At a glance
The UW Night Market, hosted annually by the Taiwanese Student Association since 2001, draws over 6,000 attendees and showcases… Read full summary
- Funding received
- 2022-2023
- Small
- Awarded
- $1,000
- Funding partners
-
- Services and Activities Fee (SAF)
The UW Night Market, hosted annually by the Taiwanese Student Association since 2001, draws over 6,000 attendees and showcases diverse cultural practices through performances and traditional cuisines. To address the environmental impact of such a large-scale event, TSA aims to maintain sustainability with a zero-waste program, encouraging awareness of waste reduction and carbon footprint among attendees and organizers. The event not only promotes environmental sustainability but also fosters cultural preservation and appreciation, creating a platform for underrepresented communities to share their traditions and heritage.
First, we will be selective towards our local vendors attending our event that source their products locally, use eco-friendly packaging, and avoid using harmful chemicals. We want to establish a strong relationship with our vendors and be critical of which vendors support our environmental goals.
Second, we plan to encourage attendees to use public transportation or carpools to reduce carbon emissions by promoting infographics of public transportation options through social media and our sponsors.
Third, our TSA food booth will continue to use compostable plates, silverware, and packaging to ensure eco-friendly practices to preserve the sustainability of Red Square and the UW campus. But most importantly, these actions will require intensive planning to ensure a greener Night Market on our already tight planned schedule. Considering the night market serves around 6,000 people, a conservative estimate for UW Recycle Program would be $700 and $300 for marketing materials for our vendors and infographics on public transportation.
Josh Lee
Project lead
- jwlee2@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 2 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Business
Jerry Wu
Team member
- jwu23@uw.edu
- Affiliation
- Student
- Years
- 2 year(s) remaining at UW
- Affiliated groups
- Informatics
Christina Coop
Project support
- cmcoop@uw.edur
- Affiliation and department
- Senior Activities Office
Request amount and budget
Plans for financial longevity
After our project ends we will reflect on our event impacts and awareness on our officers and audience. We usually have in-depth reflections and discussions among our team on improvements toward next year's NM. http://www.uwnightmarket.com/
- By the end of March, we plan to finish signing contracts with our vendors.
- By the end of April, we plan to finalize everything such as our NM map, sponsorships, volunteers, and entertainment.
Plans for long-term project management
n/a
Problem statement
The UW Night Market has been an event held in Red Square every year since 2001. It is one of the Taiwanese Student Association’s signature events and easily the largest in scale in terms of people. Last year, we had an attendance of over 6000 people. With this considerable scale of an event, our event generates a lot of trash and a carbon footprint that presents environmental and health issues for our community. We want to continue maintaining a sustainable event with our zero-waste program.
Problem context
The hope is for event-goers and our officers to become more conscientious and aware of the consequences caused by the waste we generate and to utilize well-established systems to reduce carbon footprints. It is hoped that such a mentality will be adopted in the day-to-day lives of those involved in Night Market and that the effects will extend beyond TSA events to the events of other on-campus organizations. TSA’s Night Market promotes cultural sustainability by showcasing diverse and underrepresented communities’ cultural practices and traditions. For example, we invite local performers to showcase traditional music and dance on our stage. This helps raise awareness and appreciation for different cultural practices, provides a platform for underrepresented communities to share their culture, and promotes cultural diversity and understanding. Additionally, featuring traditional cuisine from different cultures promotes cultural preservation because food is integral to cultural heritage. Showcasing traditional cuisines can allow attendees to learn about different cultures and culinary traditions.
Measure the impacts
| Impact / goal | Metric(s) of success | UW stakeholders impacted |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Sustainability / Spread Taiwanese awareness | Revisiting next year's NM event or share event to others before marketing pursues. | Undergraduate, Graduate, Alumni, Academic staff, Admin staff |
Communication tactics and tools
We will primarily use social media and tabling to convey our key communication topics.
Outreach communication plan
Given that we are a cultural RSO, we have strong connections with many other cultural and academic groups on campus. We will mainly use social media and tabling to showcase information about our NM and invite attendees to volunteer for our event.
Student involvement
The UW Night Market is primarily run by the Taiwanese Student Association officers, a group of 45 dedicated students. There is also a sizable number of volunteers that help out with the event. These volunteers come from various backgrounds; some are members of other UW RSOs or are students at nearby high schools and colleges. Student involvement and leadership for this event are prominent. Every year TSA is excited to see so many people participating in the creation of Night Market.