1.3 - The Events
Spokane Valley’s young Parks and Recreation Department will have the opportunity to fulfill the community’s desire for more arts and cultural programs. The performing arts not only reflect a community’s identity, talents, and values, but also provide its people with the benefit of quality entertainment.
The Eco-Colosseum will be a strong source for these values to flow through this recently incorporated city and become a symbol for leadership in the Arts, environmental sustainability, and community unity.
Following the example of the Live Earth concerts held on July 7, 2007, the Eco-Colosseum will host events that are eco-friendly by making measurable efforts to reduce energy consumption, our carbon footprint, and waste sent to landfills. The Live Earth website contains guidelines for holding earth-friendly events. Some of the suggestions include recycling and composting waste, encouraging the use of food and beverage packaging that is compostable, providing incentives for attendee carpooling or use of public transportation to the event, utilizing renewable energy resources, and decreasing water usage.
Recycling and composting kiosks were supervised by volunteers to ensure that waste was separated properly and 81% of the waste collected was diverted from disposal. The majority of the shows were held during daylight hours to reduce the amount of lighting used, a model the Eco-Colosseum could easily emulate.
Hosting green events will pay off in the short run and the long run. By spending a little more during construction to install solar panels, an irrigation system that recycles storm water, and other efficiency systems, the money saved over time is significant.
A December 2, 2007 article in The Bellingham Herald says the following about green business efforts: “Western Washington University professor Dan Warner, who teaches a course on business and its environment, measures the growing mindset of entrepreneurs this way: ‘It might cost me more at the beginning,’ Warner says, ‘but over time the benefit of energy efficiency and lack of pollution saves more than what doing things incorrectly will at the start.’”
Since the Eco-Colosseum is an outdoor venue, the majority of events will be held from April through October. It will host an array of civic events, such as musical theatre, the symphony orchestra, popular concerts, intimate black-box theatre performances, seasonal community galas, Shakespeare and Renaissance festivals, craft bazaars, barter fairs, and recycling
and environmental events, such as an Earth Day celebration. Most of these events can be held during the day and require very little energy usage.
During the snowy months, the Eco-Colosseum could become a supervised sledding hill, without the high rate of injuries that occur every winter in our communities. Sledding in a controlled environment, with supervisors monitoring sledders, and partitions separating sections to minimize accidents, would be a safe activity for families and kids.
Spokane area citizens are not strangers to cold-weather events and activities. More than 27,000 people attend the First Night festivities on New Year’s Eve, according to the event website. Therefore, the opportunities for a Winter Solstice Festival, a Spokane Valley New Year’s Eve Celebration, a Christmas Tree Showcase, and many other winter events are achievable.
The Eco-Colosseum will also be available to the general public on select dates for event rental. The venue would be the perfect location for corporate events, reunions, private parties, and dances. A unique venue such as the Eco-Colosseum would definitely make your special occasion so much more memorable.
Continue reading... 2.1 The Impact: Tourism
