Three-fourths of event pros are "light green" Nearly 75 percent of respondents to a recent survey on the Special Events Web site say they add eco-friendly event elements when they can--a stance some observers call being "light green." Another 16 percent describe themselves as "dark green," using eco-friendly elements virtually throughout their events. Only 9 percent of respondents say they cannot or do not use any eco-friendly elements in their events …

Event embezzler sentenced A former event planner for Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based pharmaceutical giant Amgen was sentenced last month to two years in state prison for embezzling more than $300,000 from the company. Jason Rimmer was convicted of providing his co-defendant with information to set up merchant accounts for fictitious businesses with names strikingly similar to Amgen's legitimate vendors. The co-defendant then charged Amgen for bogus services and forwarded phony invoices to Rimmer, who approved them for payment; the pair shared the proceeds. Amgen auditors became suspicious and launched an investigation after Rimmer left the company for another job …

Are food costs biting you? Special Events has a new online poll asking if rising food prices are changing the way you create special events. Are you raising your prices? Changing menu items? Let us know by voting in our poll; click here to find it on our home page (lower right column).

Goodbye, Harrah's The legendary name "Harrah's" will be dropped when Harrah's Entertainment Inc., taken private in January, changes its name to Caesars Entertainment Corp. Bill Harrah founded his first casino in Reno, Nev., in 1937. Harrah's bought Caesars in 2005 and is banking on the Caesars name as a noted luxury brand worldwide, the company said.