Exhibition News March 2019 | Page 33

Feature we see an increase in small independent vegan businesses exhibiting at the show demonstrating the demand vegan products across the entire industry. What kind of visitors and exhibitors come to the show? The green scene Hannah Irons, workshop co-ordinator at Prime Impact Events & Media, tells EN about the launch and growth of Vegan Life Live Where did the idea for Vegan Life Live come from and how did the show first launch? Having launched the first ever vegan consumer magazine we realised that there was a huge demand for more information about veganism and so the show was born. The show was first launched in 2017 at Alexandra Palace and was a huge success. As leading a plant- based lifestyle has become more and more popular, the show has grown year on year with more visitors coming along to find out more about a vegan lifestyle. While we know that a vegan event like ours attracts people who have been vegan for many years, we also see a number of non-vegans coming through the door to find out more about the benefits of plant-based living, with 60 per cent of our visitors last year not classing themselves as vegan. What kind of content will be at the show? Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of vegan activities at the show this year with three cookery demos areas hosting top vegan chefs from across the country, as well as two lecture areas covering topics such as animal rights, nutrition and sustainability. There will also be a vegan food court offering different vegan cuisines from across the globe including Mexican, Indian and Japanese amongst many more! What’s new for 2019? New this year is an Eco Living Zone which will focus on how to live more sustainably. With the recent focus on the plastic problem we wanted to give people guidance and ideas on how to make small changes in their everyday lives to help the planet. Going vegan is one of the best ways to reduce our impact and so it felt like a natural progression to include the Eco Living Zone into the show. Children and families have always been welcome at Vegan Life Live, so this year we are introducing the Rainbow Yoga Kids Area where families could enjoy some fun sessions and learn about veganism in the process. Are there any unique challenges that you face at the show? As a vegan company we understand the values of our exhibitors and visitors so it’s important to us to work with people who share our vision for the future. With the launch of the Eco Living Zone this year one of our main goals is to encourage our exhibitors to think more about their sustainability and take the next step in their zero waste journeys. We are working closely with the venue as well to encourage visitors and exhibitors alike to have a greater awareness of their impact on the planet. On the back of this, we have also launched a new title, Be Kind Magazine, which covers little things that people can do to create a better planet for everyone. EN How has the show – and the world of veganism – evolved over the years? The launch of Vegan Life Magazine in 2014 had a great impact on the awareness of veganism and along with campaigns such as Veganuary the world of veganism has become so much more mainstream with supermarkets and restaurants also playing a huge part. The show reflects that in both the kind of visitors and exhibitors that we welcome. Each year March — 33