JUNE | FEATURE
a ‘post-apocalyptic themed drive-in
cinema scene’. Are we stepping into a
dystopia? Actually I’m ‘pronoiac’ – the
opposite of paranoid. It’s defined as ‘a
fierce optimism rooted in reality’.
What do you think the festival sector
will look like a year from now?
The landscape might have
fundamentally, perhaps permanently,
changed. There is a great deal of
conversation about social distancing at
events. It’s a tough one – it’s simply not
possible at many types of events, and
drastic changes would be required to
accommodate this that reduce visitor
numbers and challenge current business
models.
Imagine writing a procedure for
evictions from the site or medical
interventions with Covid in mind. It
requires physical contact…or hypnotism.
Maybe SIA needs to include Jedi powers
in their training.
If the threat of Covid-19 is no longer
present in the UK by next summer
(WHO suggests otherwise), it’s
possible we may return to something
like normal, with a similar number
and spread of events taking place.
These would need to adapt their risk
assessments and procedures, putting
more of an emphasis on hygiene.
But whatever is done onsite to
mitigate risk, with something so
contagious the impact of even a
single case onsite is devastating – a
potential show stopper. So I think we
will be considering ways to reduce risk
with ideas like creating ‘safe-zones’ -
identifying whether people have had
or are at risk of Covid as a condition of
entry. We need widespread and reliable
testing to get there, of course.
A month ago I was keenly watching
the development of testing, in the
hope that an option for a commercially
available cheap and reliable test would
be available. The idea would have been
to ask all of our audience to self-test and
prove they are not carrying as part of
entry. This simply isn’t possible at the
moment for a number of reasons, but
isn’t off the menu for future.
What are you currently working on with
regards to Vision:2025?
It’s an exciting time for Vision:2025 - the
outdoor events industry response to
climate change - despite the current
landscape. Whilst it is profoundly
disappointing that the momentum we
were building has been disrupted, just as
we released the latest Show Must Go On
Report, we are still alive and kicking.
We have over 100 festivals signed up
to the pledge to reduce emissions by
2025, and over 50 supplier members.
With the support of funds from the
Event Industry Forum (EIF) and Julies
Bicycle, we are using this ‘down-time’
to develop a world-class knowledge hub
and sustainable supplier database that
“I believe organisations that put sustainability
first will adapt better to emerging trends and an
increasingly uncertain future.”
we will be unveiling in July.
Can we still hit targets by 2025?
Well, it’s difficult to rename the whole
shebang ‘Vision:2026’ and in any
case, climate change and ecological
breakdown haven’t been postponed until
the 2021 event season. This disruptive
moment is a chance to engage more
fully, and integrate sustainability
into how we operate in the same way
as health and safety and financial
management. We will be reaching out
to the industry in July, once the worst of
the cancellation frenzy is done for many
festivals, to take the next steps as an
industry together.
What sorts of events do you hope to
consult for, and what changes will you
help them make?
I am very proud to have launched a new
event sustainability consultancy this
month. A strange time to launch, yes,
but also it’s a critical time to get this
right. I work with all kinds of events
(grassroots to corporate), supply chain
businesses, brands, charities and
industry organisations to help them step
into leadership roles and take effective
action on the climate crisis. With 20
years of hands-on experience, I have
made all the mistakes already!
I also believe organisations that do
this will adapt better to emerging trends
and an increasingly uncertain future.
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