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2014 End of the Year Wrap-Up- We’re Turning 3!

 

As we wrap up another year, we tend to look back at the past 12 months and tally up accomplishments (and disappointments). But I find that the disappointments fade into the background of memory and it is the accomplishments that stand out in one’s mind.

As I prepared our annual Holiday E-Card , I had to gather up all of the new contacts we’ve made in the course of doing business (and apologies to anyone we may have missed! Please click on the link for our holiday wishes to you :-)  ), and this year, it was literally hundreds of new names that got added to our recipients list.

That’s because this year, much like our 1st and 2nd years of business, was jam packed! In January of 2015, it will be 3 years since we officially incorporated as Green Product Placement (and April will mark 4 years since I was struck by the idea, following an online conversation on TED.com  with the documentarian Morgan Spurlock, to start the company).

In last year’s end of year post, I compared a new business to a child. Whereas last year, our business went from “baby” to “toddler”, this year, our “toddler” went running around, all over the place.

In April, we produced the London Sustainable Production Eco-Expo  which was modeled after the very successful NYC Production Eco Expos, produced by our friends at Film Biz Recycling.

As I posted late spring, see some pictures here  and  catch the sizzle reel here:

After that, as last year’s winners, we were off to present the “First and Foremost” Award at Film Biz Recycling’s  Golden Dumpster Awards  to the PGA Green, for their report “Going Green and Saving Green”  which was authored by our dear friend and Sustainable Production colleague Emellie O’Brien, of Earth Angel, sustainable production consultants.

Then, it was nose to the grindstone as we worked to place our brands in many more shows, including now several in the UK, and begin our supplemental production work on the Emmy winning show, House of Cards, Season 3.

September saw us at Natural Products Expo East, where we connected with our clients, friends and other great natural brands.

In October, Beth was asked to present a master class at the Netherlands Film Festival at the invitation of the Green Film Making Project, based in Amsterdam.

beth utrectpanel gff

The keynote speaker was none other than our friend Emellie O’Brien! And our friends at Casual Films  were represented by speaker Nick Francis.

Check out the sizzle reel from this fabulous day of international sustainable production promotion, here:

( Green Film Making Project @ NFF 2014 from greenfilmmaking on Vimeo. )

Lisa at school

impact hub amsterdam

 

Also that week, Lisa spoke at the Netherlands Film Academy  and Beth connected with fellow Impact Hub members in Amsterdam. We also met with numerous Dutch sustainable designers and were completely impressed by all of the forward thinking sustainable design coming from The Netherlands.

In December, we were able to host our office party for the Hampden Christmas Parade that marches right in front. It was a great way to hang with friends and colleagues and celebrate Charm City’s quirky charm.

party table set

Our desks turned into a serving table laden with yummy food for watching the parade.

As the year draws to a close, we look back on all we’ve accomplished this year, and the last three years. Our show count has grown exponentially- we’ve now placed well over 55 brands in over 105 shows in the US, Canada and the UK and we look forward towards greening the screen the way we do- and promoting great brands in front the of camera, even more in 2015!

Here’s wishing you and yours the happiest of Holidays and the brightest and loveliest of New Years!

All our best,

Beth and Lisa

b and l shout

Beth and Lisa are cheering you on for the holidays!

2013- GPP “Mid-Summer Report”

Happy 2/3rds through the summer, everyone! We trust that you all are enjoying the bounty from the garden and farmer’s market as much as we are.

Now that our Facebook Page is all back to normal, you can find most of our week to week news there.

Students are taught about the triple bottom line at Darrow

Students are taught about the triple bottom line at Darrow

 

After Expo West and London, Beth was invited to speak to students, faculty and business people at the fabulous Darrow School in upstate New York.  This is a wonderful private school with an emphasis in sustainability as part of their curriculum. Once a year they have a Sustainability Symposium and invite sustainability professionals from across the country and across the business spectrum to converge on their school and present their story and relevant topics. Lunch was from local farms and absolutely delicious. Beth was honored to have taken part in this symposium.

us with award gda fbr

After that was NYC Green Fest, and then next, we were next off to pick up our Golden Dumpster Award from our friends at Film Biz Recycling who celebrated their own 5th birthday by giving away awards to fellow sustainable production people. We joined the likes of Focus Features, 30 Rock, Brite Shot, and Bridge Props in picking up our award at the wonderful ceremony in mid-town Manhattan. In attendance was Shannon Shaefer Bart from Universal’s sustainability initiative and Lauren Selman, who we finally got to meet in person, from Reel Green Media.

our award gda

Our award was for “first and foremost”. We were psyched that it was a “kitty” even and it takes pride of place in our office.

After that, there were many more shows to place our brands, and we were interviewed by Green Film Making in Amsterdam and featured as a “who’s who”.  At the same time, the PGA Green Guide wrote about us as a featured vendor. We also attended the large Fancy Foods Show in NY- and saw some of our wonderful clients and hopefully met some brands that will become new clients. Check out some pictures here:

The Golden Dumpster Awards and

The NYC Fancy Foods Show

At the same time, Beth was invited to speak at a Sustainable Marketing Conference in Antwerp Belgium in October- “More With Less”:

(Click on picture link to find out more)  :

mind door minder logo

Lisa will be coming along also to attend and photograph the event- we’re going to add a “speaking” page to our website- after all the positive feedback from The Better Living Show, Green Spaces NY, Film Biz Eco-Expo, IdeaMensch #48 last year and The Darrow School and soon Meer Door Minder this year- Beth is excited about speaking our mission all over the world!

Following the conference, we’ll be off to Amsterdam to meet with the Green Film Making people who are based there. Before that is Expo East, and loads and loads of productions to place in. We are and are going to be, busy Green Product Placement People!