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Summer 2008. The Sustainability Committee of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, decided to host a traditional one-day, drive-in conference focusing on some of the best sustainable practice...

Summer 2008. The Sustainability Committee of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, decided to host a traditional one-day, drive-in conference focusing on some of the best sustainable practices being developed by the sixteen institutions that make up the University of North Carolina system. The Conference, UNC Focus Forward, was going to be the first organized attempt to bring together the “movers and shakers” on each campus to share their successes (and failures) in building a more sustainable campus. But on the way to implementing the conference, the economy collapsed, travel was frozen, and hosting a traditional conference in the spring of 2009 was dead. End of story? Flash forward to spring 2010 when the UNCG Sustainability Committee “virtually” hosts UNC Focus Forward, an online conference focusing on some of the best sustainable practices in the 16 campus UNC system schools. The conference had both in-person and virtual presenters who presented to a virtual audience from across the state. This presentation will provide a “behind the scenes” look at the process used to surmount the obstacles inherent to a traditional conference and highlight the benefits of presenting a sustainable event. In bringing together students, staff and faculty from various institutions to learn about best practices regarding sustainability, UNC Focus Forward provided a sustainable collaboration that not only is impervious to budgetary “hiccups, ” but also models sustainable practices. WARNING: This is not a technical “how to” presentation but one where technophobes will feel right at home.