GigMaven

In celebration of Earth Day, we have been sending out weekly tips to our musicians on how to be better to Mother Earth.  Just to give everyone an idea of some of these tips, I will be posting them on our blog and updating this post as we share our resident Green expert, Kate Harrison’s tips:

• Print your logo on organic cotton t-shirts, recycled plastic frisbees or other eco-friendly paraphernalia. There are green versions of almost anything you can think of just a click away
• Do what Jack Johnson did and join 1% For the Planet. By giving just one percent of your profits to environmental organizations you join a community of non-profits and companies making a difference, and show fans you care
• Help fans carpool to your concerts like the band Guster does. They partnered with Reverb to green their tour, but you can use a site like Pickup Pal to help fans help each other

You may be wondering what a green wedding author is doing on this site, but the answer is simple.  With over 2.5 million weddings a year in the United States, weddings are often the bread and butter for many musicians.  In addition to being lucrative (average cost of 4 hour set = $3,000+), weddings are a lot of fun to play and offer great exposure.

However, a lot of what I have learned in the wedding business applies to venues as well. With over 80% of consumers looking for eco-friendly options, learning how to green your business’s operations could be the key to making it through tough economic times and developing a loyal following.

In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, I will be offering a few tips and tricks to help musicians and music venues differentiate themselves in the marketplace while reducing their environmental footprint. These tips will be included this month in the GigMaven newsletters to musicians and venues.

-Kate

Kate L. Harrison is a lawyer, author and environmental advocate.  She wrote The Green Bride Guide: How to Plan an Earth-friendly Wedding on Any Budget and founded The Green Bride Guide after planning her own green wedding in 2007.