Smart Trips Announces Corporate Sponsorships: Scripps Networks Interactive Signs on as First Supporter

When a local employer known for supporting green commutes teams up with a program that encourages alternative transportation, you can bet good things are on the horizon for the company, its workers, and the entire community.

Smart Trips is an online program that attracts hundreds of enthusiastic members each year by helping its participants find carpool partners or learn to navigate the area on a bike, a bus, or their own two feet. When the program launched a new corporate sponsorship program several weeks ago, it landed a major backer right out of the gate: Scripps Networks Interactive.

Scripps, headquartered in west Knoxville, has long been a big supporter of all things green-it won an Environmental Sustainability Excellence Award from MPC in 2011-so it?s a natural match with the Smart Trips program. In fact, the year Scripps joined Smart Trips, it was the top employer in the annual Commuter Challenge. Clean commuting is part of the culture at Scripps.

"We?re thrilled to be offering Smart Trips? new services at our Knoxville campus," said Sara Stone, Office Services Manager for Scripps. "We think it?s a practical, fun way to improve our employee benefits and sustainability. We?re looking into similar programs for our other locations across the country."

The basic Smart Trips program has always been free and will remain so. Employers who sign on to bronze, silver, or gold levels of sponsorship will not only be getting a number of add-ons for their own company, but will also be helping to fund the program in general.

Depending on the level of sponsorship chosen, incentives include custom press releases, assistance with the application process for the Best Workplaces for Commuters Award, a catered information session at the employer?s worksite, promotion on the Smart Trips website, and cooperative advertisements in local publications.

Anyone who works in the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization?s service area-Anderson, Blount, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Sevier, and a portion of Roane and Cocke counties-is eligible to sign up for Smart Trips. Participants log their green commutes on the Smart Trips website and are eligible to win gift cards to area vendors.

For more information on joining Smart Trips or becoming a corporate sponsor, visit www.knoxsmarttrips.org, call (865) 215-2916, or email smarttrips@knoxtrans.org.

Posted 02-11-2015. Written by Sarah Powell.