligence process that starts once the event is complete. It is about 200 people in attendance who are angel investors, fund managers, family office managers, foundation executives and trustees, wealth, financial and philanthropic advisers and their clients and other accredited investors.

Industry Specific
EcoTourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference Sept 19-21st Hilton Head SC
With over 30 inspiring sessions, 50 leading industry partners, and impactful and engaging keynote presentations, the ESTC 2011 (Hilton Head Island, SC, USA, September 19-21, 2011) sets the platform for ongoing dialogue promoting innovative ideas and practical solutions, driving change in global tourism.

Expo East Sept 22-24 Baltimore MD
Attended by as many as 25,000 industry professionals and featuring thousands of exhibits, Natural Products Expo East is the largest natural, organic, and healthy products trade show on the East Coast. With the newest and best-selling products and branded ingredients available this show features the best in organic at All Things Organic/Organic Products Expo-BioFach America, offers an extensive retailer training program and provides an advocacy platform through a strategic partnership with Natural Products Association East. Natural Products Expo East is ranked as one of the top 200 tradeshows in the US.

Greenbuild Oct 4-7 Toronto Canada
Greenbuild is the green building industry's can't miss event. It's where we go to learn about what's new in green building practices through the extensive educational sessions, see the latest technology and innovation in the exhibit hall, and perhaps more importantly, where we go to do business. Greenbuild is a one-stop shop for credential maintenance. From pre- or post-show LEED workshops to sector-specific summits, from green building tours to concurrent educational sessions, you will find the education you need at Greenbuild. Most sessions at Greenbuild will be approved for continuing education credits for LEED and other professional credentials, allowing you to maintain your credential with ease.

Beauty/Wellness
Natural Beauty Summit Oct 6-7 NYC
This is a smaller and formal event for the natural and organic beauty industry that brings together the mission driven companies such as Dr. Bronners and Weleda with the larger corporations such as Este Lauder, L’Oreal and Avon. It is more of a lecture format and a lot of presentation intake. If you are a data hound you will get your fill. If you are a networker you will need to work for it but there are good connections to be made. The group is a bit insular if you are an outsider but if you are seeking to enter the luxury skincare market it may be worth considering.

Green Spa Network - Oct 9-12 Sundance, UT
This event is made up of a group of spa resorts and products that want to go the extra mile in promoting green efforts in the spa industry. The event has about 100 passionate people who want to move the spa world in the direction of holistic and sustainable integration. They are a very open and friendly group that welcomes newcomers (and new members). Plus the events are always at pristine green resorts.

ISPA - Nov 7-9 Las Vegas
If you are in the spa industry you have to go where everyone goes which is the International Spa Association Conference. Every other year they have their annual event in Las Vegas which brings investors, products and service providers, spa techs and directors together. This is THE most well groomed event I have ever experienced with exhibitors providing facials, teeth whitening and massages. There is good data provided on the spa world and great sessions specific to spa owners and employees. ISPA provides great data on the spa market as well.

Social Venture Network Oct 27-30 Philadelphia, PA
SVN is a membership organization of successful social entrepreneurs ranging from Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, creators of Ben & Jerry’s, to Van Jones, former Green Czar to Obama, to Tom Szaky founder of Terracycle. It mixes sustainability with community building and innovation and a ton of passion. You can’t leave this event without 2-3 bonding hugs. It is a great place to seek mentorship, collect ideas and also potential funding from successful entrepreneurs and community leaders who are interested in helping others. This overlaps with the Investor’s Circle previously mentioned.

Net Impact Oct 27-29 Portland, OR
Net Impact is a large event that brings 2500 students and corporations together. They have chapters associated with Universities all over the country with a large membership and the event focuses on social enterprise, green business strategies, and nonprofit work.

Public Events
Yoga Journal Conference Sept 18-25 Estes Park, CO
For yoga die hards and trainers interested in the business of yoga or just to improve their own yoga practice. Famous yoga instructors such as Rodney Yee, Sean Corn and Shiva Rae have taught classes here. There is a vendor area as well.

Greenfestivals
Greenfests are the creations of Green America and a designed to celebrate green and diversity in various regions. Their flagship event in San Fran pulls in 30,000 attendees and they have some amazing keynote speakers such as Dr. Weil, Deepak Chopra, Amy Goodman, Jim Hightower and many more. Companies large and small mingle together with the public selling their products and services. I think these are great not only to see what is being sold but to see who is buying and the similarities and differences each region has as it relates to green. There is always a colorful audience at Greenfestivals.
New York 10/1-2
Los Angeles 10/29-30
San Francisco 11/12-13

Bioneers San Rafael, CA 10/14-16
Bioneers is where ecology meets activism meets celebration. I could spend hours in the parking lot just reading all the bumper stickers on people’s cars (mostly hybrids). If you are into fighting injustices of the underserved, hearing the wisdom of traditional cultures and the stories of animals and unique journeys of people this is an event for you. There are workshops on business, youth, art, peace and more. It draws about 3-5,000 who are all there because of the larger mission Bioneers embodies. Networking is great but you will need to be selective on who you connect with since there are so many types of people there.

Of course these are just a few of the many events out there of interest to me. There are many others that are international that I did not include. If there are any other events you see I am missing please feel free to comment and add.

Tune Up to Success with Freddie Ravel

Thursday, June 23, 2011 by Lori Batcheller

The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

Latin Jazz musician Freddie Ravel set the mood for this green conference with upbeat jazz synthesizer and said thank you in over half a dozen languages, which set an atmosphere of inclusion. As it turns out, in Chinese LOHAS means happy life and I believe that living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle will certainly lead to a happy life for the earth and its inhabitants. Freddie literally brought us all (several hundred) into harmony by tuning us to the frequency used by every orchestra before they begin to perform.

Recently, Freddie spent two weeks playing with Carlos Santana at the Hard Rock Cafe. Over the two weeks he spent there, he realized that what he once heard as noise-people, machines, music--was in fact all music. If we're really listening, says Freddie, music is everywhere.

Our own music begins in the womb with the beating of our heart, and then we become a duet with our mother's heart, When we are born, we enter the world as a "little musical masterpiece." We enter, says Freddie, listening and expressing. We are given two ears and only one mouth, he says, because listening is harder than speaking.

Freddie asks us to think about who we are and how we lead. How we listen and collaborate. How we conduct our daily life. What is our score.

Without all four working together on a master level--harmony, rhythm, melody, and score, we are not working completely.

Freddie then put forth the five most important words for the sustainability conference, "How may I help you?"

He then played a latin version of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart--another way to contribute to the upbeat atmosphere of this conference.

He ended his talk with a wish that felt like a blessing--"May you always sing your melody, live your rhythm, and celebrate the great score that is you.

This I believe, is how change will happen. Each of us tuning into all of mankind and the world, knowing ourselves, and daring to sing our songs and live our greatness.

Lori Batcheller is a freelance writer, yoga instructor and registered massage therapist who writes about health and wellness and sustainable lifestyles. www.lbcreative.com.

Collaboration. It's The New Competition.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 by Pippa Sorley

The below article is brought to you as part of elephant journal’s ongoing coverage of LOHAS Forum. For our complete coverage, be sure to follow elephant on Twitter and Facebook.

I'm super excited to be here, in my home town of Boulder, Colorado, to attend the annual LOHAS conference. As much as I'm averse to the unsexy acronym -- LOHAS -- (couldn't we have come up with something that rolls off the tongue a bit better?), I'm proud to be representing elephantjournal's perspective on this year's LOHAS conference. Boulder is, after all, America's hub for the sustainability, natural products, and alternative health industries. It may be a republic. But it's the hippest, greenest, most innovative republic out there!

I've just left the press conference led by Ted Ning, the Conference Director, and was struck by his enthusiasm for what this conference represents. How is this conference different for all the others? We've all been to events over the years, where it seems same 'ole, same 'ole...talking heads, peeps patting themselves on the back for what a great job they're doing in their respective industries. But this one really does feel different. It seems to promote and offer a new way of working together; a new way of doing business together; a new way to learn from and teach one another...which, in my opinion, is THE wave of the future...collaboration.

The "Us vs. Them" paradigm is over. In fact, companies that continue on the path of cutthroat competition will be left in the dust. Triple bottom line economics is what will drive the future of sustainable business. Thanks to the annual LOHAS conference, conscious companies have an opportunity to network with scores of other, like-minded green businesses in pursuit of three bottom lines : financial, environmental, and social. Get ready world. We're here. And the world is a changin' as we speak.

Collaboration. It's the new competition.

Can Opinion Leaders and Business Gurus Bring on a Sustainable Culture?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 by Bud LOHAS

That's the question the folks in the natural products industry and other big brand businesses are exploring in Boulder, Colorado this week! LOHAS is the acronym that translates to Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability. Stay tuned for the latest cutting edge ideas coming from the heart of "Organic Land".

Changing individual human behavior is the key to our future. Improving the quality of life is often the purpose of non-profit organizations. Julia Butterfly Hill ( the courageous activist / protector of Redwood trees) likes to call those entities For Benefit Organizations! That's a really nice way to think about the essence of their work.

In Boulder, the for-profit sector will be exploring how their business practices can affect our society for the better. Anyone interested in the triple bottom line approach to corporate social responsibility will find many members of their tribe at the St. Julien Hotel for the next few days! Astute observers will be watching to see if they can truly green our world, once and for all.

Whole systems, ecological thinking will most definitely be in vogue.

This conference is where connecting the dots between business practices, human behavior, ecological balance and the quality of life on Earth will not be avoided.

Convincing one another that cooperation and collaboration is the key to success is the first order of business. Reinventing business for the 21st century will require a radical transformation of "business as usual". We'll see if this crowd of motivated and energetic entrepreneurs is up to the task.

Reaching out to the main stream is the next challenge! Stay tuned.

_________________________________________________________________

Bud Wilson was a student-athlete-activist during the tumultuous era at Harvard University and emerged with an interdisciplinary degree combining, child development, innovative education and urban social policy. He the Global Director of Bio-Regional Leadership and an awareness instructor and wilderness guide for Sacred Passage and The Way of Nature. Bud has devoted his passion and energy to raising awareness (including his own) and shifting human consciousness to appreciate that we are all living in an interdependent, interconnected world where there is more than enough for all of humanity to live in peace and harmony. A proud dad of 2 wonderful grown children!

How the Content of the LOHAS Forum is Developed

Wednesday, June 8, 2011 by Ted Ning

If you know me you are well aware that I have a bit of a hectic travel schedule and go to a variety of conferences oriented around green business, social enterprises, health and wellness and everything in between. Yes I am an admitted conference junkie. But there is a reason for my addiction and I will try to explain them rationally as any junkie in denial will do. For me, my reasons are to keep on the edge of what is happening in the various spaces that comprise LOHAS. I enjoy attending conferences not so much to hear about what someone is saying on stage but rather what is being said in the hallways. I feel that getting into the candid conversations at dinners or over drinks really gives me an up close and personal view point into various market sectors with various market leaders. The presentations on stage are an added bonus and if I am lucky they are indeed worth listening to. But I am a critique on a variety of levels. My preference is someone who not only provides a picture of the problem but also presents a vision and solutions to it. If I want gloom and doom I can just watch the news. No need to tell me more about it. I think we are all aware that we are all in deep s#!@ and in it for a long while. I want inspiration and something that speaks to me at a deeper level. I also don’t want a sales pitch. I know that corporate presentations tend to have specific parameters on what they can and cannot say. But getting those people off the stage and into a conversation in the hall is great. That is when you can get to the heart of burning questions and have them give you more in depth answers that they can’t when in front of an audience. I also need imagery. I’m a visual person and a visual learner. If someone presents something with multiple bullet points and is reading them off – that immediately sends me to checking my email on my smartphone. Yawn! But is someone has a well thought out presentation and integrates examples and lead ins using images it is magic. Presenters don’t always need to have images behind them on a large screen. They can take the audience on a wild ride just with a compelling story that has colorful detail and elements that the audience can relate to. After all we are a society of storytellers. They also must have that connection with the audience that a few have and others do not. Hard one to teach but when it is there you can feel it. I also run into some of the most interesting people I would not expect and allow myself to do so by being open to whomever or whatever manifests in front of me. By attending various conferences and hearing different thoughts and ideas both on stage and off I begin to weave together trends and similarities I hear repeated in various LOHAS sectors. I also try to integrate new ideas and concepts that may be fresh to LOHAS. This process constantly reminds me of the fable of Stone Soup. The fable goes like this:
Some travellers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty cooking pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travellers. The travellers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travellers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager does not mind parting with just a little bit of carrot to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travellers again mention their stone soup which has not reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all.
This is in essence how the core content of the LOHAS Forum is developed. We then add additional speaker applications into it from those who submit presentations and we adjust a bit here and there but that is how it is contrived. It may not be perfect but the mix is a work in progress and I hope that you are able to enjoy some of the nourishment that the LOHAS soup provides by attending the LOHAS Forum, attending LOHAS regional events, subscribing to our e-newsletter or our various social media groups such as Facebook, Twiiter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

A Reminder that it was 'Yes We Can' not 'Yes He Can'.

Monday, December 13, 2010 by Ted Ning

Earlier this fall I was fortunate enough to hear Van Jones speak at the SVN fall conference. Van Jones was the Green Jobs Czar that Obama appointed only to be ousted by people who felt he was too controversial for the job. Prior to being appointed he founded Green For All that promotes green jobs in inner city communities solving both unemployment and the development of a green industry. He also wrote the Green Collar Economy that outlines his vision on how this could be done. I had not heard anything from him since his resignation from the White House appointed position and was curious if he had any remorse and what he thought of the current political and economic climate. What he said I found quite profound. He started out by talking about how disasters like the BP oil spill demonstrated what can happen from a perceived insignificant cheat from someone in the BP office that created catastrophic results and untold environmental and brand damage.

Here are highlights of the talk:

However, if one looks at the law of the universe this also means that perceived insignificant positive things can also have astronomical effects based off of the perceived insignificance of hope. If it works successfully negatively it can also work in positive ways. He remarked that those in the green movement tend to look at the coal and oil business as the big evil empire. But we cannot categorize them as such. We also need to honor the 80,000 coal miners as heroes who risk their lives and their health for our benefit. They are the reason why we can turn on our lights and power our homes. Yet we have also created an equal amount of jobs positions (80,000) in the wind industry and 46,000 in the solar industry. There has also been 36,000 renewable energy enterprises created nationally. These are examples that things are working successfully for the green economy. But what happened to the movement that Obama cultivated during his presidential campaign? What happened to that momentum? Van explained that during the presidential election the Obama campaign was a well oiled machine that had 80 on staff. Once Obama was sworn in as President the congress took over responsibilities on outreach and direction. The staff that kept in touch with supporters online and was successful in mobilizing volunteers and outreach has been reduced to 8 people. The 15 million person email list was given to the National Democratic Party but they and have been undisciplined with the use of it. The movement that Obama had created suddenly had no ability to communicate because of the leadership loss. As president, Obama needs to make tough decisions of mobilizing people and cut deals with republicans. Many see this these deals as a loss in integrity or broken promises. Those 15 million people had hope and now feel pained from the loss of their hope. They thought they had a home and had won with the election. Van reminded the audience that Obama’s message was “Yes We Can” not “Yes He Can”. Where did WE go? Van feels that we can still fix this and can build on the community of love and support. We have voices but need to build a new platform and community to share common goals.

Van Jones talked about how the tea party built a platform successfully. They united people on values. The Democratic party tends to focus its energies on policies and individuals. These are very difficult to unite a movement. We need to go back to talking about heart based values and our intention to inspire children of all species. The rise tea party noise was not the rise of hatred but more the collapse of hope. They did not get larger they go louder. We didn’t get smaller we got silent. 2011 will be a gut check to see how we respond as a movement. Van stressed we need a platform to create stories that matter and need a partner in government. If we don’t ask how will we get it. No industry movement has made it without a government partner. It is not about right vs. left but about past vs. future and welfare vs. work and the redistribution of wealth vs. methods of new wealth. If done right these will sell themselves both on the congressional floor and in the world of business. I agree. Do you?

LOHAS Translates to Happy Life in Chinese

Monday, December 13, 2010 by Ted Ning

I recently attended the 3rd Annual LOHAS China Conference in Shanghai and it was very surprising for me. For those of you who don’t know LOHAS is much more popular internationally than it is in the United States. The concept of LOHAS was introduced to Japan in 2005 and it has taken off since. Today, over 60% of the Japanese adult population is familiar with the term LOHAS and use the term like we do when we identify green. The way that pop culture works in Asia is that usually trends start in Japan and spread to other areas of the region. You can see this in music, fashion, and even TV commercials. Since LOHAS was picked up strongly in Japan it was quickly adopted by China, Korea and other countries in S.E. Asia. In Japan the sustainable aspect of LOHAS is strongly embraced however in many other Asian countries, health is the leading aspect. Health is a huge element of the Asian culture as it is in every culture. But what LOHAS provides is traditional Asian values of respect for nature and society. LOHAS translates in Chinese as “happy life” or “life of harmony” which many Asian marketers have grabbed onto and used as sales initiatives for things not really related to authentic to the LOHAS orientation. I have walked down the streets of many Asian countries and have seen LOHAS sales for clothing, furniture and hotel chains all promoting ways to live a “happy life” which pretty much means everything. Who doesn’t want to live a happy life?

When I was initially invited to speak at the Chinese LOHAS Forum I was skeptical. I had been to my share of Chinese and Japanese business events and have found them typically to be a bit heavy on formalities and not very creative in content. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Chinese LOHAS Forum to be very different than I anticipated. It is run by professor Shen Li who teaches traditional Chinese business at Beijing University using Daoist principles. His outlook on LOHAS was much different than a typical business conference. It embodies the traditional elements of Daoism and the interconnectedness people have with the universe and each other. The speakers that presented were specialist in bio dynamic farming, chi qong, futurists, and activists that are all interested in LOHAS elements that are in line with original LOHAS values. And they brought people from all over China interested in these principles as well. It was very refreshing to see there is a following for LOHAS values in a way that LOHAS is oriented here in the U.S. I met some interesting business contacts such as the LOHAS association of Maccau, organic CSA groups and wellness specialists. I also connected with LOHAS China magazine which is produced by the largest privately held media company in China. I hope they can educate their readership on true LOHAS values that are done the right way and not capitalize on the “happy life” sales campaigns. I spoke at the conference on the origins of LOHAS and ways to determine LOHAS-washing or green washing. I hope people take my advice there.

The enormity of the Chinese market is astounding. Only when you actually go and experience it in a city like Shanghai can you understand the power of its pulse and the momentum of China’s emerging middle class. The huge population has its challenges as it grows and LOHAS values are needed to foster intelligent growth. I certainly am excited about the opportunity LOHAS has in China and hope it can expand.

Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability -- Version 14

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Jennifer Schwab of SCGH

BOULDER, CO - When's the last time you attended a conference and one of the keynote speakers was only 16 years old? This was but one of the thought-provoking subject matter experts we were treated to at the 14th annual LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Conference, held at the super green St. Julien Hotel here.

Child prodigy Alec Loorz, age 16, gave us hope for the current generation as they will be the first Americans to really grow up on green. He reminded us not to be too preachy to our kids, yet in my view was a bit fatalistic in tone himself, as in, "if we don't all go green the planet will end...." Either way, a provocative presentation and thesis from a gifted young man.

Another top notch keynote came from Suzanne Shelton, a green advertising expert who was armed with relevant data. Did you realize that:

Consumers don't go green to save the planet. They are motivated by the same things that cause them to buy "regular" products. For comfort, convenience, aesthetics and saving money -- surprise, the same reasons they buy most products and services;
Home health is also a key driver, keeping toxins away from children and making healthy choices for the family are also highly ranked motivators;
How do people determine if a product is green? They get their info from labels and look for third party verification;
How do customers evaluate whether a company is truly green? First, if they recycle company-wide. Next, if they eliminate toxic chemicals from the manufacturing process. Third, if their facilities run on renewable energy;
And finally, getting kids talking to their parents about change is powerful - 68% of adults say they have adjusted their buying habits because of their kids' encouragement.

I spoke on social networking in the green space, which was a very popular subject, we had an overflow crowd. My presenting partner was Mallika Chopra, author and blogger extraordinaire who happens to be the daughter of spirituality and wellness guru Deepak Chopra. I gave an overview of how to build and maintain a successful blog (by the way, "My Inner Green" also appears on LOHAS.com in addition to HuffPo and SIerraClubGreenHome.com), and Mallika talked about the role of social responsibility in the blogging community. Her site is called Intent.com, give it a visit, and of course, follow me at SCGH.com or on Facebook and Twitter. Lots of questions from aspiring bloggers. A lively discussion and a great audience ranging from early 20s to 60+.

LOHAS founder and organizer Ted Ning was very pleased with this year's conference, as attendance held about even in a recession year. Participants came from as far away as Singapore, Australia, Peru and France, among others. Key sponsors were Mohawk Flooring, makers of bamboo and other sustainable materials, and Icestone, maker of recycled countertops and related materials.

Boulder Colorado itself is a perfect setting for LOHAS. One of the first cities in the world to be truly green, Boulder is a pioneer and leader in all things sustainable. The St. Julien Hotel is one of the first and best green hotels in America, leaving no stone unturned in its construction, operations and food and beverage service to be a top to bottom sustainable organization.

Overall, LOHAS does not have the corporate heavy hitters I met at Fortune Brainstorm Green or the Dow Jones Eco-Nomics conference. It does, however, provide a true cross section of leading green citizens from all walks of life, all meeting to exchange ideas and promote sustainability. A worthwhile event indeed.

Follow Jennifer Schwab on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SCGreen_Home

Businesses Coming Together To Help Change The World

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 by Ted Ning

Written eloguently by Ed and Deb Shapiro

In a few weeks time a remarkable event will happen in Boulder, Colorado. Over 500 large and small business leaders will come together to learn how each is contributing to a meaningful and safer world, while still managing to make a profit and even to live a relatively stress-free life.

This gathering is the annual LOHAS Forum, aka Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, to be held June 23-25.

LOHAS offers a rare opportunity for both business owners and consumers to meet with the decision makers from many large companies, including Coca Cola, Petco, eBay, and the CEO of Ecover, and for those larger businesses, who may not know how to navigate the rapidly changing market, to learn from smaller ones who are making it work. It is also a place to find out about new trends and approaches to engage conscious consumers, who pay close attention to more sustainable and ethical ways of doing things.

With the current economic downturn affecting us all, many business people are asking themselves: “What am I doing and can I do it better, for both my business and for the planet as a whole? Can I, even if only in a small way, make a difference?” Last year we were all holding onto our financial dashboard with white knuckles, hoping we would be able to pull through. But now, LOHAS organizer Ted Ning tells, “People are asking, ‘Why was I in the rat race to begin with? I want to make decisions and spend my money with a greater awareness of the outcome but I don’t know how to do this or where to go.’ LOHAS provides an enormous amount of information to assist those who are making changes so they can understand how to maintain their business and market position.”

Ning believes there is a shift toward more meaningful-based initiatives, which shows itself in a combination of good business and inspired values. “People want their products to have more meaning, as seen in the Tide commercials where trucks laden with washing machines roll into Katrina camps to wash clothes, with a percent of what you buy going to this initiative. Conspicuous consumption, such as designer handbags or massive SUV’s, is on the decline, while more conscious and value-oriented purchases are increasing: I don’t want to just buy detergent but I want it to have other purposes too, like helping the needy. People are taking more care of where their money is going.”

At LOHAS, business owners can see other businesses that are innovative in their ways of reaching people and selling products, while also helping the planet. Green products are getting cheaper and more mainstream, and organic products are now in all main supermarkets as awareness grows of how they affect the planet and our own health: to eat better is to live better. As a result, this year the LOHAS focus will be on the health component with doctors, physicians and wellness experts, and how to make better health a part of both our life and business.

LOHAS provides thousands of dollars worth of consumer data that can really help businesses. The conference is not focused on just one thing, but on all aspects that will support a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle. Information will be available online and all the general sessions will be posted on YouTube. An entire track will be dedicated to social media and how to use this to optimize business. It identifies the market that caters to conscious consumers, and also identifies that conscious consumer base, giving people an understanding of how they fit and ways to connect with others.

“This is not a typical conference,” explains Ning. “It gives people permission to be themselves, as opposed to their business persona. Networking is more like heartworking as people tend to connect on a deeper level. It is really very different to a normal business conference as participants are inspired to turn their insights into actions so they can make real changes. This goes beyond the conference and into our daily lives.” All told, it’s simply the best place to discover opportunities and a like-minded community in the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability marketplace!

Gotta Start Small to Go Big

Monday, April 12, 2010 by Jennifer Schwab of SCGH

Anybody remember President Obama's recent State of the Union speech? We were watching it at the Sierra Club Green Home offices, excited to hear about his successes on the environmental front.

President Obama is one impressive orator but according to that speech, he plans to: fix the economy; implement a new health care policy; complete the war in Afghanistan/Iran; rebuild our standing internationally; help impoverished nations; among other important problems to address - not to mention, foster the green movement and bring renewable energy to America.

Noble goals all, but at some point I began to wonder, is it realistic to accomplish even a portion of this by 2012? Perhaps but knowing how monumental these problems all are, it is unlikely that even one or two of them will be solved in three short years.

The same thought occurred to me while attending a recent green conference, which shall remain nameless. The speakers talked about making recycling mandatory throughout the country; bringing wind and solar power to all municipalities; ending coal mining and replacing it with clean renewable energy; providing adequate supplies of clean water and air to all citizens of the world; retrofitting American homes with proper insulation, energy efficient windows, low flow toilets and showers, composting, and more. We need all of these things, no doubt, but at some point, it just won't work to say we can accomplish all of them simultaneously.

Consider this a plea for community leaders, politicians, non-profit executive directors and others in position to help fix our problems and affect change in America: please, let's try to take a more realistic approach to going green. This means PRIORITIZING our goals, if not nationally then by municipality or geographical area. This way, it might be possible to get one or two or even three of the mission-critical agenda items accomplished. Yes they ALL need to be addressed, but trying to do so simultaneously will most likely result in making a little progress on all fronts but completing none. Better to select one or two major issues and work them intensely to actually succeed -- then and only then move to the next ones.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: instead of having each major city in America try to work on a full sustainability plan, why not assign a specific area of focus, and then share the solution with other cities in the form of a best practices template? For example, Chicago would work on indoor air quality since they spend so much time indoors; Las Vegas would work on water conservation since it is in the desert; Los Angeles would work on solar power since it has a high percentage of sunny days, and so on. Then at the end of three or five years, each city would have to share their completed template with other cities nationally and even internationally. In this way, we'd have a collection of significant successes instead of all cities recording varying degrees of success in many categories.

I know this is rhetoric but I have an innate fear that thousands of well-meaning volunteers who support these leaders will end up frustrated and unfulfilled. It is up to our leaders to choose a path that can lead to success, one goal at a time.

Thanks for reading; I'd love to hear your thoughts on this....

Follow Jennifer Schwab on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SCGreen_Home

Which Sustainable Business Conference is Right For Me?

Thursday, November 12, 2009 by Ted Ning

If you have been following my tweets or Facebook updates then you know I have been living out of a suitcase for the past few months. It seems like there are a lot of green events and conferences going on this year and you know what – there certainly are. It used to be that there were standard events that everyone attended. Now that green business is all the rage there are more events that bring business leaders together.

I have been to quite a few and still have a few yet to go. Here is a summary of what I have experienced that I hope will help you determine which ones are the most suitable to attend for education and networking.

Conference season – Fall and spring are the times when most of the events happen. Fall is busier than spring so you newbies to the conference scene plan the fall to be traveling.

September:

Expo East – Is the Natural Food and Products show on the east coast. This event brings companies from the organic food and personal care industries together. This year it was in Boston. I didn’t go this year but have been in the past. It is much smaller than the spring west coast show and I like it because east coast companies are well represented. Plus you can actually have a conversation with people at booths rather than deal with a sea of people. If you are located on the east coast it certainly is a good one to attend.

Natural Cosmetic Congress – This is held in Germany and I presented U.S. LOHAS info. It is run by the same organizers as Biofach which is the largest European organic and natural food expo. I enjoyed this because it was about 200 people who focused on the German speaking areas of Europe and organic skincare. Germany has embodied much of LOHAS values into their culture including advancements in skincare. Companies like Dr. Hauschka, Primavera and Weleda are headquartered there. Even though many think Germany is light years ahead of the U.S. in sustainability they are still facing similar challenges such as ingredient listings and certification confusion. Nevertheless it was a great event to get some insight into the happenings of the cosmetic world of Germany.

Health and Beauty Expo – Happens in New York and brings together all the leaders in the cosmetic world. The floor is full of suppliers and manufacturers and well known brands such as Este Lauder and L’Oreal. I have spoken at this event as well which I thought was great. It is always good to get out to new people and educate them on healthy skincare and LOHAS consumer values. If you are in the skincare market this is the big boy of the industry.

International Spa Conference – The big expo for the spa world and wellness. I have spoken at this event and see more and more green products and services every year. All the new information available on skincare and awareness of organic vs. chemical skincare products has many companies wanting to keep up with consumer demands. Also a very well groomed bunch.

October:

21st Century Book Marketing – A new event that was created for people who are looking to write a book and what steps to follow. It was created by people who have experience in the self help world which makes sense since that is the category that sells the most books. There were about 200 people and some great speakers such as Jack Canfield and Debbie Ford. The sessions were packed full of information on marketing practices and a lot of techniques on social media which I found very useful. Lots of energy and networking. If you are interested in creating, publishing and marketing a book this is a great event for you.

Social Venture Network – An member organization of entrepreneurs who focus on social and environmental business as their business mission. The founders of Ben & Jerry’s, New Leaf Paper, Odwalla and Aveda are members. This event brings together pioneers of the LOHAS space with new upcoming start ups and nonprofits and provide great opportunities for creating relationships for mentoring, advising and sometimes even investing. There is a lot of heart at this event and a lot of bonding. For those who are not willing to hug strangers – be wary. I really enjoy this event for the heart that is involved and the heartfelt participation that people provide during the conference. SVN has 2 events – 1 in fall and a members only event in spring.

SRI in the Rockies – focuses on socially responsible investing and brings together financial planners and SRI fund managers to talk about investing and shareholder advocacy. I enjoy this event to get a pulse of financials as they relate to LOHAS. They also have great speakers such as Marc Gunther and Jane Goodall speak to add to the social element. Plus they hold a killer dance party. Those fund managers know how to boogie.

Bioneers – A blend of ecological, social justice and artistic creativity that absolutely astounds me. There are about 3,000 people who come together for this and the speakers are unbelievable. I really enjoy hearing and learning about the earth and struggles that people are experiencing so I can share with others. It is very inspirational to see the line of biodiesel and hybrid cars in the parking lots next to the prayer flags and yoga tents and meet people that have ecological thinking in the forefront of their minds. They also provide satellite events throughout the country that are live feeds of the main event to create more local awareness and community. A great one to get really inspired.

Green Spa Network Congress – a fairly new nonprofit attempting to take back spa from the concepts of commercial luxury and pampering and bring it back to is wellness essence. This was a great workshop that had spa and property owners mingle with skincare companies and suppliers to talk about how to create green health spas and sustainable spa practices. Very good people who really care about their businesses and want to do the right thing.

November:

Opportunity Green – a new event held at UCLA focusing on sustainable business and green design. A very high energy event and has about 600 people in attendance. Ther is a mix of eco friendly fashion meeting vibrant upstart green technology. It is a mix of small businesses and some larger corporations. The presentations are go good mix of ‘how to’ for smaller and mid size businesses and case studies from larger corporations that show how much money can be saved by going green. It is also the only big sustainability business conference I know of in LA.

Green Business Conference – held just before Greenfestival, this event is a great one especially for green small and mid size business who really want to be sustainable through and through. They provide a lot of workshops and insight and networking opportunities. Plus it is followed by the largest Greenfestival that has about 40,000 people attend and have wonderful booths, food and speakers. There are also Greenfestivals that occur in Chicago, Seattle, DC and Denver.

Greenbuild – Run by the USGBC and is a massive expo on green building and design. If you are in the design or construction world this is where you get to see the latest innovations in energy efficiency and eco materials. Denim insulation, counter tops of recycled glass, solo tubes, solar panels, energy efficient AC units, LED lighting and everything in between. A very informative event with a lot of momentum that only looks to grow.

Good and Green – held in Chicago and for those interested in learning about green marketing strategy this is a great event. It is also a great place to mix with larger company green marketer and agencies. Companies like Edelman, Martin Agency, Planet Green, Ford, Toshiba and Cotton USA were present last year. I saw a really interesting presentation last year at this event on color patterns in green advertising. Being a marketer myself I find this to be a great event to hear what is happening in larger companies as it relates to their sustainable story. I am to do a presentation this year and it will test me to see if I can play with the big boys.

LOHAS – The grand daddy of them all! Ok I am biased but we are very proud of our event that brings together 600 business executives that are not only interested in the LOHAS market but also have a personal affinity to the movement. I think the difference between our conference and others is that it provides a bridge between large and small businesses and provides content that is informative and soulful. Many events focus on the business aspect and we provide that plus the ability to network at a heartfelt level. It is a bit difficult to explain but once you go you will know. Mark your calendars for June 23-25th to come to Boulder Colorado for LOHAS!

So as you can see Ive been a bit busy. All of these are great events and please go to the websites of the ones you think are most appropriate for you. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. However I do recommend coming into an event with eyes wide open and to read who is speaking and what topics are going to be spoken about so you can manage expectations and have a bit of a strategy. If you have other events that I have missed and worth mentioning please share them. Love to hear what events you think are good to attend.

Spa Business Alive and Kicking...Sorta

Sunday, October 11, 2009 by Ted Ning

I just returned from the International Spa Association Annual Conference held in Austin Texas. This was my 4th ISPA event and it is always a treat. It certainly is the most well groomed, beautiful person event I go to. Spa is a big piece of LOHAS as it incorporates
health and wellness along with personal care and green building. The last few years has seen a surge in green health spas have seen a surge in green orientation with things like eco-friendly towels and robes along with natural and organic skincare, essential oils and body treatments. These elements are a no brainer for modern LOHAS consumers who want LOHAS products without sacrificing quality. LOHAS consumers are also a main target audience for spas as many are those who frequent spas for massage treatments or other forms of wellness for the body and soul. (that would be me!)

The spa market has exploded in the last 10 years but the term 'spa' has been butchered quite a bit. I can go to my local Wal Mart or strip mall and find nail and hair salons with spa incorporated into their name - (usually in bright neon lights). However when I go into them nose gets singed with smells of chemical toxins from manicures or hair products or get blasted into the street from techno music. I often see articles and pictures of exotic locations with luxurious hotels with spas included in glossy magazine spreads. All of course with a hefty price tag that limit me to my imagination as to what the lifestyles of the rich and famous is like. Call me old fashioned and snobby but that is not what I consider the true meaning of spa. The whole point of the creation of the industry was to generate awareness of self and healthy lifestyles. These initially were wellness centers that provided space for integrative alternative medicine practices such as massage, acupuncture, energy healing and meditation. Somewhere along the way external beauty, pampering and opulence founds its way into the mix and led the growth of the industry. When I was growing up hotels that had golf courses were all the rage and was a status symbol of a quality hotel. Now if the hotel has a spa it is considered a luxury hotel.

The economic crisis has caused many hotels to reconsider this paradigm. Insiders of the industry have told me that many hotels that incorporated spas into their properties from a 'me too' type of keeping up with the Jones attitude often did not factor the costs of operation into their profit/loss margins. Rather it was blended enigmatically into overall hotel costs. A spa on hotel property was a thing to have and since business was good the scrutiny on spas was limited. Nothing like a crisis to mix things up. Now that hotels are struggling with occupancy so are hotel spas. Those that did not have a structure to measure costs and profits are really floundering. This is also true with destination spas. Some say the wealthy are still booking and traveling - that market will stay the same regardless. But the so called 'wealthy wannabe' are the ones who are not spending. Overall spas are seeing their customers still come to their spas but are spending less per visit. This was echoed by many who I spoke to over the course of the event. For us to have a sustainable economy on all fronts we need to hit the reset button.

The spa industry was visibly hit at the event as well. Last year the ISPA conference had over 3000 people. This year there were about 1700. The exhibit space was also about half as many vendors as last year. Obviously the foot traffic was much quieter than years past. Yet I was surprised when I spoke to most vendors that they felt positive about the event. They said that although the traffic was less those that were walking the floor were serious buyers who were purchasing orders from them and there was more time for a deeper discussions and relationship building.

I think this brings up a very significant point for all businesses - how deep does a relationship go once the transaction is taken out of the equation? This is something that many companies are facing as many people are not spending. The old ways of business are being re-evaluated to figure out how to maintain relevancy in an environment that is transaction less. If you have ideas on next steps please share your thoughts.

I think that this is also a time of opportunity for spa leaders to refocus attentions on wellness. Health care is on the forefront of many people's minds with the debates on health care reform getting a lot of media attention. I think spas are a great place for educating people on preventative care and relaxation. Plus if you think a massage or organic living is expensive you should look at the price of health care. The spa industry has seen a purge of businesses. Now if they can re-establish the focus on the reasons for wellness I think we would all find that refreshing. I would love to hear your thoughts.

TAKING A HAIRCUT FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN

Friday, October 2, 2009 by Jennifer Schwab of SCGH

It may be controversial, but it’s the best we’ve got. The Environmental Performance Index provides a way to numerically rate each of the globe’s countries by their overall greenness, or lack thereof. Not surprisingly, Switzerland is first, the U.S. is 39^th, while China is down at #105 and India comes in at 120^th.

The EPI rates everything from air, water, health of its citizens, agriculture, impact on climate change, ecosystem vitality, among others. This type of sustainability reporting was produced by a group of top environmental scientists with grants from major foundations.

EPI’s findings quantify a situation we all know exists: how can the less populated, wealthy, developed countries demand that the other less developed countries follow suit in drastically reducing carbon emissions to save the planet and become a green economy? Especially those like China and India who are giving birth to a middle class numbering in the hundreds of millions. Many countries that did poorly on the EPI are producing consumer goods for U.S. shelves that are exported since we don’t want to build them here and it is dramatcally cheaper. The classic NIMBY (not in my backyard) scenario, indeed.

The time is now for ALL countries to accept that their economies must take a bit of a haircut in the name of ecological living. How much value will the super stringent vehicle emissions regulations in California have when on the other side of our world, millions of new drivers will be putting cars and trucks on the road that have antiquated pollution control systems? We need to bear in mind that our relatively small population of around 330 million is absolutely dwarfed by India and China’s billions. Soon enough, these countries carbon emissions will make the Western world appear miniscule. Without comparable cleanup standards and subsidies in the Chinas, Indonesias, and Indias, what’s the point for the rest of us to drive hybrids and acquire solar panels?

This clearly needs to be a worldwide effort, with everybody putting aside their own immediate priorities for the greater good. This is not strictly magnanimous, nor is it the naive rantings of a tree hugger. If we don’t ALL clean it up, and soon, it will be a moot point – by the year 2050 or even sooner in my opinion.

Two key confabs – the G20 conference in Pittsburgh, which is happening as we speak, and the revisiting of the Kyoto accord (let’s hope the U.S. signs this time) which is slated for Copenhagen in December – will hopefully be the first major steps in a global initiative to this end. While economic concerns need to be balanced with environmental policy, we may not have the luxury of arguing about it for 10 or 15 years for it will be too late.

Naturally Boulder 2009

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 by Ted Ning

I attended the Naturally Boulder conference last week that brings together the organic and natural product gurus, industry leaders and entrepreneurs that reside in Boulder. This was the fifth year of the event and it was amazing to see how much happens from the LOHAS cradle of Boulder Colorado when it comes to the natural and organic market. I guess you could equate it to the Silicon Valley of organics.

To give you an idea of the concentration here are some Boulder based companies you may have heard of or seen on shelves (I am now inhaling deeply to include them all in one breath…)

Izze Soda, Rudis Bakery, Celestial Seasonings, White Wave, Horizon Dairy, Aurora Dairy, Gaiam, Pharmaca, Pangea, 3rd St. Chai, Sounds True, Eco Products, Pixe Mate, Wild Oats Markets, New Hope Media, Twist, Lumia Candles, Greenmont Capital, Larabar, Chocolove, Boulder's Best Organics, The Organic Center, Bakti Chai, Organic Vintners, Evol Burritos...and the list goes on.

The event had about 280 people attend and among them were pioneers such as Steve Demos, Mo Seigel, and Mark Retzlof mingling with younger 30 something entrepreneurs.

Magic Mark Retzlof was honored with the lifetime achievement award for his efforts in the organic world. Everything the guy touches seems to turn to gold. He co founded the beloved Alfalfa's market the was bought by Wild Oats, Horizon Dairy and Aurora Dairy, Rudi’s Bakery and also Greenmont Capital just to name a few of his achievements. Kudos to a well deserving person for the award.

There was a very interesting presentation on the state of the nutrition industry economy by Nutrition Business Journal's Patrick Rea. What was most interesting is the rapid growth of the pet supplement industry that is up 11.6%. Personal care is also a strong segment of the market. NBJ estimates the growth of the natural and organic space to be around 8-9% which is not the double digit growth people are used to but - hey any growth is good growth these days.

The other interesting panel I saw was moderated by Steve Hoffman, the president of the Organic Center. The members of the illustrious panel were Official Natural Products Legend Steve Demos founder of White Wave who tried over 200 product lines before discovering Silk soy milk, the drummer of Rage Against the Machine, who’s now founder of a yummy lemonade stevia drink suitable for diabetics and health-conscious, sugar-avoiding families; the man behind Bear Naked granola, and Tami Simon, founder of Sounds True, who talked about her calling to provide service and crystals. She made a few good jokes, too. It was good to hear what they had to say about hanging in there during tough times we are facing today.

Coming out of this I was once again awestruck at the concentration of successful entrepreneurs that are locally based. If you didn't know any better you would think that moving to Boulder and starting a natural and organic oriented company would be easy. But it is a lot of blood sweat and tears that many have had that make them successful. One key phrase that Demos said that stuck with me is that our society is based on the success of achievement rather than fulfillment. I feel this is so true and that many in this industry work to carry that mantra. It is a very supportive community of people who look to help each other and better the industry. Not to say there are not problems but this event does not focus on that. I would have liked to have seen more Colorado based companies attend the event instead of the usual Boulder crowd. I also see tremendous opportunity for cross pollination of other Boulder based groups to learn from each other - i.e. the Outdoor Industry, Naropa University, clean tech and other groups that target the same audience.

But it was definitely a good reason to meet great people and share an organic beer.

To give you an idea of the concentration here are some Boulder based companies you may have heard of or seen on shelves ( I am now inhaling deeply to include them all in one breath):

Izze Soda, Rudis Bakery, Celestial Seasonings, White Wave, Horizon Dairy, Aurora Dairy, Gaiam, Pharmaca, Pangea, 3rd St. Chai, Sounds True, Eco Products, Pixe Mate, Wild Oats Markets, New Hope Media, Twist, Lumia Candles, Greenmont Capital, Larabar, Chocolove, Boulder's Best Organics, The Organic Center, Bakti Chai, Organic Vintners, Evol Burritos...and the list goes on.

The event had about 280 people attend and among them were pioneers such as Steve Demos, Mo Seigel, and Mark Retzlof mingling with younger 30 something entreperneurs.

Magic Mark Retzlof was honored with the lifetime achievement award for his efforts in the organic world. Everything the guys touches seems to turn to gold. He co founded the beloved Alfalfa's market the was bought by Wild Oats, Horizon Dairy and Aurora Dairy, Rudis Bakery and also Greenmont Capital just to name a few of his achievements. Kudos to a well deserving person for the award.

There was a very interesting presentation on the state of the nutrition industry economy by Nutrition Business Journal's Patrick Rea. What was most interesting is the rapid growth of the pet supplement industry that is up 11.6%. Personal care is also a strong segment of the market. NBJ estimates the growth of the natural and organic space to be around 8-9% which is not the double digit growth people are used to but - hey any growth is good growth these days.

The other interesting panel I saw was moderated by Steve Hoffman, the president of the Organic Center. The members of the illustrious panel were Official Natural Products Legend
Steve Demos founder of White Wave who tried over 200 product lines before discovering Silk soy milk, the drummer of Rage Against the Machine, who’s now founder of a yummy lemonade stevia drink suitable for diabetics and health-conscious, sugar-avoiding families;
the man behind Bear Naked, and Tami Simon, founder of Sounds True, who talked about her calling to provide service and crystals. She made a few good jokes, too. It was good to hear what they had to say about hanging in there during tough times we are facing today.

Coming out of this I was once again awestruck at the concentration of successful entrepreneurs taht are locally based. If you didn't know any better you would think that moving to Boudler and starting a natural and organic oriented company would be easy. But it is a lot of blood sweat and tears that many have had that make them successful. One key phrase that Demos said that stuck with me is that our society is based on the success of achievement rather than fulfillment. I feel this is so true.
I would have liked to have seen more Colorado based companies attend the event instead of the usual Boulder crowd. I also see tremendous opportunity for cross pollenation of other Boulder based groups to learn from each other - i.e. the Outdoor Industry, Naropa University, clean tech and other groups that target the same audience.

But it was definitely a good reason to meet great people and share an organic beer.