Time 18:00 - 20:00 / Foyer

We celebrate the end of GEI18 and the International AGF Awards with some final networking, booze/non-booze, and delicious vegan balls courtesy of plant-based pioneers Devil’s Kitchen.

Time 17:00-18:00 / Room 1

Hosts: Claire O'Neill (A Greener Future / Grid Faeries), Madame Gandhi (Musician & Activist) / Ash Perrin (The Flying Seagull Project)

Join us for a glass of champagne (or elderflower spritz) to celebrate all those events that achieved certification in 2025 in which we recognise those festivals, events, arenas, and suppliers that have made significant strides in sustainability. The top prize, the International Greener Festival Award, will crown the best of the best from 2025. Nominees are chosen through careful assessments, site visits, and analysis by trained auditors.

Time 16:00-16:50 / Room 1

Chair: Cathy Runciman (EarthPercent)

Speakers: Anna Calvi and David Gray

“Unleashing the power of music in service of the planet”

For the fifth year, EarthPercent Hour will welcome some very special guests and luminaries to the stage at GEI18.

Multi-award-winning singer-songwriters Anna Calvi and David Gray join the highly anticipated EarthPercent Hour, hosted by Cathy Runciman, Co-Executive Director of the charity founded by Brian Eno. Together they discuss musical journeys, inspiration and community, and planetary care.

Time 15:15-15:35 / Room 3

Chair: Dr Teresa Moore (AGF)

Speaker: Dr Mike Duignan

New research from CEF and the University of Ottawa.

CEF, in collaboration with Dr Milena Parent at the University of Ottawa, is examining how the international events community understands the benefits of AI; identifying opportunities for its integration, as well as barriers; how AI is transforming events and event organisations; applying best practice; and how its use differs between event type, size, geography, and sector. The aim is to use these results to provide evidence-based, practical guidance to event managers, organisations, and owners on how to get ahead of – and stay ahead of – the AI curve.

Time 15:35-15:50 / Room 3

Speaker: Norhan Magdy Bayomi (MIT)

This talk presents a data-driven framework developed by the MIT Climate Machine Research Group to quantify the carbon footprint of live music across the US and the UK, breaking down emissions by fan travel, touring logistics, power generation, and venue operations. Norhan is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the MIT Climate Machine with Prof. John E. Fernandez, and the lead researcher on this project, where she developed the underlying bottom-up computational and mathematical methodology for modeling and comparing live-music emissions across the US and the UK.

Time 15:00-15:50 / Room 2

Chair: Carol Scott (TAIT)

Speakers: Françoise Cardoso (L'acoustics), Jamal Chalabi (AGF / Backlash productions), Paul Schurink (Showpower Global), Richard Burnett (KB event)

This much-loved gloves-off session returns to tackle the realities of touring sustainably (or not). From trucking, technical production, stage design, and power, to the relationships between the touring world players. How should the industry respond to the growing trend for artists favouring multiple mini residencies over touring? Hear 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. This panel reimagines how touring could better serve artists, audiences, and the planet.

Time 14:55-15:40 / Room 1

Chair: John Robb (The Membranes)

Speakers: Ash Perrin (The Flying Seagull Project), Hannah Cox (Project Salt Run), Madame Gandhi (Artist/Activist)

As division deepens and the natural world suffers, kindness is no longer optional. This session digs into the root systems driving polarisation, exploitation, and extraction: colonialism, capitalism, consumerism, and the political and media machinery behind them. So, what does real change look like in practice? From music-led climate action to 100 marathons in 100 days, to bringing joy to children in refugee camps, this panel spotlights those using creativity, events, and collective agency to build bridges and reconnect to real humanity.

Time 14:55-15:10 / Room 3

Speaker: Orla Pearson (MyClearText)

This session explores the importance of accessibility in live events and how MyClearText delivers reliable, high-quality captioning solutions that help diverse audiences fully engage. With over 25 years’ experience in live captioning, Orla Pearson is Co-Founder of AccessLOOP, the award-winning platform that allows event organisers to add either human or AI captions easily to livestreamed, hybrid, or in-room events, helping make accessibility effortless and universal.

Time 14:15-14:50 / Room 3

Chair: Suzanne Johnson (LS Events)

Speakers: Dan Thomas (Waste Baling Machines), Paul Gilbey (The Nu Group), Cameron Hughes (Far and Beyond)

Designing out waste and circularity is key, but what do we do with what remains?

The last two years have seen an unprecedented increase in the success of managing materials and improving recycling rates at outdoor events. BBC Radio 2 hit 75%, while Massive Attack Act 1.5 Climate Action Accelerator hit 88% with Greenbox and was just topped by LIDO Festival, where Massive Attack headlined last year, with an 89% recycling rate. Hear from some of the people behind the scenes about how this was achieved, and what needs to happen next.

Time 14:15-14:50 / Room 1

Speakers: Dan Lambert (Kneecap / Bohemian Football Club) and Dale Vince OBE (Forest Green Rovers FC / Ecotricity)

Football and festivals, music and sport; platforms of enormous cultural value and impact… and a battle ground for cancel culture. Festivals cancelled by artists, artists cancelled by festivals, artists banned by countries, Eurovision cancelled by countries, sponsors cancelled by events, and football clubs cancelled by sponsors. How do we navigate cancel culture and boycotts whilst standing true to our values and decreasing intimidation and misinformation?

Time 14:15-15:00 / Room 2

Chair: Adrian Bossey (AEME/Attitude is Everything)

Speakers: Dr Ian Whiteside (Sheffield Hallam University), Dr Teresa Moore (A Greener Future), Dr Tim Brown (Chester Business School)

AI is developing rapidly and its impact on every facet of the events industry is likely to be considerable. As an industry are we ready for the profound changes that AI will bring? What will those changes look like? How will they affect the industry in the not-too-distant future?

Time: 13:15 - 14:15 / Foyer

Delicious climate-loving, plant-based cuisine and an opportunity to relax and/or network before the afternoon’s panels commence. Plus, a special treat: a Devil’s Kitchen Shiitake Mushroom Burger, topped with a tangy slaw and served in a soft bun.

Time 12:55-13:20 / Room 2

Chair: John Robb (The Membranes)

Speakers: Matt Barney (GeoPura), Matthew Whitehead (Airworks), Dr Serap Ozmen (Cranfield University)

Delegates present their innovative start-ups, businesses, or inventions to help solve our climate conundrums. This session brings you the latest ideas and technologies driving sustainability in unique ways. 

Time 13:05 - 13:20 / Room 3

Speaker: Livvy Drake (onboard:earth)

Hear from Livvy Drake at onboard:earth about the research conducted with festival professionals on the best moments for gathering travel data from stakeholders so you get a more comprehensive data set for your carbon reporting, without spending months chasing people.

Time 12:45-13:05 / Room 3

Speaker: Chris Johnson (Vision for Sustainable Events)

The Show Must Go On Report #3 was launched in Parliament just weeks ago, along with a climate transition plan and requests of the Government to support sector change. In this session, Vision for Sustainable Events Forum Chair Chris Johnson presents the blueprint with opportunity for Q&A.

Time 12:40-13:15 / Room 1

Chair: Claire O’Neill (AGF)

Speakers: Chris Packham (Ecotalk) and Dale Vince OBE (Ecotricity Business)

Ecotalk has taken something none of us want but all of us have - our phone bill - and turned it into something we can be happy about. Making phone bills restore nature!

Time 12:30-12:55 / Room 2

Chair: Clare Every (The Little London Vegan)

Speaker: Petra Daniëls

From meat-heavy to plant-powered, hosted by Clare Every (The Little London Vegan), Petra Daniëls explores the revolution in festival catering through the lens of Belgium's pioneering Paradise City (winner of the International Greener Festival Award 2024). This case study digs into the festival’s successes, the academic studies that guide their decisions, and the tasty challenges of making sustainability the headliner act.

Time 12:25-12:40 / Room 3

Speaker: Phoebe Currie (PLASA)

The live events industry often talks about sustainability in terms of travel, energy, and waste, etc., but one critical piece of the puzzle is still missing: the environmental impact of the products and equipment we use.

Time 11:45-12:20 / Room 3

Chair: Jane Healy (Glastonbury Festival/Boomtown)

Speakers: Lucy Bell Reeves (NPK Recovery), Petra Kaukua (Lapee), Dr Serap Ozmen (Cranfield University).

The loos you choose matter. 60% of Europe's rivers do not have a good ecological status. 100% of the UK’s rivers are chemically contaminated. Animal agriculture and human sewage overflows are major water pollution contributors, and chemical fertilisers cause pollution, emissions and health issues.

Time 11:45-12:35 / Room 1

Chair: Tom Shore (In Place of War)

Speakers: Katarina Barruk (artist), Peter Quicke (Ninja Tune), Rozenn Logan (In Place of War) and Zak Norman (art director).

Exploring how art can resonate beyond words, this discussion gives insight into TAKKUUK, the critically acclaimed immersive audio-visual project and soundtrack that showcases indigenous life, culture, and climate change in the Arctic, created by BICEP and featuring indigenous artists.

Time 11:45 - 12:30 / Room 2

Chair: Ross Patel (LIVE)

Speakers: Patricia Yague (Live Nation), Chris Organ (Ecotricity Business), Beverley Whitrick (Music Venue Trust), Sam Booth (AEG Europe).

Can we reach 100% truly renewable energy for all venues? The Live Events Energy Scheme (LEES) founded by Ecotricity, LIVE, AGF and MVT represents a significant shift in how the UK live events sector can access affordable and genuinely renewable energy.

Time 11:00-11:45 / Room 4

Hosts: Charlie Forbes (A Greener Future), Wicki Nielsen (A Greener Future)

A chance for our AGF assessors to get together, say hi, and talk about how the year’s assessments went whilst new assessors can find out more about carrying out assessments. We will look at feedback, comments, successes, and challenges from last year, as we start to plan the coming season’s assessments including insights to the new digitalised system!

Time 10:55-11:15 / Room 3

CASE STUDY

Speakers: Javeon McCarthy (Big Team), Jazpa Taylor (Big Team)

Learn how Big Team has been supporting companies within the live event industry with EDI and best practice in open recruitment. Through this work, they have created opportunities for young people who face barriers entering the industry, supporting their access and ongoing development. Big Team is focused on helping young people build sustainable, long-term careers – not just one-off opportunities.

Time 10:50-11:20 / Room 1

Chair: Greg Cochrane (Journalist)

Speakers: Ellie Coote (Hot Mess) , Doddz (Artist), Tobias Turley (Performer)

Storytelling is deeply rooted throughout humanity's existence. The stories we share can shape our perception and identity. Here we explore two storytelling artforms, including both age old and emerging tools of communication.

Time 10:50-11:25 / Room 2

Chair: Sally Mills (UNAC Liverpool)

Speakers: Dave Wakelin (Liverpool City Council), John O'Sullivan (Act 1.5), Martin Fodor (Bristol City Council)

Events have long acted as “living labs” for cities, but cities can also drive transformative change for the creative industries. This session brings together teams from Liverpool UN Accelerator City, Bristol City Council, and Massive Attack's Act 1.5 to explore real-world initiatives, including the innovative Battery Hub project in Bristol, practical insights from the world's first UN Accelerator City, and the critical role cities can play in accelerating the transition to cleaner, greener event ecosystems.

Time: 10:35-10:50 / Room 3

Jonas Skielboe, founder and CEO of VeloConcerts, develops zero-emission, bicycle-powered stage solutions that rethink how live culture is produced and transported. In his talk “Unfolding Culture with Zero Emissions,” he shares a real-world case study on reducing event emissions through practical innovation. VeloConcerts works with major Austrian festivals and leading cultural institutions, proving sustainable production works at scale.

Time: 10:20-10:35 / Room 3

Speaker: Chloé Gatignol (Courts Circuits)

A 2019 study by Clean Scene shows that leading DJs take an average of 52 flights per year. In the context of the climate emergency, the “globe-trotting DJ” model is no longer sustainable. Courts Circuits initiative explores alternative touring models based on slow-touring over a three-year period.

Time 10:05-10:20 / Room 3

Speaker: Virgo Sillamaa (European Music Exporters Exchange).

Better Live as a project is experimenting with co-programming tours as a way to decrease the carbon footprint of artist and audience mobility while creating more optimised and richly planned tours for artists. We are doing research to better understand the challenges and opportunities of touring more sustainably, but also on how the sustainability topic is included into cultural policy (if at all), and whether culture is a theme in the broader sustainability policies. We are focusing on 6 countries: France, Spain, Norway, Poland, Ireland and Finland.

Time 10:00-10:45 / Room 1

Chair: Claire Poole (Sport Positive)

Speakers: Artur Mendes‍ (Boom Festival), ‍Jane Healy (Glastonbury Festival / Boomtown Fair), Dr Mohammed Shamsudduha‍ (UCL) and ‍Professor Richard Betts MBE (Met Office).

The last 3 years have been the hottest since records began globally. 2025 was the hottest year on record in the UK. Parts of Northern Europe are getting wetter while Central and Southern Europe’s groundwater reserves are drying up.

Time 10:00-10:45 / Room 2

Hosted by Vikki Chapman (Live Nation UK & Ireland).

Environmental impact research on the live sector is advancing, providing robust data and practical roadmaps for action towards a greener industry. This series of short presentations covers data-gathering obstacles, methodology variables, and most importantly, what we need to do according to the findings. Hear from the MIT Climate Machine Research Group on quantifying the carbon footprint of live music in the US and UK; AGF on digitalising 20 years of sustainability expertise, information gathering, and certification; insights from The Show Must Go On report; and YOUROPE’s update on the European Green Festival Roadmap 2030 and Future Fit Festivals. The session closes by reflecting on the five-year legacy of the Green Deal Circular Festivals programme.