The Vision:2025 annual conference looks to increase the momentum of festival industry communities working together to create more sustainable events at The Showman’s Show.
The event, hosted by industry think-tank Powerful Thinking, brings 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, Association of Independent Festivals, kicks off with a keynote focusing on how collaboration can catalyse widespread behavioural change. Steve Heap, Association of Festival Organisers, hosts a panel of guests from Greenbelt, Fire in the Mountain, Shambala Festival & Broadwick Live who share their experiences of successful environmental initiatives at events this year.
Sustainability Director at Hay Festival, Andy Fryer, hosts the ‘Toast to the Future’ panel where guests discuss best practice in drinking sustainably and alternatives to single-use plastics; with Zac Fox from Kilimanjaro Live, Luke Howell from Hope Solutions, and advice from reusable experts Green Goblet & The RAW foundation following the RAW Plastic-Free Festivals Guide.
Suppliers & experts 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 Graham Brown, CEO Plaster PR, showcases 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 ‘Dragon’s 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.
Chair of Powerful Thinking, Chris Johnson, commented: “This event is where the magic happens; where we get real insights into changes in the industry and into what’s working & 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.”
