photo by The Venue Report
Gatherings
How to Host a Mission Driven Gathering With Your Best Pals
Grab your friends, colleagues or loved ones to enjoy an outing that also gives back. Plastic is taking the world by storm, and a new type of gathering is popping up across the planet. People are planning give back gatherings that effect...
photo by The Venue Report
Grab your friends, colleagues or loved ones to enjoy an outing that also gives back. Plastic is taking the world by storm, and a new type of gathering is popping up across the planet. People are planning give back gatherings that effect change. The gist is to get your friends together and plan something as simple as a picnic. You provide the food, plastic-free party supplies and host your friends at the nearest beach or lake. Gather together to pick up trash and then have fun hanging out. When bringing people together IRL and putting our phones down, it's also the perfect opportunity to help clean up the beaches that are under attack from plastic and litter at alarming rates.

One of the biggest problems facing our oceans is microplastics: very small pieces of plastic that sea animals mistake for food, accidentally get caught in or involuntarily ingest. By 2050, there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. Currently, over 90% of seabirds have plastic in their stomach. With the 8 billion tons of plastic getting dumped in the ocean annually, it’s easy to see how the plastic problem is accelerating so rapidly. We’re diving into how to do your part to clean up, and enlist the help of your friends while you’re at it.
1of 10

Find Your Location

Photo by The Venue Report
0
First things first, you’ll need to locate a beach, camp or park that needs some clean-up love. If it’s a super public place like a beach, feel free to just show up on your chosen day but if it’s a park or camp where you can reserve sites, check with the local rangers about any permits or reservations you may need to snag ahead of time.
2of 10

Send Your Invites

Photo by The Venue Report
0
Now the fun can get started: invite your friends to hang together outside and do some good! Be clear in your invitation that yes, there will be tidying-up but more importantly, it will be fun (and adult bevvies will be provided).
3of 10

Do Your Prep Ahead of Time

Photo by The Venue Report
0
Prepare an eco-friendly beach picnic ahead of time to reduce trash waste and make your gathering roll out that much smoother! We at The Venue Report always recommend a charcuterie board - its snackable, cutlery free (if prepped right) and enjoyed by literally everyone. Up the ante with locally sourced organic food from your farmer’s market or specialty grocer.
4of 10

Bring Your Own Dining Ware

Photo by The Venue Report
0
Another big consideration when taking your party into the wild is your dining ware. Instead of falling into the all too familiar trap of bringing disposable well, everything, shop for recycled wares or bring your reusable options from home. Inside tip: Make sure your RSVP’s are in so you can plan the precise amount of place settings you’ll need.
5of 10

Bring Trash Containers

Photo by The Venue Report
0
This may seem like a no-brainer, until you forget (don’t worry, us too). Pack your trash containers and bags (make sure they’re compostable!) ahead of time so you can discard as you go without adding another step to your picnicking.
6of 10

Ditch the Plastic Water Bottles

Photo by The Venue Report
0
With all of that charcuterie (read: meats and cheeses), your crew is bound to get thirsty. Enter Boxed Water Is Better®: the eco-friendly, renewable, recyclable water in a box. You’re already hosting a gathering focused on reducing plastic use, so Boxed Water is the perfect addition to your picnic.  
7of 10

Bring Eco-Friendly Organic Alcohol

Photo by The Venue Report
0
Remember the aforementioned adult bevvies you promised? Now is their time to shine! We love JuneShine hard kombucha: it’s organic, locally produced and never comprises quality. They also use honey as their sweetener and support the bees with their honey orders.
8of 10

Set the Scene

Photo by The Venue Report
0
Create a cozy environment with blankets and seating to soak up the beautiful views of your location of choice. Now that long days are ahead of us, we suggest planning a late afternoon gathering to take advantage of golden hour and those stunning summer sunsets.
9of 10

Have an Educational Moment

Photo by The Venue Report
0
Once everyone has had a bite to eat and has a drink in hand, take a moment to educate your friends on microplastics and some of the scary statistics facing our world and ocean today. Then, share about best practices for effectively picking up microplastics and trash.
10of 10

Have fun!

Photo by The Venue Report
0
After picking up trash, sit, chat, and listen to the tunes by the tides. If you planned in accordance with the sunset, your crew will have one stunning finale put on by Mother Nature.

We will keep your favorites safe & sound here.
Happy favoriting!