Project Twenty1 is looking to bring back our Earth Hour event from 2009, “Glow Networking,” and make it bigger and better this year, but we can’t do it without you!

What’s Glow Networking?

On March 27, Project Twenty1 is seeking to  hold its second annual Glow Networking event to celebrate Earth Hour 2010. Earth Hour is a global initiative organized by the World Wildlife Fund, where households and businesses turn off all non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness of climate change. Participants are encouraged to come up with unusual ways to build a community during this hour, and Project Twenty1 has risen to the challenge.

Glow Networking: Promoting Environmentalism While Creating Connections for Careers

Glow Networking is an environmentally friendly screening & networking night for film industry professionals, as well as folks that want their “foot in the door” on new film productions. To start the evening, we hold an open-mic-style screening of short films to bring in artists and audiences alike. Films with environmentally-themed messages are given priority.

At 8:30 p.m., we shut off all the lights. Attendees don lanyards with reusable glow-in-the-dark LED pens that represent their disciplines (“Red”=Actor, “Blue”=Writer, etc.). This event helps guests break the ice and stimulates career-oriented conversations while simultaneously spreading environmental awareness throughout Philadelphia, the sixth largest market in the U.S.

Last year, our first annual event  brought over 225 people together at the University City Marathon Grill and received media attention. We even had a surprise celebrity appearance from the Angry Video Game Nerd (AVGN), the ninth most subscribed to Director in the history of YouTube, and he graced us with some of his shorts.

Project Twenty1 was among the first organizations to bring Earth Hour to the United States. Our strong grasp of social media and our relationships with State Representatives contributed in part to the creation and passing of Pennsylvania HR 154, making Pennsylvania the first State in the nation to sign on to Earth Hour 2009.

This year, we’ve received even more phone calls and e-mails about the events, and we’ve been talking the WWF directly to make this bigger and better than ever!

For photos from last year’s “Glow Networking”, visit: http://bit.ly/cmAC46
To learn about Earth Hour, visit www.EarthHour.org

Why Should I Help?
In this economy, there are very few grants available to fund these types of community events. And running community events take a lot of time and money. What’s worse is that many large corporations have closed their doors to grassroots organizations and put their funding into for-profit ventures, rather than community, Green Awareness, and Arts events.

But we know better. We know how much the media loves grassroots movements, and our track record for viral marketing is phenomenal. We’ve been featured on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer, as well as among the pages of MovieMaker Magazine – and we want you to be right next to us in those photos. We know the impact of having your logo strung around the necks of hundreds of smiling faces, and how many of those people are going to upload those photos to their Social Media accounts.

We know you want to make a difference, and here is how:

If you know any business owners, or anyone in Marketing, Community Giving, or Public Relations, please give them this information:

Project Twenty1 needs your help to hold Glow Networking 2010!

Project Twenty1 is currently seeking:

Presenting Sponsor: To cover monetary costs associated with events, such as LED pen purchasing, advertising, event insurance, environmentally-friendly print materials, etc. Since we cannot hold this event without a Presenting Sponsor, this company or individual will receive the maximum amount of exposure at the event. Contact projecttwenty1@gmail.com for details.

Venue Sponsor: Venue should be in the Central Philadelphia Area (Center City, Old City, University City, Art Museum area, Northern Liberties, or Society Hill), able to hold 350 people+  and have  screening capabilities. Project Twenty1 would begin setup around 5 pm, event would start around 6pm and run until closing (2 a.m.)

Catering Sponsors: Donate light hors d’oeuvres.

Beverage Sponsors: Wine, spirits, beer, energy drinks.

Prize Sponsors: Raffles and giveaways for attendees.

Organizations and individuals like Dymo and Nicole Hollenbeck of Mary Kay have already answered our call – don’t miss out on this opportunity for tremendous exposure and charitable giving.

Don’t know any business owners or marketing professionals? You can help on a personal level!

Individual Sponsors: 100% tax-deductible donations to help our organization run strong. You donations go towards funding events, but also reimbursing our volunteers for things like gas and parking.  Individual donations to Project Twenty1 can go to:

International House Philadelphia
c/o Renae Dinerman/Project Twenty1
3701 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Please include “Project Twenty1” in the memo of your check and write a note to projecttwenty1@gmail.com so we can e-mail you proper tax information at the end of the year.

You can also become a Member and stay on the inside track of Project Twenty1 Events, Free Screenings, and More!

Event/Seasonal Volunteers: Project Twenty1 always needs more volunteers on board to help promote events, conduct community and media outreach, and document events through photography and video. E-mail projecttwenty1@gmail.com to volunteer today.

Stay tuned for updates. With your help, we will bring Earth Hour back to Philadelphia!