Eco-friendlies mix business with Green Drinks

"Going Green" is a hot topic and one of the most popular places in town to talk about how to do it is Green Drinks.

Green Drinks is a social gathering for "people interested in the planet," according to event organizers at a.k.a. Green, a building and resource center in Scottsdale that focuses on environmentally friendly products and sustainability.

It actually began about three years ago, but attracted mostly people in the homebuilding industry who were interested in business networking.

"It grew a bit, but then interest seemed to wane," said Mick Dalrymple, owner of a.k.a Green. "When it started taking off again, we were seeing people from all kinds of industries with all different backgrounds."

The first Tuesday of every month the store coordinates this event to help "green" professionals network, share ideas and support each other in their businesses and organizations.

The event has been growing exponentially since it started, Dalrymple said, but seems to be gaining momentum as more businesses owners and individuals take an interest in eco-friendly practices. At the upcoming event they are expecting around 200 people, he said.

"We are actually running into the problem of finding locations to hold it that we don't overwhelm," he said. The event moves each month to make it convenient for people.

Beyond business networking, people are using Green Drinks for social networking, too. There have been some love connections, organizers said, and people make friends and meet people who live in their part of the Valley who share a common interest.

"It's a feel-good happy hour for people who to just want to inspire each other," Dalrymple said. "People were amazed at what other people were doing. People were struggling to wake people up and say 'we've got to deal with these sustainability issues' and this is a place for those people to meet each other."

John Hill, owner of Moss Wellness Spa in Scottsdale, said he looks forward to the monthly gathering.

"Rarely do you have such a wide spectrum of people with such a focused opinion in one room," he said. "You can talk to a banker, a real estate agent and share ideas." Not just ideas for improving his business, he said, but ideas for getting people excited about sustainability.

Kimber Lanning, who runs the nonprofit Local First Arizona, said she's been able to grow her membership by attending the last couple Green Drinks events. The focus of her organization is encouraging people to support local business.

But she said on a personal level, she enjoys meeting other people doing things that are good for the environment.

"I like that the people there are motivated enough to go out and get involved," she said. "I like being around people who are on the forefront."