Santa Monica Sustainable Quality Awards Return April 30, 2019
April 15, 2019 12:36 PM
Santa Monica, Calif. – The 24th Annual Santa Monica Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) returns to recognize local businesses in the areas of sustainable economic development, social responsibility, and stewardship of the natural environment. Developed in partnership between the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, City of Santa Monica and Sustainable Works, this year’s event will take place April 30th, 2019, at Le Meridien Delfina Hotel in Santa Monica.
Joining the 2019 SQA event as keynote speaker is Debbie Levin, CEO of Environmental Media Association, a non-profit that provides a unified voice for our planet through entertainment, storytelling and education. She is considered one of the most influential people in the environmental movement and entertainment industry. Since taking over the Environmental Media Association (EMA) in 2000, Levin has been singular in harnessing the power of the media and entertainment communities to pioneer a high impact model of social activism, utilizing storytelling and message development to drive awareness into action and solutions.
Under Levin’s leadership, EMA has been responsible for some of the green movement’s most public and pivotal milestones, including 19 years of working with Toyota and Lexus. Each year she produces the two-day EMA IMPACT Summit, EMA Awards, and EMA Honors Benefit Gala. The events have hosted an array of entertainers and activists, in addition to, forging partnerships with some of the world’s most trusted brands. In 2005, she created the EMA Corporate Advisory Board in order to create a synergistic relationship for her many corporate supporters.
“I’m so proud to be part of this inspiring and forward-thinking event. Bringing together and celebrating businesses that make sustainable practices a key part of their mission and campaigns are exactly what will bring the green economy into the mainstream,” said Debbie Levin, CEO, EMA.
The SQA’s have a tradition of bringing powerful change-agents and thought leaders as keynote speakers including Dr. Paul Bunje, Chief Scientist at XPRIZE and Co-Founder of Conservation X Labs, organicArchitect founder Eric Corey Freed, and previous CEO’s of Patagonia, Yvonne Choiunard and Dr. Michael Crooke,
Each year, the SQA’s celebrate the efforts of local Santa Monica businesses to adopt sustainable practices. As the longest running and most rigorous sustainable business award program, the SQA’s have recognized 157 business with over 198 awards since 1995. A majority of winners took the first step by participating in the City of Santa Monica’s Green Business Program – a FREE service for businesses located in Santa Monica in conjunction with Sustainable Works, a local non-profit. Green Business Program participants provide the SQA’s with several strong candidates each year. For more information, businesses should visit www.sustainableworks.org/programs/business or
Sustainable Event
This green event, lead sponsored by Morley Builders, LAcarGuy, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism, SoCal Edison, and Optimum Seismic, will showcase sustainable (vegetarian) bites from local restaurants. Free bike valet will be provided and attendees will receive a raffle ticket for walking, biking or carpooling to the event.
Event Information
The SQA’s will take place at Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica Hotel in the Penthouse Ballroom. On April 30th, the event begins at 11:00AM with an active networking and exhibitor hour (Sustainable Power Hour). SQA winners will be formally recognized during an award presentation starting at 12:00 PM, followed by a sustainably plated lunch.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.smsqa.com or by calling 310.393.9825. Pre-paid tickets are $60 for Chamber members and $70 for non-members.
About Sustainable Quality Awards:
The SQAs were founded to recognize businesses in the Santa Monica area that are successfully incorporating sustainable practices into their operations; businesses that make significant achievements in the areas of sustainable economic development, social responsibility, and stewardship of the natural environment. Morley Builders, Santa Monica Travel and Tourism and LAcarGUY continue to support this event as Lead Sponsors. Additional sponsors include Southern California Edison, Optimum Seismic and Skywell.
For more information visit www.smsqa.com
About the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce:
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce advocates and represents business’ interests and issues facing the community. We provide the environment to help our members prosper and succeed through a proactive working partnership with all levels of government and community organizations to achieve a healthy local economy and quality of life.
About the Environmental Media Association:
The Environmental Media Association (EMA), a nonprofit 501(c)3, has grown into a diverse subsection of entertainment industry tastemakers, entrepreneurs in finance and technology, and green icons dedicated to the mission of promoting environmental progress. EMA is a movement powered by celebrity role modeling, campaign work, social media messaging, year-round programs, and three large scale annual events: The EMA Awards, EMA Honors Benefit Gala, and EMA Impact.
For more information visit www.green4ema.org.
SQA Media Contact: Kathy Shepard | Kathyshepard6@gmail.com | 310-678-4427
Media Contact
Miranda Iglesias
Public Information Coordinator
Miranda.Iglesias@SMGOV.NET