What is the Sustainability Unconference?
An unconference is one of the most enjoyable, engaging, affordable and effective events you’ll ever participate in.
An unconference is a conference organized around a central theme, but without pre-planned agenda items. The open agenda allows for innovation, sharing, and collaboration in ways not available at a regular conference and allows participants to learn great things from each other throughout the day.
Learn more about the Sustainability Unconference:
How does an unconference work?
Watch our Video from the previous event!
How does the Unconference work?
The first item on the agenda is to make the agenda. At an Unconference, participants will nominate themselves to give a talk or lead a workshop (see examples), or just suggest topics for a discussion group, and then participants vote to decide which topics are most interesting and important to talk about. Here’s our agenda after the voting took place at our January Unconference, just to give you a sense of what you might expect:
(SAMPLE UNCONFERENCE SCHEDULE)
Some of the other highlights of the Sustainability Unconference include:
- Great food and snacks from local, sustainable companies
- Informational tables featuring local, green businesses
- Prizes and raffles of cool, sustainable products and services
If past events are any indication, the level of participant is usually very high. We know there are a lot of free events, but free events draw a lot of broke students looking for free food. We do our best to recruit professionals in the field of sustainability so as to make your experience top notch. We’ve had attendees from:
- solar companies
- energy efficiency companies
- the EPA
- Sustainable Food Companies (Vegan Burg, Imperfect Produce, Sweetgreens)
- Sustainable PR and communications firms
- California Public Utility Commission
- Green certified accountants and bookkeepers
- utility companies (e.g., PG&E)
- Sustainable Travel companies
- Sustainability Educators
- Residents of Ecovillages & Intentional Communities
- Green building companies
- Health & Wellness companies, ranging from meditation to yoga to spiritual retreat centers
- Sustainability media companies
- ….and much more.
The Sustainability Unconference gives you a chance to network, to listen, and even to teach (if you feel inspired to do so). You should offer to lead a session if you think your experience can help others in the community move the sustainability conversation forward. More than likely, each attendee has something they can teach others within the framework of green business/sustainability. Don’t feel like you are ready to teach? No problem – just come and enjoy a day of programming, networking with great people, and participating in the greatest revolution our world has ever seen.
Have you had success with a green startup and understand green marketing? Could you lead a workshop on homemade body care products? Have you taken an ecotour or WWOOF’d and want to share the joy of that adventure with others? Do you help businesses and individuals work better, faster, more efficiently? Gone through the process of becoming a Certified B Corporation? Raised your first round of funding? Successfully rebranded as a responsible company? Or just really passionate about creating a local food ecosystem and want to hear what others have to say on the topic?
If so, nominate yourself at the beginning of the day during our agenda building session. Sharing your passion with others is truly joyful, inspirational, and empowering, so have at it!
Watch our Video from the previous event!
We made this video at our very first unconference (in Honolulu, HI, in 2015). This event featured about 90 people. See some images and read some of our testimonials here.
Disclaimer: by registering for this event you consent to having your image appear in marketing materials for our company or our affiliates and sponsors, including print, website and in promotional videos. Thanks!
