Hi, I'm Romina!
I have a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Economics, with a Minor in International Development Studies, as well as a Diploma in Event Management. I'm the Founder, Lead Consultant and Speaker of Eco-Friendly Events, a consulting agency that supports event organizers and businesses by bringing a holistic, accessible and realistic approach to implement green initiatives.
Intersectional Environmentalism.
Accessibility.
Transparency.
These are my pillars.
Through Eco-Friendly Events, I advocate for environmental and social justice and strongly believes in approaching environmental sustainability with incremental, yet impactful actions. My aim is to educate all event organizers such that having an event sustainability strategy is second nature, and simply part of the planning process.
Outside of work, you can find me reading a good book with a giant cup of coffee or in the water swimming, scuba diving or surfing.
Intersectional Environmentalism
There is no environmental justice without social justice.
We are committed to supporting environmentally vulnerable communities - Black Brown Indigenous Melanated People (BBIMP) as coined by @AccordingtoWeeze
We will do this by:
- Partnering with businesses and vendors owned and operated by BBIMP and make recommendations to these businesses to our clients
- Amplifying BBIMP voices by sharing their work (like our newsletter) and giving them speaking opportunities at the events we're involved with
- Continue to educate ourselves to learn and unlearn
- Donating our time and money to BBIMP organizations
Accessibility
Whether it's a disability or lack of access or to resources, accessibility is defined as the quality of being easy to obtain or use, understood or appreciated and reached or entered.
It comes in many forms and for us here at Eco-Friendly Events, we believe in equity and justice to provide the means to acquire tools, education and resources.
We will do this by:
- Continuing to curate FREE eco-resources and provide environmental education through our social platforms
- Updating and improving our digital accessibility (websites, social media etc.) following the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 including the words and language that we use
- Using a sliding scale pricing model for our services that prioritizes BBIMP and other marginalized communities
Transparency
Transparency is defined as, "... being honest and open when communicating with stakeholders about matters related to the business." (Source).
We are not perfect and we never will be but it is important to us to clearly share our story and our progress along the way.
We will do this by:
- Sharing our goals AS WELL AS the actions we are taking to meet those targets
- We will own up to the mistakes we make along the way, apologize, learn from it and how to do better in future
- Explicitly tell you if we're an affiliate, if we are doing a sales pitch at the end of a webinar etc.
- Two-way communication between all stakeholders involved including: clients, employees as well as vendors and suppliers
In the Press
Below you’ll find a selection of podcasts, interviews and other contributes I’ve been featured in!
Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword, it is a critical aspect of events. But, it can be overwhelming knowing where to start. In this episode, we discuss:
- How to avoid “greenwashing” your events
- How to incorporate sustainable event practices while staying on budget
- The fundamentals of the 3 Rs - reduce, reuse, and recycle
- How to use carbon offsets How to incorporate charitable giving into your event practices
Ignite Magazine interviewed several sustainable event experts in the industry including yours truly to highlight ways in which we can reduce our environmental impact when planning events in various areas such as venue, catering and transportation!
Listen to this episode of the Cost of Goods Sold Podcast hosted by Jennifer Myers Chua. Together we discuss all the various ways you can reduce the environmental impact from gift giving, decorating and food waste. Take a listen and let me know which tip(s) you’ll be using this holiday season!
Scroll to page 14-15 in MPI Toronto the meeting Magazine and check out the article that got published including a few tips on planning an eco-friendly event
