How did it feel to be awarded the TPi Industry Recognition Award?
“From the first school show, I instinctively knew that somehow, I needed to make this my career. The fact that it has since allowed me to travel the world in an industry that creates amazing experiences for communities everywhere has been incredible. To realise my peers regard me as an influencer and an advocate for change is a true honour and I am beyond grateful.”
What were some of your highlights from the 2025 TPi Awards?
“Seeing Nicole Erin Massey getting the award for Production Manager of the Year was totally uplifting. Not only is she an incredible advocate for women in the industry and embracing change from a sustainability perspective alongside the team from Billie Eilish but she is a wonderful human being. There were also many beautiful touches at the event that I hugely appreciated from a sustainability perspective such as making the plant-based meals as appetising as the meat dish, the initiative to limit food waste, limiting the giveaway on the table to one gift from a truly ethically supplier to having the option to sit a table that was alcohol free. It is a joy to see the awards ceremony using its platform to be an agent for change.”
What would you cite as some of you biggest achievements in this field?
“I think that the work that has been done by the team at LIVE Green to create a template for Green Clauses in artists contracts is exemplary. As is the incredible work that encompasses the Massive Attack Act 1.5 initiatives in Bristol and Liverpool stemming from the research done at the Tyndall Centre that culminated in creating a blueprint to put on events both in a green field site and in an arena. This has been built on a strong foundation created by so many wonderful individuals and organisations across the ecosystem of live events, and I wish I could mention them all. Visiting Glastonbury last summer and seeing first hand a festival walking the talk from a sustainability perspective was truly uplifting especially as I know there are numerous festivals that share the same ethos.”
What steps do you think the industry needs to take to ensure more opportunities are open to the next generation?
“As the majority of our industry are freelance it would be hugely advantageous to us an industry if we had a central resources hub that could provide mentoring and coaching opportunities. It would allow us to ensure that there was a pathway to continual professional development as well as creating a culture to foster and develop leadership skills building on the wisdom and experience of time served industry professionals.”
What’s next for yourself and the team at TAIT in 2025?
“I hope to continue to support and be an integral part of the sustainability community within our industry. Continuing to mentor the next generation will always be a priority as I am grateful to all of the wonderful people that took the time to teach me, and this is a way to give back. As for TAIT, we have just launched our global Green Affinity Network group to help embed sustainability into our culture. Our two high level objectives are to reduce emissions and work to the circular economy. We are creating our overall short and long-term strategy for both of these objectives to identify what additional resources, such as external consultants, that we might need to attain our objectives. We have just completed an extensive basic carbon literacy training program, and we will be launching our onboarding sustainability training module for all new and existing employees to ensure everyone has an understanding of why sustainability is important to us at TAIT.”
