Small Moves, Big Impact: Building an Eco-Ethical Event Practice

As the world grows increasingly conscious of sustainability and ethical responsibility, businesses are under greater scrutiny — not just in terms of their carbon footprint, but also regarding employee welfare and overall impact on the environment.

Here at Stratminds, we’re proud to say that conscientious production practices have always been part of our framework, and we are fortunate to have clients who share the same principles.

With Smart and Conscientious Collaborators

The Smart Masskara is part of a series of annual activations by Smart Communications, held across various festivals as a way to connect with local subscribers outside Metro Manila through immersive cultural experiences. The festival series has been a brand staple since [insert year], only suspended during the pandemic, but remains one of Smart’s most awaited and exciting campaigns.

2019 was a particularly memorable year. The setup, aptly called Smart Distrito, was mounted along South Capitol Road in Bacolod.

It was a three-day affair, with the entire strip populated by an eclectic collection of booths where food, art, music, and technology converged.

It created a unique sense of community and opportunity — an avenue for locals, spectators, and festival-goers to take part in creative expressions through interactive art installations, music sessions, and food explorations.

The event culminated in the highly anticipated Smart Distrito Night, headlined by Bacolod-based bands like Fuse and The Good Boys, along with big-name artists such as Rivermaya and I Belong to the Zoo.

With all the booths set up, concessionaire stands built, and bands flown in, it was only a matter of waiting for showtime.

However, we received an urgent message from the Talarak Foundation, a conservation organization based in Negros Island, tasked with maintaining and breeding endangered species in the region.

According to the foundation, a female Rufous-headed Hornbill — an endemic and critically endangered species — had started incubating her eggs early at their sanctuary, which was located directly behind our stage setup.

This presented a precarious situation: the hornbill (locally known as Talarak) is known to seal herself in for a full 100 days during incubation. Any disruption could risk failure, a devastating outcome given that the first successful Talarak captive breeding had taken nine years to achieve.

Photo Courtesy of the Talarak Foundation.

Upon learning of the situation, Stratminds immediately informed Smart Communications.

A few hours later, Smart announced via all its social media platforms that the October 25th Smart Distrito Night would be postponed.

Overnight, the team worked with local government units and co-organizers to secure approval to move the setup to Lacson Street.

Post by Smart Communications.

While the change meant longer hours and major logistical adjustments, it was, in the end, a moral and ethical victory.

The next day, the entire team was touched to receive a post from the Talarak Foundation lauding both Smart and Stratminds for accommodating the last-minute but critical request.

Post by the Talarak Foundation.

Their warm words were a powerful reminder of our responsibility — not only as event organizers but also as people committed to protecting the planet, especially in a time of heightened and often divisive environmental discourse.

The experience was a powerful reminder of our responsibility — not only as event organizers, but also as individuals committed to protecting the planet.

At Stratminds, we continue to champion small but meaningful actions that drive positive change, believing that every decision, no matter how small, can make a lasting impact.

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Let’s make it happen!