UK Festivals Conference puts green firmly on the live music agenda

Posted on November 1st 2008

Greener Festival Award winners

The first ever UK Festivals Conference, which was also supported by Yourope, the European Festivals organisation, was a sell out success and Julies Bicycle director Alison Tickell gave the morning’s keynote speech to a packed house. The standing room only conference on the 30th October preceded the UK Festival Awards and delegates packed into the Gibson Guitar Showrooms in London’s West End. The event, promtoted by www.virtualfestivals.com, Yourope, Bucks New University, IQ and www.agreenerfestival.com featured a morning focussing on green issues with Alison giving a  keynote speech highlighhting JB’s new benchmarks, along with Nick Coad from coach and train operators National Express who spoke about public transport. The two morning sessions also included presentations from 17 Events Andrew Williams, BNU’s Teresa Moore, Linnea Svennson from Norway’s Oya Festival and AGreenerFestival’s Claire O’Neill. Winners of the Greener Festival Award also picked up certificates at the morning event which was followed by an afternoon of top future gazing on the state of the UK live music scene lead by Greg Parmley from IQ and Allan McGowan - and leading figures on the panels included Geoff Ellis from DF Concerts, Bestivals Rob da Bank, Primary Talent’s Peter Elliot, Isle of Wight Festival promoter and Solo Agency MD John Giddins and Andy Copping from Live Nation.  

PHOTO:And the Green winners at the UKFC are …. (Left to Right)  Ben Challis (A Greener Festival), Pablo (Workhouse Festival), Sunbird (Waveform), Richard Haswell (Lewicester’s Summer Sundae Weekender, City Blues Festival & Big Session Festival), Chris Johnson (Shambala), Sue Mosely (from sponsors Robertson Taylor), Kate Jackman & Duncan Turner (Bestival), Sofia Hagberg (End of the Road), Geoff Ellis (DF Concert’s T-in-the-Park & Hydro Connect), David Bishop (Robertson Taylor), Andrew Haworth (Live Nations’s O2 Wireless, Download & Hard Rock Calling festivals) and Claire O’Neill (AGreenerFestival/AIF).

Photo: Neil Davies