How We Gather Matters
Sustainable Event Planning for Purpose and Impact
Grow your audience, shrink your footprint, change the world
Straight-talk on what makes a purposeful, sustainable event, including honest, practical insights into case studies of hits, misses, and lessons learned.
—SHAWNA MCKINLEY, Principal, Clear Current Sustainability Consulting
Events can help educate, inspire, and connect us to our community, but all too often they escalate into resource-intensive glorifications of excess and exclusivity. How We Gather Matters is an invitation to reimagine the modern events industry as a powerful vehicle for change.
This practical guide will enable and inspire festival, conference, trade show, wedding, concert, and sporting event planners to:
- Develop the financial and human resources required to implement green, sustainable gatherings
- Collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders
- Design events with impact and purpose, while supporting marketing and strategic goals
- Engage participants authentically while aligning with positive and progressive values
- Lead the shift towards net-zero emissions and zero waste by leveraging best practices and accepted international standards.
Packed with personal insights, behind-the-scenes stories, and case studies, How We Gather Matters is required reading for event professionals who want to decrease risk, increase profitability, and meaningfully contribute to a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society.
Leor Rotchild is a nationally-recognized speaker, author, podcaster, and consultant with 20 years of sustainable business experience. He currently serves as the Senior Director at Upswing Solutions, a B Corp certified, boutique sustainability consulting firm.
Leor founded an environmental events company called Do It Green, which supported hundreds of events in Canada. He also served as Executive Director of Canadian Business for Social Responsibility, a national hub for sustainability leaders across all sectors.
Leor’s writing has appeared in The Globe and Mail and CBC. His podcast — Pipelines and Turbines can be found on most major platforms and he delivered keynote presentations at events including The Sustainable Events Forum, The Walrus Talks, and the World Forum for a Responsible Economy. He lives in Calgary, Alberta with his partner and two children.
