Mary Shelley-Smith and Becky Pearson attended the GEI 18 Conference at the Royal Lancaster in London last month, joining industry colleagues to explore the latest thinking around sustainability in events and touring.
It was a thought-provoking day, with a clear shift in the conversation compared to just a few years ago. What stood out was the move from ambition to actual action with tangible, scalable solutions now firmly on the agenda.
One of the key themes was the transition away from diesel power in cities. From mapping existing grid infrastructure in places like Liverpool to utilising unused power at weekends, there’s growing momentum behind smarter energy use. The wider push toward renewable grid energy, alongside investment in wind and solar, reinforced that this isn’t something that far in future and an immediate priority for the industry.
A standout sessions for us was Beyond the Burger Van, featuring Petra Daniels from Paradise City Festival. Her approach to making sustainability “the headline act” as it strongly resonated with our own SustainABLE approach. Rather than positioning plant-based food as an alternative, Paradise City has normalised it, removing labels altogether and focusing on quality, creativity and flavour.
It was particularly interesting to hear how this shift was achieved through careful menu design and subtle behavioural nudges; placing sustainable options first, using engaging language, and ensuring the food itself speaks for its quality which is something that we’ve been championing over the last few years. Crucially, the focus wasn’t on “vegan food”, but on working with great chefs to create exceptional dishes. Again, that closely aligns with how we approach menu design across our own projects.
Waste management innovation was another area of progress. Insights from Radio 2 in the Park demonstrated how clearer bin systems, strong signage and communication with people on-the-ground can significantly improve waste separation. Having delivered catering at the event, our Business Director Mary Shelley-Smith saw the baling process first-hand and was really impressed with it. This highlights just how valuable it is to engage with suppliers so that they can better understand and communicate these systems to their teams.
Overall, GEI 18 reinforced that meaningful change is happening across the sector. From energy and food to waste and operations, the industry is collaborating more than ever to deliver practical solutions, something we’re proud to be part of as we continue to evolve our own SustainABLE approach.
