Sober Friendly Spaces: Enhancing Fundraising Events and Professional Conferences

I've spoken prominently about my sobriety, even hosting an entire live stream where I talked about the past year of navigating that.

I've also continued to travel. Here's a story that exemplifies how things have been going when it comes to being a sober person in a world dominated by alcohol.

How To Order A Mocktail Without Ordering A Mocktail

A few weeks ago, I went to Washington, DC to check out what was happening at the Bridge Conference as well as present. It was a great conference, though when it came to the cocktail hour a par for course situation occurred.

I went to the bartender, who obviously works for the hotel's catering company. There's the usual roller bar setup, with drink wells and ice and buckets of booze behind the bartender (say that three times fast). The display of drinks includes a light variety of macro and craft beer options as well as liquor or wine.

So I wander up and, upon seeing this, anticipate what's about to happen but give it a shot anyway.

"Excuse me, do you have any non-alcoholic beer or cocktails? Anything that isn't alcoholic?"

No sir. We have water, soda, or cranberry juice.

I moved on and ended up not having anything. But that's not really the story. After finishing things up and heading to the airport with Cherian Koshy , I walk him to his gate, and then right by it is the Wolfgang Puck bar.

After first walking over to my gate to ensure that it exists and assessing if Wolfgang is the best option (it is), I sit down and review the menu. After seeing no non-alcoholic beer, I look at the cocktail menu.

I've learned some tricks here; the most upfront is to order a mocktail without calling it that. Many servers still assume a mocktail needs to be a prefabbed mixture or something that requires special no-proof liquor.

I ordered a ginger beer, asked for a lime, and explicitly said not to put any booze in it. The server has no issues, takes the order, and begins to assemble my order of hummus and a non-alcoholic mule.

After making my order, a guy beside me says, "Well, that's no fun."

Without missing a beat, I spit out, "Well, I'm an alcoholic, so that wouldn't be fun for me."

He stares at me, doesn't say anything, downs the two fingers of bourbon he had, and got up and walked over to his gate and put headphones in. I say out loud, mainly to myself:

Some people just don't like to look in the mirror

During all this, another gentleman was sitting next to me as well. He hears all this and says, "That was amazing." So we get to talking, and it turns out that he works in the beer industry, and we have a pretty fun conversation about family, travel, and the alcohol industry. We even connected on LinkedIn (I won't tag him, but feel free to comment, Michael!)

Making Lemonade (or where YOU come in)

This is not an isolated incident and a much larger conversation to be had as a society regarding alcohol and its relationship to sexual assault , economic and social impact , and other big issues.

But talking about that can be a BUMMER, right? So today, I'd like to do something positive instead.

Event planners still struggle to integrate sober-friendly experiences into conferences, galas, and beyond.

So, I will work on empowering you with the absolute best resource on how to make a sober-friendly event, in-person or virtual. Here's what I'd love to produce, and plan on releasing this as part of Generosity Xchange.

I plugged my vision into ChatGPT4 and this is what it produced, which sounds pretty good. I have a lot of the initial sections and I think it would make a decent blog as well.

But I need your help. See that section on a world of mocktails?

What am I missing? What do you want to have options outlined for? And do you have any mocktail recipes to provide me?

Sober Friendly Spaces: Enhancing Fundraising Events and Professional Conferences

Introduction

Understanding the Shift to a More Inclusive Event Experience.

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1. The Importance of Creating Sober Friendly Spaces at Your Events

- 1.1. Inclusivity and Diversity in Events: Why we need to think beyond alcohol.

- 1.2. The Changing Face of Professional Networking: Addressing the myths of alcohol-fueled connections.

- 1.3. Health and Well-being: Catering to attendees prioritizing a healthier lifestyle.

- 1.4. Safety and Liability: Minimizing risks and ensuring attendee safety.

- 1.5. Enhancing Your Brand's Reputation: How sober spaces can elevate your brand in the nonprofit sector.

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2. How to Integrate Sober Friendly Experiences into Your Events

- 2.1. Assessing Your Audience: Conducting surveys and understanding your attendees' needs.

- 2.2. Promote and Normalize: Creating a space where attendees don't feel singled out.

- 2.3. Alcohol-Free Zones: Introducing designated areas for sober attendees.

- 2.4. Workshops and Activities: Incorporating engaging activities that don't center around alcohol.

- 2.5. Collaborate with Partners: Finding businesses or sponsors who align with a sober-friendly mission.

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3. A World of Mocktails: From Morning to Midnight

- 3.1. Morning Mocktails: Kick start the day with fresh and revitalizing mocktail options.

- Sample Recipe: Sunshine Citrus Spritzer

- 3.2. Lunch and Afternoon Delights: Light and refreshing beverages to keep the conversation flowing.

- Sample Recipe: Herbal Infusion Fizz

- 3.3. Dinner and Evening Gatherings: Rich, deep flavors to wind down the day.

- Sample Recipe: Midnight Berry Blend

- 3.4. Seasonal Mocktail Specials: Tailored options for every season.

- Summer: Tropical Tease

- Autumn: Spiced Apple Chiller

- Winter: Cranberry Cinnamon Cooler

- Spring: Blossom Blush

- 3.5. Ballin’ on a Budget: Delicious mocktails that won't break the bank.

- Sample Recipe: Sparkling Lemonade

- 3.6. Themes and Event Ideas Centered Around Mocktails: Turning beverages into a memorable experience.

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Conclusion

Crafting Magical Generosity Experiences: The Future of Sober-Friendly Event Planning.

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About Neon One

Empowering nonprofits through innovation, inclusivity, and unforgettable experiences.

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The above eBook outline is tailored to integrate the values and objectives of Neon One while emphasizing the importance of sober-friendly spaces in modern event planning. The structure is designed to be engaging, educative, and actionable, providing readers with both a compelling narrative and practical solutions to enhance their event experiences.