Sustainable Event Planning Company Launches in Santa Barbara

Merryl Brown Events, LLC challenges the ‘business as usual’ model for special event production

Santa Barbara, California, August 24, 2009 – According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the meeting/event industry represents the second most wasteful industry in the U.S., running a close second to the construction industry. Merryl Brown Events, LLC, which launched this month, is introducing sustainable and socially responsible alternatives to traditional event planning practices to the Santa Barbara area.

Inspired by the area’s growing commitment to sustainability, Merryl Brown founded the company to combine a comprehensive ‘green’ planning option with the demand for upscale, elegant events for the South and Central Coasts of California.

Merryl Brown Events, LLC offers full service event planning, from consulting to complete event production for private parties, corporate events, fundraising events and weddings.

“An environmentally responsible event can replace almost any aspect of a conventional event,” said Brown, “With the enthusiasm of our partners, we intend to lead the way in implementing these alternative options on the Central Coast of California.”

Brown’s company works according to the guidelines of the Green Meeting Industry Council, which dictates that a sustainable event must incorporate environmental considerations through every stage of the event.

“We no longer have to turn our backs on the waste we create in the name of celebrating or raising awareness for a good cause,” said Merryl Brown, founder of Merryl Brown Events, LLC. “I am so pleased to be able to provide ways for individuals and groups to do this, and also for our community to set a great example for others. We create Elegance with Intelligence®.”

For each event, Brown’s company guides its clients throught he process of setting sustainability goals that take into account the client’s environmental concerns and priorities within each stage of planning and execution.

Brown and her network of caterers, florists and floral designers, graphic designers, party favor suppliers, and venues all place a high premium on sustainable practices. In the planning process, Brown enlists and coordinates the services of:

  • Caterers who compost, recycle, use environmentally friendly cleaning products, reduce water waste and use biodegradable and/or compostable disposables where there is no reusable alternative. They create menus that are seasonal, sustainable, and (whenever possible) crafted from local and organic ingredients.
  • Floral designers who use locally grown, organic flowers and plants.
  • Graphic designers who create invitations and other printed materials using 100% post-consumer Processed Chlorine-Free (PCF) recycled paper and vegetable-based inks, or paperless options.
  • Providers of eco-friendly party favors and napkin treatments, many of them locally made and several of which are edible.
  • Venues at environmentally responsible hotels and event sites, including gorgeous beach locations, private oceanfront homes, exclusive ocean-view estates, organic farms, and vineyards throughout the Central Coast and southern California.

On the day of the event, a trained staff member is on-site to ensure that waste is properly sorted for recycling, composting and trash collection. Brown even offers waste auditing or environmental impact analysis following each event.

Merryl Brown brings almost twenty years of experience creating unique corporate, non-profit and private events, including: parties, galas, grand openings, fashion shows, meetings and lectures, and intimate dinners in the Santa Barbara area. Brown formerly held the position of Director of Public Relations and Events at Saks Fifth Avenue, Santa Barbara, and has served as trustee of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and is a Lifetime Honorary Trustee of Ganna Walska Lotusland. Merryl is a certified Master Gardener. She has a Master’s Degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and was formerly an International Banker with American Express Bank and Bankers Trust Company in New York. She is fluent in both Portuguese and Spanish. For more information visit: merrylbrownevents.com.