Our Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI) welcomed over 400 delegates to the Royal Lancaster London for the 18th edition on 24th February, uniting Industry leaders, artists, indigenous voices, scientists, and more.

The event tackled critical sustainability topics and demonstrated that the events sector is leading the way in innovation, collaboration, and creativity to reduce environmental impacts, and that going green makes financial sense.

Many deep and moving discussions took place throughout the day, showing a united stance on standing up for values, listening, and bringing people together rather than feeding division. Inspiring case studies included Sam Fender’s 100% eHGV European Tour, Hannah Cox running 100 marathons in 100 days in Project Salt Run, Ash Perrin’s The Flying Seagull Project entertaining children in refugee camps and war zones, and the critically acclaimed immersive audiovisual project TAKKUUK, with a mind-blowing performance from Katarina Barruk in the endangered indigenous Ume Sámi language.

The jam-packed programme saw speakers bring knowledge, insight, and passion to panel discussions and workshops. including conservationist and broadcaster Chris Packham CBE who took to the stage alongside Dale Vince OBE to introduce Saturday Night Beaver with Ecotalk and discuss ways we can protect nature. Chris Packham highlighted how festivals can be a platform for change: “At festivals, when they get there and in a receptive state, it’s a perfect place to say think about that but think about this.” While Dale Vince slammed the impacts of the food industry: “We’re being abused by big food. It cowers our government, and the right wing media assists that.”

Later Claire O’Neill hosted Dale Vince and Kneecap’s manager, Dan Lambert, who gave first-hand insights in Cancel Me, Cancel You: Values, Boycotts and Cancel Culture. Dan said: “You have to balance the ability to go speak to the crowd. At Coachella, they went to say something no one else was willing to say. But they said something factual and correct. They’re not easy decisions, but you have to make each one on its own merits. If you’re brave enough to speak, actually speak.” He added “it’s far more important for Kneecap to have credibility”.

Vince added: “Recently, we were asked to provide electricity to a stadium with links to a bank involved in fossil fuels. I could have walked away from working with that bank, but we used the six-figure sum of money to donate to Palestinian causes. So, it’s a way of repurposing and doing some good with it.”

Despite the kickback and various levels of threats, the duo agreed that taking a stand is more important than all else. “You can have fun in a way doing this, and it’s important not to let it darken your life. The things we’re saying are truths, and we can’t be prevented from saying them,” Vince concluded.

EarthPercent Hour returned, featuring multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Anna Calvi who shared that “the thing about having a child is that you see things in a new light, a child looks at the world and thinks it's incredible and that gives you hope and I think that inspired me to be more proactive”. David Gray also joined EarthPercent’s Cathy Runciman in this keynote session and spoke passionately about his fundraising for restoring a salt marsh: “I wanted to do something more direct and relatable and have money go into an actual place.” He added: “I don't see much evidence of caring for the natural world, or thinking in a connected way about what's possible. So what I've described as a simple equation of trying to give to keeping it local, keeping it relatable, and wouldn't it be wonderful if every venue had a place it was given to, or was at least involved in raising awareness for what was local to it.”

He continued: “So it's not just a picture of a kingfisher on the website of Live Nation, or whatever, because they gave 50 grand to somebody last year. It's something much more meaningful. It's those people taking the time to become involved in something… without the connection and the love of what's there, an understanding of taking our place within the world of nature, how are we going to preserve it? We're not, so those are the measures I would like to see, simple, relatable measures, amazing.”

Multi-award-winning artist Doddz and Ellie Coote, director and writer of Hot Mess explored two storytelling artforms in Art For Earth's Sake: The Power of Storytelling with delegates treated to captivating and moving live performances. Tobias Turley (MAMMA MIA!) performed “Tomorrow” through his roles as humanity that explored the broken relationship with the Earth. Katarina Barruk, who collaborated with Bicep on the critically acclaimed immersive audiovisual project TAKKUUK, sung in her indigenous language, the endangered Ume Sami, and showcased a heartfelt spirituality and deep love for her culture throug her powerful performance.

We launched their digital platform for green event and venue certifications, digitalising 20 years of sustainability expertise, information gathering, and certification in the session Industry Initiatives: Research and Tools for a Greener Live Sector. Important environmental impact research was also highlighted from the MIT Climate Machine Research Group presenting key findings on quantifying the carbon footprint of live music in the US and UK. Norhan Magdy Bayomi (MIT) made a key point that "decarbonisation isn’t an individual choice its a systems design problem”. Insights from The Show Must Go On report and YOUROPE’s update on the European Green Festival Roadmap 2030 and Future Fit Festivals were also included as the session closed with reflections on the five-year legacy of the Green Deal Circular Festivals programme.

Water security was the main topic of Riders on the Storm which explored climate adaptation for events with Dr Mohammad Shamsudduha (University College London) stating that “the most underestimated risk to this sector is water stress. We think about being climate neutral. We need to start thinking about being water neutral”. Jane Healy (Glastonbury Festival/Boomtown) added: “Event goers expect more from the event, and more always seems to equate to more water with vacuum toilets, showers, or hot tubs…but we need to get that balance right with our limited resources, because we have to think about the impact around us.”

Solutions for renewable energy for all venues were discussed in Green Light For Venues: Live Events Energy Scheme (Lees). LEES, a collaboration for the live sector founded by Ecotricity, LIVE, AGF and MVT, provides an “energy basket” purchasing model to access affordable renewable energy for venues. Patricia Yague (Live Nation) highlighted that "sustainability now makes sense financially", and Beverley Whitrick (Music Venue Trust) reflected on the issues grassroots venues face: “The financial situation means they don’t have a ton of choice in how they can progress.” Sam Booth (AEG Europe) hoped “it helps open up this new way co-procuring energy”.

Food was on the agenda in Beyond the Burger Van, with Petra Daniëls (Paradise City,Belgium) hosted by one of the UK’s leading voices in plant-based foods, The Little London Vegan, Clare Every. Petra said “you can still make money by being plant-based”, adding that “we should be aware of the possible impact we can make - we can really drive change in a positive way”.

The ever popular A Greener Tour Round VI session returned, featuring insights from Sam Fender's eHGV tour, the battery systems used on Coldplay’s tour, Massive Attack’s revolutionary actions, key industry manufacturer L-Acoustics, and the colossal work of TAIT.
Jamal Chalabi (AGF / Backlash productions) said a way forward is to “pay the arena for the electricity for the trucks instead of fossil fuel companies, so it's a win win”. Françoise Cardoso (L-Acoustics) said “profit and sustainability go hand in hand”.

The social, economic, and environmental impacts of AI on the industry were also discussed in AI and Sustainability highlighting the water issue facing the increased use of AI. “One bottle of water for every 100 words on Chat GBT which gives you some sort of scale,” stated Dr Teresa Moore, our Director.

Elsewhere, industry leaders shared solutions for audience travel and touring emissions, from product manufacturing to lifecycle analysis to slow touring. How to Achieve a 90% Recycling Rate presented insights from LIDO Festival and Radio 2 Big Weekend. Sustainable Cities: Taking Diesel Out Of Events brought together teams from Liverpool UN Accelerator City, Bristol City Council, and Massive Attack's Act 1.5 to explore real-world initiatives and the critical role cities can play in accelerating the transition to cleaner, greener event ecosystems.

Extraction Vs. Connection hosted by John Robb looked into the root systems driving polarisation, exploitation, and extraction. The panel explored how colonialism, capitalism, consumerism, and the political and media machinery behind this. Through Madame Gandhi’s art and activism, Ash Perrin’s “radical acts of joy” entertaining children in refugees camps and war zones, and Hannah Cox running 100 marathons in 100 days across a colonial customs line in India to reconnect with her roots and support environmental and social causes, the panel showed how using agency to be actively part of the solution and connecting with others the real world is what feeds hope and dissolves division.

The new Room 3 was a huge success with 12 important reports and case studies were presented, including: Touring: Climate & Sustainability Policy Research,

Courts Circuits, Slow-Touring Across Europe, Deep Dive Into Toilets: The Loos You Choose, Climate Transition Plan 2030 For UK Outdoor Events, and Big Team’s No Sustainability Without Diversity.

The Quick-Fire Innovation Round, hosted by punk legend John Robb, presented Lightweight Design, Heavy Impact – reimagining event design with Airworks; the reinvented toilet from Cranfield University; Hydrogen power for events from GeoPura, and VESTROCK’s use of NaviLens technology to help visually impaired festivalgoers navigate their event.

Rounding off GEI18 was the International AGF Awards, sponsored by Skydiamond, where AGF celebrated the most innovative and greenest events, venues, organisations, and individuals from across the globe over the last 12 months. Hosted by Claire O'Neill (A Greener Future), Ash Perrin (The Flying Seagull Project), and Madame Gandhi, who performed an amazing live set before the event, the awards honoured 28 events, venues, and innovators from 14 countries, Finalists with the top accolades - the International Greener Arena Award and the International Greener Festival Award 2025 - went to M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, UK and DGTL, The Netherlands, respectively, with the latter also scooping the Greener Transport Award. Sam Fender’s People Watching Tour received the Greener Innovation Award for 100% electric truck tour.

Planet, Profit, Polarisation and Politics Tackled by the Events Sector at Gei - Highlights from Our 18th Edition

Winners Revealed for the International AGF Awards 2026!