Reno Earth Day First Edition Newsletter!

Welcome to Reno Earth Day’s first attempt at a periodical

newsletter! We’ll try to do this every few months (maybe monthly

one day if we get ambitious enough or have enough activity) to

keep everyone up to date on issues, planning, opportunities and

activities we know of. We would like this newsletter to be

INTERACTIVE – so please always feel free to send in feedback,

opinions, ideas, things to post, etc. If you want to be involved, the

forum is here! Let’s start with one activity now:

Please send in your creative ideas for what to call

the newsletter – let’s be innovative, original and/or

catchy. Consider it a contest! Send them all in and

we’ll start posting them and people can vote on

others if they don’t want to submit their own…

then we’ll pick one for the name for the

Newsletter. Remember everyone, this is YOUR

newsletter, so feel free to contribute – with

material, with articles, with distribution options –

whatever comes up! We look forward to your

thoughts and to making this a good

communication tool.

In this Issue:

*New Reno Earth Day

Newsletter!

*Tahoe Geo-Tourism

Expo

*City of Reno Events

Meetings

*Earth Day 2013

Feedback Review

Photo by Mick Raye

The Tahoe GeoTourism Expo is back again this year, September 7th - 8th, celebrating the natural and spiritual beauty of the Tahoe Basin and surrounding areas. Exploring these natural treasures and enjoying the many

experiences they have to offer has become a strong recreational attraction for our area. GeoTourism seeks to promote, sustain and enhance a destination’s unique assets, be they geographic, environmental, cultural, social, etc. This is perfect for the Tahoe region with its unique and world renowned beauty, and the need to enjoy its wonders

while preserving the pristine beauty and natural ecosystems. This event features a festival style home base on Saturday at South Lake Tahoe’s Lakeview Commons at El Dorado Beach with food, games, performances, cultural

education from the Washoe and Paiute tribes, and numerous mini excursions exploring the lake, the forest, water yoga, wildlife and other natural resources during the day. In addition, there is a host of more intense GeoTours launching from

Sand Harbor on Saturday and Sunday that people can sign up for in advance and explore mountain biking, kayaking, historical tours and more. Come join the fun and explore the natural wonders of our area – and cheer on the Tour de

Tahoe – also there this weekend!

To sign up for specific geotours, please visit our website at www.tahoeexpo.com with information on each individual tour and its requirements.

To Volunteer for this great event – all positions needed! – please contact volunteer@sustaintahoe.org or check out sustaintahoe.org. People who volunteer will be given a free meal and shirt, and for every three hours you volunteer you can earn a raffle ticket for prizes (including a new SUP-stand up paddle board worth $1500) and discounts if you want to try one of the tours (or be on a tour for free if you volunteer as a docent/helper on that tour). There are also more serious positions available if people want to help out more during the next few weeks leading up to the event.

To Perform at this event – all performance types considered! – please contact John Hara at countertourist@gmail.com.

To Exhibit at this event, please contact Jacquie Chandler at jchandler@sustaintahoe.org.

Sustainable Tahoe is a non-profit 501c3 organization located in Reno and Tahoe, dedicated to promoting sustainable practices for enjoying the brilliant and unique natural resources in our area.

Results of the Special Events Task Force for the City of Reno on August 27: Reno Earth Day attended all 3 meetings, all day long to learn as much as possible: Legacy events with attendees of 5,000+, existing in Reno for at least 5 years and bring a significant

number of people from out of town; Community events that are focused more on local people and quality of life issues; and non-profit events that have more of an educational

of charity aspect. The main reason for the meetings was to determine the selection criteria and process for the City’s Sponsorship program. The City’s sponsorship is very valuable to

Reno Earth Day for 2 reasons. This year, or City fees (rentals and labor) were over $4,000. We were pleased and thankful to receive a City sponsorship for $3,600 of those fees this year. As the event grows, our City fees are also growing (such as possible police

requirements for traffic and setting up in the park the night before), so the sponsorship and how it is administered is still very important to us.

The main accomplishments of the meetings were twofold. One - to better define the 3 categories so events can self-identify into which category they belong. This is important,

because the sponsorship funds are limited, so events compete for these funds (in the form of waived city fees), but do not want to compete against the same criteria as events that

are totally different. Legacy events are now defined as those with 10,000+ attendees, lasting at least 3 days, and the City of Reno would have a measureable and direct fiscal

impact if the event were lost. Non-profit events are help for the purpose of raising funds for a particular organization or cause. Community events, which essentially include

everything else, focus on the event itself and its education and impact for the community, vs. a specific organization. We will want to apply within the category we feel we can best

compete. Therefore, we will not be competing against the legacy events.

The second accomplishment was determining how each category would be treated for sponsorship so that it remains fair and promotes special events. Each category will have its own metrics – factors for scoring an event for purposes of giving sponsorship funds. These

might include: attendance estimates, diversity of attendees, marketing exposure of the event for city, financial stability of the event, etc. We are all to come up with 10 or so

measurement criteria that can be distinct for each category. Then every event that scores a certain amount will get the same % of their sponsorship request, lower scores will get a

smaller %, etc.

What metrics do YOU think should be looked at to determine which events get sponsored? Send us your ideas and we’ll post them in the next Newsletter AND send them

to the city.

Thank you so much to everyone who has provided feedback so far for this year’s event. We will keep this feature open every issue to give voice to the many perspectives on this event.

Feedback has come in many forms so far, through emails from certain exhibitors, through Facebook posts from the public and especially through our feedback forms filled out by

volunteers at the Appreciation Party. It is amazing how diverse the responses are, so it is important to get as much feedback as possible to see which actions we can take to keep the event moving in the direction people want, and to meet as many expectations as possible.

It seems we have really 2 levels of feedback coming in – both helpful in their own way. The first level is the “simple feedback” where someone simply makes a statement on or a general opinion

about something. An example might be, “More volunteers for Parking” or “Stronger Earth Day message.” This feedback doesn’t suggest to us how to get more volunteers or how to make the messages stronger, but it counts as a “Vote” for an area of concern where we might attribute resources if there are enough votes. The second level of feedback is the actionable ideas and

suggestions that tell us where to go next. Sometimes these need more fleshing out before we can take action, but they attempt to provide at least the next steps. You can see how both can be very

helpful, so we welcome all types of feedback – however you want to give it! IF you are giving simple feedback and can think of a way to take it to the next level, we would appreciate that as well. We would like to make everything faster, better, stronger, more – but we are not bionic ;) If you can be as specific as you can, with contacts and examples if possible, it will put us that much

farther ahead.

Following is the gamut of the feedback we have received so far from all sources. You can see how diverse it is – sometimes even contradicting points – reflecting the many perspectives involved in

Reno Earth Day. Our goal will be to listen to it all (even in the few instances when it’s been put harshly), so we can come up with solutions that try to address as many concerns as possible. We likely won’t be able to make everyone happy, but we will certainly do our best to make as many

happy with this event as possible. Some of this feedback has been edited to make it an actionable item where possible, and if there is a specific hurdle to the suggestion, it is noted in red after the feedback point. This invites additional feedback for suggestions to mitigate, solve or circumvent

the hurdles. Please send more feedback freely! Also, if you do not see or recognize your feedback here, it could be because we did not understand what you submitted. As an example, one person’s feedback for the Kingdom of Animalia area was “Kangaroos in sunglass.” Yes, that

is the complete answer. Therefore, I am not sure if they are suggesting we have live kangaroos at the event, have a mascot in a kangaroo costume in the area, if they are just teasing me ;) … So if you meant something more than what we have below, please feel free to send additional feedback, which we will consider immediately in planning and

will include in the next Newsletter.

The biggest “problem” this year was exhibitors parking in the event area. Other exhibitors and activities could not

set up, and the event gets fined for it. Some suggestions for solving this include 1) more focus on signing and blocking off event areas (vs. helping vendors set up), 2) taking down and enforcing license plate numbers and to whom cars within the event area belong, 3) not letting people unload in event area at all, meaning everyone carts or carries all items to the grass spots, and/or 4) setting up the night before so vendors can be managed better on event morning.

One suggestion is stricter enforcement of these spots, like a parking pass, but then you have to have a pass that cannot easily be copied, and so many exhibitors have numerous people helping and coming at all hours. Maybe we should allow 1-2 vehicles per exhibitor to park in the park and issue only one pass – they decide who in their group needs them – the rest park in Public Parking Lots (or walk, bike or carpool…).

The street traffic on Idlewild and Booth was out of control. We will be required to assign volunteers as crossing guards for at least that intersection next year. Additional suggestions are assigned parking directors at Reno High to guide parking and better utilize the other 3 lots along Foster. A LOT of requests for a shuttle between the lots and the park, but RTC says it is cost prohibitive. Maybe an art car or one of the hotels would be interested?

Enforcing license plates allowed into park.

1 parking pass per exhibitor for inside park parking – rest park at Reno High (all of them if in park lots get filled with volunteers or event activities)

Signage of Parking options (and closures) on street.

Control on street parking, Crossing guards

Block off Idlewild – fill lots first, Towing of violators

Recognition reward for attendees who ride their bike, walk, etc.

Shuttles, shuttles, shuttles (Diamond Peak ski trailers for shuttle sponsorship! Great Idea!) School bus?

Some volunteers did not feel it was clear where to park… How to communicate better with day of event only volunteers?

More sophisticated enforcement of vehicle entry at gates – parking passes, management stations, updated lists of names? (both issues for too many coming in and for volunteers not being let in)

Volunteer Training – Meeting before the event – maybe chairs and loudspeaker?

One exhibitor said they unloaded and parked off site and had their volunteers park at Reno HS and ride bikes into park – Excellent!

Enforce time limits for unloading

ADA parking – closest public parking (at RHS)? Or only allowed street parking on Idlewild, or in park? And/or supplement with

shuttles, Police presence

This was completely lost with all the parking issues, equipment missing, many exhibitors using old maps. We did not get up most of the signs like we planned, did not get to monitor exhibitors like we needed to, did not put up fencing or barricades like we planned, had to shoot from the hip!

One suggestion is setting up all infrastructure (fencing, stages, big tents, signage, power, etc.) the night before and focus on exhibitors that morning

Other suggestions are having more volunteers for the early morning to man positions like exhibitor entries, set up, signing, checklists of everything up and running. More volunteers means we would need to have even more outreach and management – perhaps assigning a Leader from the volunteers to handle a specific area of set of volunteers on the same duty.

Several suggested setting up 1-2 hours earlier that morning for set up

Broadcasted/signed leaders for specific areas/functions to divide up responsibility, pressure and response times

Need volunteer station with check in, positions, giveaways and food tokens separate from everything else (perhaps inside building).

Will really need to bestow leadership positions to some volunteers who can manage a function throughout the season. You would need to be involved in the planning meetings to

handle managing a function. Any takers?

Volunteers should list Reno Earth Day volunteering on their resumes as a volunteer job, especially ones who get involved in the planning and decision making. Making the volunteering work for volunteers might help draw in more volunteers.

Photo by Bryce Chisholm

We had a full line up for 3 workshop areas. We heard that some went VERY well while others had minimal audience.

Need to sign better at event

They were advertised in the paper. Maybe posting at schools and universities?

Medical Marijuana, Solar panels, Gardening – (Who could put on these workshops? Would need a volun-teer or exhibitor to do them)

More advertisement/promotion, signage and people to give directions

We paid for 3 security to man each entrance, but without the fencing up and twice as many people as

expected, it was not enough. Where do we need more – was everything safe? NOTE: the point of paid security is to make sure

safety and legal rules are followed. We MUST have the fencing up in order to control access points to main event and make it easier on the security – whether paid or volunteers. There are City rules for what can be

brought into this zone – Municipal Code disallows pets, glass containers and outside alcohol. The event is fined for each infraction. Therefore, the security is for these reasons only, and takes the pressure off of volunteers to have to “be the bad guy.” Plus the City requires us to have “paid security” – not dictating how much, but requires it be an expense for these reasons.

Minimize security presence so event does not feel overshadowed.

Bigger, more intimidating security personnel to elicit cooperation from rule breakers.

Several votes for no more security

More volunteers walking around for security/information

Better signage and promotion of restrictions

In our naivety, we did not complete all of the paperwork or approvals needed for our planned recycling program this year. We had thought we had secured 6 recycling stations for the event this year, including the interesting solar powered compactors. We estimated the value of each of them and included Waste Management in all of our sponsorship benefits for that level leading up to the event thinking everything was set. It was only a few days before the event when we contacted them to see about specific placement of the units that we found out we had not completed the requisition process, so the items were not reserved, and it was not enough notice to get them anymore. With an event this big, the basic recycle crates just do not cut it, and we need the event to role model as well as handle the waste responsibly. SO, the plans and ideas for next year are as follows:

Better communication with Waste Management on what we need to fill out for the recycling units in order to have them reserved and sponsored.

Perhaps asking NV Recycles to handle that aspect for us.

Add a paper recycling dumpster BOTH in the park that exhibitors will be required to utilize and at Reno High School lots where the e-Waste and Bicycle recycling drop offs are (for people to drop off bulk paper recyclables).

Depending on the sponsorship requirements of Waste Management, maybe we can have additional companies supplement, especially as the event grows so big and may need additional resources.

We are working with Full Circle Compost to set up their composting trailer central/near the food stations so people can be prompted to dispose of compostable waste there. (Thoughts on reinstituting the Full Circle ceremony that brings back compost to the event the following year for a scheduled procession to plant the compost in the Rose Garden (or perhaps the new Sensory Garden opening this year?)

Out of about 210 booths, we had about 65 non-profit messages there this year, and another 110 commercial exhibitors with a strong Earth Day Message (solar energy, recycled materials, natural materials, animals, etc.) mixed in with about 35 general merchandise, media, food or utility booths. We are trying to keep the festival fun atmosphere throughout the event, but want to keep the point of the day strong too. We are also trying to remain inclusive as far as exhibitors go, because that is a significant stakeholder group in the event, fundraiser, insurer of success and representing multiple views about what Earth Day is to different people. We receive mixed messages regarding the exhibitors, from there are too many, or too many “commercial” items, or too much mixing of crafts with messages, to we need more of certain types of exhibitors and to people loving the mix of different types.

Some suggestions have been an “Earth Day Around the World” theme area where we could place most of the commercial/fair trade vendors;

Have more message themed areas like The Garden and Future of Transportation clustered throughout the event, etc.

Signage of Earth Day Messages

Stick with plan to sign each exhibitor’s Earth Day Tie Ins.

Don’t overdo theme to point of scaring away people.

Stronger Children’s focus with activities, games, education, prizes

More detailed, signed, map at Information Booth for people to know where to go for certain things

Separating “commercial” types – still need criteria for doing so.

Several votes for stronger “self-sufficiency” and “hands-on” and less “capitalism/commercial” …

Several votes for keeping the “mix” of types of exhibitors to represent reality of Planet…

Cluster Earth Day Themed booths

Too many vendors, be more selective – would help sales for vendors there and allow people to actually see them all

Simply add more Earth Day themes to balance out message (vs. eliminating existing commercials)

New Earth Ideas from state and govts

How about have one more year where all the vendors get to come, but keep strict track of who is following the rules and who is not, and exclude the rule breaking ones from next year, giving a clear achieved reason for

the exclusion, at the same time reducing the overall number expected for the next year.

Animalia was too spread out – it gave a sparse feel to the area, which made exhibitors feel left out from the main attractions.

We’ll have to balance out set up on both sides of the fence from now on.

Kangaroo with Sunglasses? Boomerang dog toys?

Exotic Animals

More organization/space/signage for Doggie Daycare

Too spread out to be cohesive

More Animal Exhibits (whom to contact for these, ideas?)

Shrink Animalia a little and add other items over here to make whole event even and cohesive

Food vendors benefit the most from the well-attended event so we charge them more and they are the biggest fundrais-ing for the event, so in turn we cannot have too many vendors for the crowds there or their stock is wasted. However, this year 5 of 7 entre servers ran out of food, so apparently we need 1 or 2 more. Suggestions for food options? (Note, options must be able to provide food during the day at an event of this size and be able to pay the food vendor fees to be fair to other vendors and not lose funds to support the event).

We are working with Reno Vegans and a Culinary school to have a possible event food booth.

Food vendor fees can be discounted or waived if the vendor is a. giving more free meals to volunteers or donating/splitting profits to the event.

Ideally, there will be some Earth Day tie in, such as vegetarian options, wheat free, vegan, organic, etc.

Something special to illustrate the possibilities of food choices, but also a group willing to give free meals to volunteers and following the rules and health codes.

Require certain rules from beginning – compostable materials, no dumping at event, volunteer meals, vegetarian option, etc.

Better Volunteer meal organization and enforcement with food vendors. Preplan number per vendor and Clearly marked tickets

Whole Foods – (We have asked them to participate for the last 2 years with no luck – any better contacts?)

Farmer’s Market – (Could work – any good contacts? Usually a profit business but may not be able to pay the food vendor fees)

For different ideas on types of foods, need contacts for servers of these items…

Better/Clear communication to volunteers regarding free meal program and restrictions

More food vendors and options

Dedicated Volunteer Food provider not selling to public with donated meals

Port of Subs @ Smithridge Veronica – wraps/veggie items <<< Very specific and helpful Thank you!

Requests for both more “healthy” foods and for hamburgers/hot dogs <<<Food type requests all over the board ;)

Posted and hand out Menus locating each food vendor and types of food they provide

Games and prizes at the event are one of the draws that bring people there to learn the messages. It’s not necessary, but has a huge impact on attendance. It was HARD to inspire people to do the games, yet we got rid of all of the prizes.

We need to have maybe a loudspeaker and announcements for them to increase participation.

Separate Animalia prizes from others.

Teas and incense

Autographed Schwag from bands <<< Great idea! We can probably get these types of prizes donated.

Games for kids – planting something, etc.(perhaps tie in with Science Fair)

More (adult and child specific) Games and (adult and child specific) Prizes

Give away Game cards at Entrances with Prize booth location noted on them

Dunk tanks/bounce houses

So many genres, so many cultures, 3 stages. Some say we should cut a stage and save costs, others says that more

stages draws more people and spreads them throughout the event. Also, each band brings its own audience, so

attendance would be affected by longer sets, fewer performers, etc. Do we want longer sets and fewer performers to minimize the hassle of the sound techs and changeover, or do we want MORE entertainment and stages/performers because the event is growing and spreading out so

fast? Do we need more and different types of entertainment? We want to be inclusive and hate to turn people away, but even with over 30 performance groups we always have to. We want to allow space for the 2-3 longstanding performers who have always supported Earth Day, we want to have enough draw with good music that people want to come out and see them AND we want to give opportunities for emerging talents to perform and promote themselves.

More stages and music styles

Perfect as it was

Cut a stage – too much clash and business – some areas got clash from both stages.

Longer sets with fewer bands (defer band promotions to Artown and make this for bands that support Earth Day only).

Better/louder sound systems to cover the outlying areas/expanded areas of the growing event. Certain areas could not hear any music. (Costs involved with more stages or better sound systems would need more sponsorship funding. Also, there is a decibel limit do to the residential area).

Better signed schedule at each stage (incl. what’s going on at other stages) Better mapping of all stages.

Possible spreading out smaller stages throughout event to cover expanded area – i.e. ongoing music and animal performances in Animalia, perhaps a theater stage, etc.

We have gradually been developing sponsorships, from 2 media sponsors last year to 4.5 this year, from 0 $ sponsors last year to 3 title sponsors this year, plus about 3 midlevel donors. With so many people coming to an event we originally thought would be a 5000 person event, the costs (and ideas) continue to climb, so more sponsorships are needed. Plus, hopefully it is an event that sponsors are interested in now that it is big enough to give them more exposure. Do you have any ideas, thoughts, etc. on how to approach more sponsors, contacts for specific ones, etc.? We continue to develop some strong benefits for sponsors to utilize the event for their marketing and public opinion, and are willing to work with what sponsors want to see.

Skateboarding Markets – possible tournament in Skate Park

Advertise for sponsors on TV early in year

Have volunteers wear something from the sponsor (hats, lanyards, bracelets) – sponsor provides items, plus it’s a gift to volunteer, plus sponsorship

Casino show on stage?

Wells Fargo for sponsorship The X Radio Booth