KEY WEST, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Most people wouldn’t think of Key West as the center of the planet. The last island in the string of land points trailing southwest from the Florida mainland is more often described as a place of artists and t-shirt makers, a laid-back locale with bonefish in the bay and endless bottles of beer on the wall.
But if a small but influential group of people has its way, Key West will become known as the place where a global environmental movement was born, bringing together corporate and business executives, policy makers and environmental stakeholders, to work together to find real solutions to a host of environmental challenges.
The initial effort is scheduled for Nov. 2-5 in Key West during EcoWeek. The summit is called, “EcoSummit for Sustainable Business” (http://ecoweekfloridakeys.com). It’s more than a meeting of tree-huggers. Participants include Ed Russo, project director for Trump International, Terry E. Lewis, Esq., a representative of more than 50 regional and local governments, Jeremy Lawton Susac, president and CEO of the Real Energy Strategies Group, and Bill Macdonald, a film producer and former team member on Jacques Cousteau’s Calypso.
The EcoSummit, to be held at the Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West, will cover such topics as the power of business to make positive change, positioning your company and yourself in the “green” marketplace, energy at a crossroads, the impact of plastic on ecosystems, and a session on responsible oil drilling in the world’s coastal waters. There will be brainstorming sessions for participants and, on the final day, some fun in the sun.
Registration for the summit is $375. One-day packages are available for $150. Reservations can be made at: http://ecoweekfloridakeys.com
“It’s appropriate that this should start in Key West and spread around the world from here,” said Christi Allen, co-founder and media relations coordinator. “We are vulnerable to oil spills, sea-level rise due to climate change and degradation of the oceans. From where we stand, we are the center of the planet.”