Time for a recap! Memories from the BSI Sustainability Gala

On September 28th 2011, we hosted our first ever Sustainable Enterprise Gala at the Vancouver Aquarium. We held the event to celebrate the success of our fellow Canadian companies dedicated to sustainable products, business, and conservation.

For BSI, this event marked 7+ years of providing compostable packaging alternatives over disposable plastics.  We’re also celebrating the launch of our sister brand, Bésics! Bésics will offer branded retail and commercial compostables across North America.

Say ‘Cheese’!

Arriving at the stunning venue, guests could strike a pose in front of our green screen photo booth. Walking in, you’d see heads bopping to the beat of live jazz music, and aquatic life all around. Golden Ears Cheeseworks set out an amazing selection of cheeses, and Oceanwise brought us sustainable sushi.

Everyone got a chance at some tasty treats! Then it was time to wander over to the not-so-silent bossa nova auction to bid on items in support of conservation….

Adding a little star power, Adera Andelucci and Brian Calvert from the the Vancouver Lifestyle series GotoGal arrived with lights and cameras to showcase the evening.

Guests had the opportunity to catch up with the latest BSI news by reading through our research display. One of the BSI staff favorites was the model CN train set and Canadian-manufactured butcher wrap featured on our new sustainable transportation display.

Later, inspirational words from the podium by our CEO Susanna Carson were followed by Ruth Legg a Researcher at Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Robert Clark, one of the leaders of Oceanwise.

Your favorites of the night

Finally, our main event band, Maria in the Shower finished off our evening as volunteers brought the bossa nova auction prizes to the winners, and guests left admiring the smell of fresh Ethical Bean coffee beans – part of the swag in our Vancity gift bags. Since the event, we’ve heard stories of the Organic Lives macaroons being enjoyed on the way home – not a crumb left in the package!

We would like to thank all of our guests who came to the event. Additional thanks go to all of our generous sponsors for donating items for our gift bags and the silent auction.

From our auction, you helped us raise $4,005 for conservation and research!

These proceeds will be split among the five organizations we’ve chosen to support: The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society, the Burns Bog Conservation Society, and finally, our own compostability research.

It was a great event and we look forward to seeing you at the next one!

Footnote:  

Since the party, we’ve had another reason to celebrate: Bésics has become a registered trademark in Canada.

You can stop by our office (#108 – 8696 Barnard St) in Marpole to pick up some Bésics compostables for your next event! Or… use reusable serviceware (with biodegradable soap) if you can.