Making an Impact: Event Pros that are doing good through & beyond their events

Social impact projects are becoming a must-have for every type of organization. Experiences & events have already been bringing communities together in a positive way for years, but is that enough & how can we do more? Across the experience industry, event pros are creating innovative & creative answers to that question. Here are some shining examples of companies, ranging from event production, venues, & entertainment, that inspire us to do even more. 

Event Production & Planning

Whether it’s a prestigious fundraiser, a charitable auction, a groundbreaking impact conference, or a distinguished environmental awards ceremony, events bring us all together, & there is no better reason to come together than to make a positive difference in the world.

Event production & planning organizations can play an important part in bringing social innovators together to change the world. One organization, Do Good Events, works hard to produce exceptional & impactful events that bring these change-makers together. Do Good Events is a woman-owned event production company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. They serve clients from across the United States & have produced events around the world. Unlike other event production companies, Do Good Events only partners with nonprofits, charitable foundations, & other social innovators who are dedicated to making the world a better place. Some of their clients include Habitat for Humanity, the Jane Goodall Institute, & Earthjustice.

While many event production organizations choose to partner with social innovators to make a big impact, other organizations choose to lead in making an impact themselves. The Birthday Project is an event production organization centered in Dallas, Texas whose mission is to bring “joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of a birthday celebration.”1  The Birthday Project works to make sure that, despite experiencing homelessness, every child can still feel valued & celebrated. The project provides a sense of normalcy to children in a very turbulent & unstable period. To accomplish this mission, the Birthday Project designs & creates the decor & the activities for parties. Then, the Project partners with local homeless shelters, transitional living facilities, & local volunteers called birthday enthusiasts to use these resources to host & throw a birthday party to remember. In the project’s eleven years operating, they have celebrated the birthdays of more than 19 thousand children & teenagers experiencing homelessness across the United States.

While many event production organizations choose to partner with social innovators to make a big impact, other organizations choose to lead in making an impact themselves. The Birthday Project is an event production organization centered in Dallas, Texas whose mission is to bring “joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of a birthday celebration.”

The Birthday Project works to make sure that, despite experiencing homelessness, every child can still feel valued & celebrated. The project provides a sense of normalcy to children in a very turbulent & unstable period. To accomplish this mission, the Birthday Project designs & creates the decor & the activities for parties. Then, the Project partners with local homeless shelters, transitional living facilities, & local volunteers called birthday enthusiasts to use these resources to host & throw a birthday party to remember. In the project’s eleven years operating, they have celebrated the birthdays of more than 19 thousand children & teenagers experiencing homelessness across the United States.

Formal Events, conferences, and birthday parties are not the only types of events that can make a big impact. Concerts and music festivals have also been able to make a big impact on their community and environment. The Ultra Music Festival is one of the most renowned electronic music festivals around the world. The upcoming festival next year will feature prominent names like Martin Garrix, ZEDD, & Marshmello.

This epic festival is also well known for its great sustainability initiative called Mission Home which works hard to keep its beautiful outdoor venues pristine. Their initiative has taken every step imaginable to reduce their negative environmental impact. They’ve removed plastic bags from all vendors, and provided easy access to water stations to reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles. They also collect and compost food scraps, donate unused food, materials, and vendor items to the local community, and partner with Clean Vibes, an organization that operates an extensive waste clean-up and recycling effort during the event. Volunteers, called trash talkers, pass their time by disposal bins and chat with attendees to educate guests about proper waste management skills. Ultra Music Festival also works to involve its guests in the Mission Home initiative. Signage throughout the event invites guests to leave no trace and respect wildlife. Through their diligent efforts, Ultra Music Festival has diverted 128,000 pounds of waste, reutilized 22,000 pounds of resources, and reached an estimated 5.5 million individuals with their educational campaigns.

Hotel Venues, & Hospitality

Planning & producing events is not the only way to make a positive impact. So many other elements go into a fantastic event. Each event needs a beautiful venue, delicious food & beverage options, jaw-dropping decorations, & spectacular entertainment. Some venues are creating an impact by using sustainable resources, giving back to their communities, & inviting their guests to make a positive impact in small & large ways.

MGM Resorts’ venues host a huge number of events ranging from small corporate gatherings, extravagant weddings, large family reunions, trade shows, to massive conventions. The company has created an extensive initiative to decrease the negative impact of every aspect of its venues. The international hospitality & entertainment company has taken actions like installing more than 1.4 million LED lights in their venues to reduce energy consumption, creating a massive solar array to transition to renewable energy sources, replacing real grass with artificial turf to reduce wasteful water consumption, purchasing environmentally friendly products throughout their portfolio of venues & resorts, & donating unused quality foods from their events to those in need in the community. MGM Resorts doesn’t stop there. The company also works with event producers who use their spaces to encourage them to create an impactful event. The company has a playing card deck available for producers that lists cost-effective ideas they can implement to create a more sustainable event, they also offer resources to track & report the impact of events to encourage producers to use these more sustainable options. 

 

W Hotels, another global hospitality & venue brand, is also innovating the way hospitality & experience brands can make a difference. As part of the Marriott brand family, the company already participates in the Marriott company’s Serve 360* program. The most unique element of this program is an invitation to their loyalty member guests to donate the monetary value of their accrued rewards points to a curated collection of possible charitable programs. However, W Hotels doesn’t stop there. Their luxurious San Francisco hotel is located in the middle of the energy & buzz of downtown San Francisco & has made daring innovations to create a sustainable & impactful hotel & venue. In 2015, the building was the first building in the United States to be awarded the LEED-EB  platinum certification. This certification is the highest rating a building can receive from the US Green Building Council (USGCB) for the building’s sustainable use & management of carbon emissions, energy, water, & waste. The Hotel maintains this certification through a plethora of impactful efforts. The Hotel uses an energy-efficient lighting system, water-efficient showers & sinks, reusable laundry bags, & recyclable clothes hangers to reduce waste. The hotel involves their guests in the conservation efforts by inviting them to conserve water by skipping a thorough daily room cleaning. The hotel has not only aided the environment, but has also aided the local community. The hotel sources at least 60% of the food used in events & throughout regular operations from local sources, they donate all of their worn towels, linens, furniture, guestroom amenities, & more is donated to local charitable organizations, & they sponsor the “Save the Bay” organization working to save the San Francisco bay area wetlands.

Beverages

Every event needs exceptional options for food & drink. Many creative beverage companies are providing just that & making a difference by dedicating a sizeable portion of their profits to a social or environmental cause. 

Rescue Dog Wines creates high-quality, locally sourced, wines with a purpose. Located in Acampo, CA. The company is the combination of a successful business & the passion of its owners to help rescue dogs find homes. 50% of the profits from this company are donated to a variety of different rescue dog organizations. 

Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. is a similar company. They produce high-quality, organic, & eco-friendly coffee, drinkware, & apparel with a greater purpose. 20% of all of Grounds & Hounds Coffee’s profits are donated to rescue dog organizations. Through their efforts, they have provided more than 3 million meals & tens of thousands of vaccines & toys to dogs in animal shelters.

In the UK, The Public Spirit is giving liquor a conscience. The company offers “straight up good liquor”2 & for every bottle sold the company is committed to feeding four hungry individuals. Since its beginning in 2020, this small company has partnered with charitable organizations around Manchester, England including The Felix Project, Mustard Tree, & So Let’s Talk to provide 5500 meals. 

Entertainment

When you want to send your event over the top, then the best choice is high-quality entertainment.

At Catalyst Arts, we love to elevate events with extravagantly costumed hostesses & a variety of breathtaking live entertainment offerings. We have a collection of animal-themed performers & elements (like body art & 4-legged giraffe stilt walkers), that help ‘bring the wildlife to the party’. Each time these Party Animals” are booked, we donate the profits to the World Wildlife Foundation. (The World Wildlife Foundation has dedicated millions of dollars to conservation efforts, protected millions of acres of land, & led in saving countless different species around the world.)

This year we have expanded this internal company pledge into an industry-wide impact initiative that invites other event profs to make a giving pledge and then get ‘wildly creative’ to fund that pledge. Here is an Impact project that invites you to join it!

Hidden Worlds Entertainment in Florida is also making a splash through a traveling pop-up dining experience that delivers “impactainment” to their guests. Guests are seated for a dinner experience that uses projection mapping, surround sound, & physical art pieces to create a breathtaking immersive journey through ocean scenes & ecosystems. All dinner offerings are environmentally friendly & responsibly sourced. Hidden Worlds plans to use its immersive spectacle to inspire positive feelings & emotions toward conservation efforts & raise awareness of ocean conservation & ocean positive food consumption, a practice that doesn’t just do less harm to our oceans but instead has a positive impact on the ocean environments through actions like creating protected ocean territories or sourcing seafood from invasive or overpopulated species. The organization also donates a portion of its profits to local & global organizations dedicated to conserving our oceans.

What Can You Do?

 

Making an impact can be an extensive effort like building a huge solar farm & overhauling infrastructure to operate sustainably, or it can be as simple as helping charitable organizations come together to raise funds, or even directly giving to a cause you are passionate about.

With a seemingly endless number of social & environmental problems, there are endless ways to make a difference in the events & experiences industry. 

I suggest that you search for a cause that speaks to you personally & also has a tie-in to your company values or area of work. 

I’d like to see a world in which every business has at least one significant impact initiative so that they are a major driving force in the changes that need to happen in order to leave a big impact. 

I hope these examples inspire you & get you asking yourself:

What kinds of creative & meaningful impacts can I make? 


From Performer to Producer & the story of 5 Cirque Du Soleil Premiers
I will never forget the 1st time I performed at a cirque du soleil premier. I was in my early 20’s & bright eyed as they come. I was part of a group in SF called Mystic Family Circus & we were tagged by CdS’s unknown little sister company called Cirque du Bakuza to come to Vegas & help with the premier of Ka at MGM Grand.
There was an Art boat & 360 video & a huge stage where someone wailed on an electric guitar singing about the tsunami (too soon after it had happened) The guests were overstimulated disinterested VIP’s. Our dance performance would make me cringe if I saw it today. But overall it was a thoroughly extraordinary experience. Weird, grand, & totally surreal.

The next premier was for Corteo in San Francisco & also with Mystic Family Circus, & involved me walking on stilts with nearly 100 performers all costumed in white in a dream-like funeral procession of a clown.

The 3rd SF premier in 2014 I was tagged by a DJ friend of mine Cyril, who’s known for his electro-swing & it was for Kurios so they wanted steampunk inspired Stilt Walkers. I had an absolute blast making the costumes & performing with Oceana on stilts & ground at this one & I loved this show the most.

Slinky Anectodre- A random intuitive addition to my props was an old school silver slinky. This little metal miracle ended up being the perfect prop on both stilts & ground… connecting me to guests in playful visual way, & even ended up being the enabler for a surprise pop-up round of Limbo that I initiated on the dance floor.

It wasn’t until 2017 that I crossed over from being a performer to my company Catalyst Arts being hired to produce a whole bunch of entertainment for the premier. 

 

 

For the US premier of Luzia we brought roving ground characters & festive stilt walkers & acrobats for the after party. We did an off-site activation & dancers in the VIP & the San Jose premier as well. It was a dream come true.

The next year we were asked back for Volta & we had greeters & roller skaters & unicyclists & added some flair in the VIP.


Our Five Core Values + How They Come To Life
Catalyst Arts company values + visualized business values

Are you curious to understand the values that a wild & whimsical
entertainment company lives by?

We believe that a successful company is one that truly embodies the values they have established. Continue reading to learn how we live our core values both internally and externally.

RAZZLE DAZZLE  

Razzle Dazzle Text

 

WHAT IT MEANS:

Dazzle is a polished firework that sparkles with an air of refinement. Razzle is a bit wilder, with a playful nature & boldness that adds an element of surprise. Together, they create a vibrant combination that embodies that magical fusion we are all about. 

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

Every event we host involves elements of wonder & surprise. Our intent is to immerse guests in the wild & playful features we provide. During our recent Hearts of San Francisco Gala & after-party, the featured after-party element were our mirror dancers. They shimmered both literally and figuratively, captivating every guest with their sparkling effects & electrifying dances moves. But instead of just performing for guests, they engaged guests by offering high-fives, taking photos with them, & actively encouraging them to dance, even leading some steps to follow! 

Mirror Dancers guiding guests on the dance steps at a gala after party

CONNECT GENEROUSLY   

Connect Generously Text + two hands reaching for each other

 

WHAT IT MEANS:

Dazzle is a polished firework that sparkles with an air of refinement. Razzle is a bit wilder, with a playful nature & boldness that adds an element of surprise. Together, they create a vibrant combination that embodies that magical fusion we are all about. 

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

Connecting with the arts & experiential communities has always been important for us, & even more so during the pandemic. During the lockdown, our founder & CEO, Audette created a facebook group where she offered free business coaching & workshops for performers & other creatives. She also ran a low-cost Experiential Business Mastermind that helped entrepreneurs grow their expertise in experience design & strategic business creativity.

We sponsored multiple events throughout the year, as a way to stay visible & connected to fellow event professionals.  We are also active in a few associations.

Audette is a founding member of WXO (the world experience organization) & the social chair for WIX (women in experience), as well as an active MPI (meeting planners international) member & gala committee lead. These roles have provided her with opportunities to connect with some of the industry’s most exceptional professionals, & keep a finger on the pulse of the latest & best practices in events & experience design. 

We remain committed to finding new ways to connect with our community & continue to foster a culture of collaboration & growth. 

 

STAY FRESH    

 

WHAT IT MEANS:

Our industry is fond of classics & can fall into a plug & play it safe mentality that can lead to staleness. We will always offer fresh new twists on the known & sniff at the edges to pull in the novel & cutting-edge & new. We are agents of evolution, novelty, & vibrancy!
Bottom line: We are here to innovate & catalyze elevated experiences. 

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

Our ability to think outside of the box & create extraordinary experiences has birthed a new form of event tarot. Gone are the days where you wait in long lines, because our form of tarot readings has been taken to the next level. In 2022, we took a new approach to this popular activity and transformed it into a game. This tarot wheel game is called ‘Whats in the Cards for you?’ & invites guests to a short approachable tarot experience that leaves them with an insightful artifact. 

Catalyst Arts original Tarot Wheel- What's in the cards for you Tarot Game experience

When Safeway hired us to add some excitement into their multi-location high end store relaunch. We proposed & created a fresh line of costumed characters influenced by fruit, … the Fresca Hostesses. This group of characters includes watermelon, orange, lemon, kiwis, strawberry, and a tropical mix.

Fresca hostesses- Catalyst Arts fruit & flower inspired costumed performers

We will never let our menu get stale… we will continue to push the boundaries & pioneer new fresh ways to engage people within extraordinary experiences.

ALWAYS ELEVATE

 

WHAT IT MEANS:

At every event, we strive to exceed expectations & go beyond the norm by creativity aiming for the extraordinary. While we do incorporate classic elements, we also add unique twists or upgrade through innovative costuming & cutting-edge technology, coupled with a healthy dose of lightheartedness to create truly mesmerizing moments. Our ultimate goal is to use the power of entertainment & experiences to deliver a fresh & delightful impact on every guest’s experience, both in the moment & for the overall success of the event.

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

At Catalyst Arts, we are committed to constant elevation in all that we do. We believe in the power of continuous improvement, pushing boundaries, & surpassing expectations. Our dedication to “always elevate” is rooted in our belief that every event we activate should be better than the last, aiming for new heights of excellence.

One example is our use of Extended Reality (XR) technologies. 

 

Always Elevate Text with an acrobat performing on an elevated hoop on the background

 

By incorporating cutting-edge XR elements, such as AR & VR, we can transport guests to immersive and extraordinary realms. 

These innovative technologies allow us to redefine what is possible, blurring the lines between the physical and digital worlds.

However, our commitment to “always elevate” extends far beyond the realm of XR. It permeates every aspect of our work, from costume & character  production to talent curation & client collaboration. We constantly seek new ideas, emerging trends, & creative ways to deliver experiences that make a splash.

GIVE BACK

 

WHAT IT MEANS:

We believe that business can & should be a force for good & that all companies should find at least one value-aligned cause to contribute to. We believe Art & Beauty contribute immeasurably to culture, but also want to  make a more tangible difference in this world specifically for our planet & her wild creatures. This is why we created the impact initiative “Party Animals.” Its focus is on supporting eco sustainability & animal welfare by leveraging the creativity of the hospitality & events industry to fund the orgs that drive real impact for animals & their habitats. We encourage others within our industry to get involved & join the initiative.

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

At our company, we believe in making a positive impact on society, & our commitment to animal welfare is at the forefront of our efforts. Party Animals began with a simple pledge to donate a portion of any animal character booking  to our favorite animal welfare orgs. We have given thousands of dollars to solution organizations in the last few years. But that still felt too small, & we want to add a lot more zeros to those numbers, so we are now thinking much bigger. 

This personal pledge has evolved & expanded into a larger initiative that aims to become a global industry-wide movement & use the currencies of celebration to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars a year into the best animal orgs in the world.

Zebra hostess in LED shot skirt playing games with guests for a Party Animals pop up at an event at California Academy of Sciences.

You are invited to JOIN this movement

Click HERE to read the full origin story in LinkedIn. Click the Image below & get on the invitation list! 
Animated photo of a computer with various animals and a text saying Get wildly creative to make a difference for wildlife on it's screen - photo linked to party-animal.org

Our Five Core Values

Are you curious to understand the values that a wild & whimsical
entertainment company lives by?

Read on…

We believe that a successful company is one that truly embodies the values they have established. Continue reading to learn how we live our core values both internally and externally.

Catalyst Arts company values + visualized business values

razzle dazzle catalyst arts company value

 

WHAT IT MEANS:


Dazzle is a polished firework that sparkles with an air of refinement. Razzle is a bit wilder, with a playful nature & boldness that adds an element of surprise. Together, they create a vibrant combination that embodies that magical fusion we are all about. 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

 


Every event we host involves elements of wonder & surprise. Our intent is to immerse guests in the wild & playful features we provide. During our recent Hearts of San Francisco Gala & after-party, the featured after-party element were our mirror dancers. They shimmered both literally and figuratively, captivating every guest with their sparkling effects & electrifying dances moves. But instead of just performing for guests, they engaged guests by offering high-fives, taking photos with them, & actively encouraging them to dance, even leading some steps to follow! 
Mirror Dancers guiding guests at gala after party in SF as Dance Motivators- Catalyst Arts


Connect Generously Visual Value

WHAT IT MEANS: 

We believe that connection is vital in creating a successful & sustainable business.
At Catalyst Arts, we love to offer a warm & inviting atmosphere for our clients & their guests. We thrive on providing services that make our clients look & feel their best. Our goal is to inspire our artists & industry while maintaining an inclusive & generous environment with all our collaborators. 

 

HOW WE LIVE IT: 

Connecting with the arts & experiential communities has always been important for us, & even more so during the pandemic. During the lockdown, our founder & CEO, Audette created a facebook group where she offered free business coaching & workshops for performers & other creatives. She also ran a low-cost Experiential Business Mastermind that helped entrepreneurs grow their expertise in experience design & strategic business creativity.
We sponsored multiple events throughout the year, as a way to stay visible & connected to fellow event professionals.  We are also active in a few associations. 
Audette is a founding member of WXO (the world experience organization) & the social chair for WIX (women in experience), as well as an active MPI (meeting planners international) member & gala committee lead. These roles have provided her with opportunities to connect with some of the industry’s most exceptional professionals, & keep a finger on the pulse of the latest & best practices in events & experience design. 

We remain committed to finding new ways to connect with our community & continue to foster a culture of collaboration & growth. 


Stay Fresh company value

WHAT IT MEANS:

Our industry is fond of classics & can fall into a plug & play it safe mentality that can lead to staleness. We will always offer fresh new twists on the known & sniff at the edges to pull in the novel & cutting-edge & new. We are agents of evolution, novelty, & vibrancy!
Bottom line: We are here to innovate & catalyze extraordinary experiences. 

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

Shall we look at a concrete example?
Our ability to think outside of the box & create extraordinary experiences has birthed a new form of event tarot.
Because tarot is a popular activity, it often results in long lines, which is a bit of a bummer.
In 2022, we set out to solve that problem & took a new approach to tarot, transforming it into a game. This tarot wheel game is called ‘Whats in the Cards for you?’ & invites guests to a short approachable tarot experience that leaves them with an insightful artifact.


Elevate Experiential & Events & Entertainment

 

When Safeway hired us to add some excitement into their multi-location high end store relaunch. We proposed & created a fresh line of costumed characters influenced by fruit, … the Fresca Hostesses. This group of characters includes watermelon, orange, lemon, kiwis, strawberry, and a tropical mix.

Fresca hostesses- Catalyst Arts fruit & flower inspired costumed performers in California

We will never let our menu get stale… we will continue to push the boundaries & pioneer new fresh ways to engage people within extraordinary experiences.

 


Elevate Experiential & Events & Entertainment

WHAT IT MEANS: 

At every event, we strive to exceed expectations and go beyond the norm by unleashing our creativity & always aiming for the extraordinary. While we do incorporate classic elements, we also  add  unique twists or upgrade through innovative costuming & cutting-edge technology, coupled with a healthy dose of lightheartedness to create truly unforgettable moments. Our ultimate goal is to use the power of entertainment & experiences to deliver a fresh & delightful impact on every guest’s experience, both in the moment & for the overall success of the event.

 

HOW WE LIVE IT:

An exciting addition to our Experiential division is XR…  augmented reality & virtual reality experiences that enhance the events theme & intention. By immersing users in a new realm, these features enhance their overall experience. Immersive Media is an exciting growth edge in the field of entertainment, & we are proactively finding applications for it that make sense in the live event context. 

 


Give back eco initiatives

WHAT IT MEANS: 

We believe that business can & should be a force for good & that all companies should find at least one value-aligned cause to contribute to. We believe Art & Beauty contribute immeasurably to culture, but also want to  make a more tangible difference in this world. This is why we created the impact initiative “Party Animals.” Its focus is on supporting eco sustainability & animal welfare by leveraging the creativity of the hospitality & events industry to fund the orgs that drive real impact for animals & their habitats. We encourage others within our industry to get involved & join the initiative.

HOW WE LIVE IT:

At our company, we believe in making a positive impact on society, & our commitment to animal welfare is at the forefront of our efforts. Party Animals began with a simple pledge to donate a portion of any animal character booking  to our favorite animal welfare orgs. We have given thousands of dollars to solution organizations in the last few years. But that still felt too small, & we want to add a lot more zeros to those numbers, so we are now thinking much bigger.  

Zebra hostess in LED shot skirt playing games with guests for a Party Animals pop up at an event at California Academy of Sciences.


This personal pledge has evolved & expanded into a larger initiative that aims to become a global industry-wide movement & use the currencies of celebration to funnel hundreds of thousands of dollars a year into the best animal orgs in the world.

 

You are invited to JOIN this movement. 

Click HERE to read the full origin story in LinkedIn

Click the Image below & get on the invitation list! 

Party Animals Eco Impact Initiative for the events & hospitality industries