LOHAS

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.