UK: A major shift in the way UK festivals approached energy management and travel planning in 2017 has been revealed in the annual Festival & Events Industry Green Survey. The survey, run by festival think tank Powerful Thinking, revealed that the percentage of UK festivals actively working with their power suppliers to increase efficiency and reduce fuel doubled from one in four to half of events between 2016 and 2017. It also shows that the percentage of festivals promoting sustainable travel to their audiences has significantly risen – from 28% of events in 2016 to 80% in 2017. Further positive…
Author: Festival Insights
UK: Gorilla Events has committed to axe plastic straws at its events, in line with the Evening Standard’s Last Straw Campaign. Cutting approximately 200,000 plastic straws per year out of circulation, Gorilla will favour the biodegradable paper straw, which will be available on request at any of its bars from March 2018 and beyond. Dan Baxter, Managing Director of Gorilla Events, said: “Our team are all embracing this change; despite the increased cost we know that we have also have an increased responsibility and we are constantly exploring our options on where we go next. “We are more than aware…
UK: Ealing Summer Festivals has unveiled its full programme of six events for 2018, taking place throughout the summer months in the borough’s most idyllic parks. Bringing people together from the local community and further afield, the festivals showcase both homegrown and international talent from across the artistic spectrum. Spanning music, comedy and culture, this year’s programme includes Greenford Carnival (June 30), Ealing Beer Festival (July 11 – 15), Acton Carnival (July 14), Ealing Comedy Festival (July 19 – 27), Ealing Blues Festival (July 21 – 22), and Ealing Jazz Festival (July 28 – 29). Kicking off the line-up for…
Melinda Watson is the founder of the RAW Foundation, a sustainability charity focused primarily on education. She is also a designer, teacher, speaker and consultant on sustainability, consumerism and waste. The plastic pollution crisis is riding high on the environmental agenda at long last! From Davis Attenborough’s Blue Planet II to the work of many organisations like us at RAW Foundation, the message is getting out there and the motivation to act is gaining traction. Following the launch of our Plastic Free Festival and Event Guide on March 6 at the Green Events & Innovations Conference, and my call for…
Rachel Santa Cruz is a third year Marketing and PR student from Miami who has been living in London for three years. She first got involved with the Roundhouse in 2016 when she participated in its Youth Bloggers course and ended up contributing two pieces to the Roundhouse’s 50th anniversary microsite. For the past four months I have been part of a team of 12 young producers aged 18 – 25 based at the Roundhouse in Camden. Our project? To curate a daylong event as part of Roundhouse Rising 2018, the Roundhouse’s annual festival of emerging music. The Roundhouse Rising…
If the mainstream musical landscape is akin to a climate-controlled domed city, then the bands populating Wrong Festival’s line-up are the irradiated mutants scavenging beyond its facade, wholly unconcerned with the sterility and sanctuary advertised within. Billed as a festival for the ‘freakscene’, Wrong quite rightly suggests that rock has become outsider music once again, and subsequently promises to track down and unite its wildest and most subversive practitioners. Insights spoke with Michael Edward – founder of Wrong Festival – about his approach to curation, how running a record label has influenced his approach to organisation, venue scouting and more.…
UK: Leading ticketing company Gigantic is set to develop a host of new features for promoters following the successful adoption of its new service last year. Since launching its dashboard in June 2017 to provide promoters with 24 hour real-time data, more than 700 promoters and event organisers have bought into the service. Promoters can create an event from scratch and be on-sale almost instantly via the easy to navigate dashboard. The next wave of features to be introduced in 2018 include heatmaps that show geographical purchasing patterns, tools to ensure compliance with new data management regulations, and a bespoke…
UK: The organisers of Victorious Festival have raised more than £155,794.87 for a number of local charities. Victorious Festival takes place on Southsea Seafront in Portsmouth and plays a key role in boosting the local economy as well as supporting numerous good causes and charities around the city and the world. Encouraging community involvement, the closest residents to the festival site are asked to nominate and decide who will benefit from each year’s donations. The chosen charities so far have included Southsea Skate Park, Portsmouth LGBT Pride, children’s football kits for Prospect School, African Women’s Forum Liberian School, Southsea’s drinking…
UK: The Loop has launched a new one-day training programme for clubs, bars and festivals, aimed at equipping venues and events with a deeper knowledge of the risks associated with recreational drug use. The course will cover related legal issues and ways of reducing drug related harm faced by people who use drugs in the night-time economy. The course has been awarded a Badge of Excellence by Open Awards. ‘Responding to Drug Use in The Night Time Economy’ has been developed in partnership with the Occupational Development and Training Team of Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust’s Specialist Services…
UK: Truckfest, Europe’s largest trucking festival, has extended its tenancy agreement for a further four years with the East of England Arena and Events Centre. Jason Lunn, GM of the Centre, said: “We are delighted to welcome Truckfest to the venue for another four years. Over the last 12 months we have increased our investment into the venue with almost £1 million being spent on our buildings, grass and roadways, to improve the experience for visitors and event organisers. We are particularly pleased that our improved ground conditions are ready to receive the 2,000-plus trucks that are expected to attend…