A Greener Future has revealed the 2024 International AGF Award Winners at the Green Events & Innovations Conference, with an extra reward for a certain green champion.
Taking place on 27th February at the Royal Lancaster London, the 17th edition of the International AGF Awards celebrated the most innovative and worthy festivals, events, venues, organisations, and individuals from worldwide events over the last 12 months.
Finalists of the 2024 International AGF Awards, supported by Skydiamond, included 27 events, venues, and innovators from 12 countries with awards being presented across nine important sustainability categories, including power, water, food, and travel.
During this edition each winner was issued with not only a trophy handcrafted of reclaimed wood by the organiser’s father Steve O’Neill, but an actual 0.7 carat “mined from the sky” diamond certified by the International Gemological Institute and generously gifted by our “bling without the sting” award sponsors Skydiamond.
The International Greener Festival Award 2024 went to Belgium’s Paradise City, who also scooped the Greener Catering Award. The festival prides itself on caring for the future in every communication, encouraging guests to travel mindfully with initiatives such as specially arranged night trains, campsites with equipment lending and repurposing, and waste policies and deposits.
Upon receiving the award, the event’s sustainability manager, Esther Koshari, said:
“I am a bit overwhelmed and I’m super happy we got this award. We have worked really hard to achieve this award and not it’s only me as the sustainability manager but the whole team. Sustainability is in the DNA of everything we do at the festival.”
Estonia won an award for the first time, with I Land Sound receiving the Circular Event Award.
Norway’s ØyaFestivalen and Rosendal Garden Party from Sweden both took home awards. Rosendal tackled travel to and from their festival in 2023, reducing artist travel by increasing local talent and having just one stage featuring headliners travelling from other countries, as well as reducing the air miles from all artists travelling to the event. ØyaFestivalen say that taking measures to raise awareness of sustainability and EDI measures beyond the festival is in their DNA.
For the second year running, Boom in Portugal won the award for Water & Sanitation and scross the border, Spain’s Sonidos Líquidos continued its steadfast commitment to sustainability, building upon the successful practices developed in previous years.
The UK’s Green Gathering continues to be a pioneer of the 100% renewable-energy-powered festival, proving that even during a rather damp year, you can still be solar-powered. Power is a key focus for the festival and is at the core of what sets it apart from other events. The impact this has on the public enjoying a festival powered by renewable energy, has the potential to impact attendees after they leave.
The Greener Innovations Award went to 6 Degrees by Team Love & re:right design, who have harnessed the interconnected power of mushroom roots and demonstrated how we can move away from environment-impacting materials to a more sustainable fungi future!
AGF’s CEO, Claire O’Neill, said: “Massive congrats to all of the winners and to the nominees of the International AGF Awards 2024. The work of using culture for a positive transition to a greener way of living has never been more important. We’re also quite beside ourselves with gratitude to our sponsor Skydiamond for the incredible work they do and the generosity in the gift provided to each of our winners this year.”
