UK: The annual Vision:2025 conference will take place at The Showman’s Show on October 17, hoping to increase the momentum of festival industry communities working together to create more sustainable events.
The conference, hosted by industry think-tank Powerful Thinking, welcomes the 70+ festival organisers signed up to the Vision:2025 pledge to cut the environmental impacts of their events, together with key figures from the festival industry who will share their experiences and offer expertise and advice to Vision:2025 members alongside green-minded event suppliers and organisations that can provide networks of support around sustainability.
Paul Reed, CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals, kicks off with a keynote focusing on how collaboration can catalyse widespread behavioural change. Steve Heap, General Secretary of the Association of Festival Organisers, will host a panel of guests from Greenbelt, Fire in the Mountain, Shambala Festival and Broadwick Live – who will share their experiences of successful environmental initiatives at events this year.
Sustainability Director at Hay Festival, Andy Fryer, will host the ‘Toast to the Future’ panel – where guests discuss best practice in drinking sustainably and alternatives to single-use plastics.
Suppliers & experts will step up to help meet Vision:2025 goals with innovative products and smart approaches to cutting impacts at events. The panel titled ‘Progressive Power & Energy,’ hosted by Plaster PR CEO Graham Brown, will showcase Electric Vehicle charging for events (S2VS), onsite battery storage (Immersa), next generation remote monitoring systems (ide Systems), biofuels sourcing (Julie’s Bicycle) and how sustainable power can be embedded in the tender process (Smart Power Ltd).
The popular closing roundtable session gives Vision:2025 members the chance to ask speakers, experts and suppliers questions relating specifically to their events. Topics covered are Festival Toilets with Loowatt and Compoost, Power: The Nitty-Gritty, Tackling Travel Impacts, and Cutting Waste Plastics. In a Dragons’ Den style session, shortlisted suppliers will the have to chance to present to delegates and a panel of judges to win The Showman’s Show Green Supplier Award 2018.
Chris Johnson, Chair of Powerful Thinking, commented: “This event is where the magic happens, where we get real insights into changes in the industry and into what’s working and what’s not. It’s a space where pioneers in the industry can come together and exchange notes on the season that’s just happened.”
Full programme details can be found here.
Festivals that have not signed the Vision:2025 pledge but would like to attend can become a member here.
For more info contact Bethan Riach.
