In the wake of Festival Sustainability Lab’s enlightening Masterclass in Event Sustainability, LiveGreen extended a unique coaching opportunity for those eager to champion event sustainability. From a pool of passionate applicants, LiveGreen selected multiple individuals, kickstarting a personalized coaching journey aimed at reshaping their approach to event production through a sustainable lens. Two of these are Hanne Halbye and Núria Barniol – gain a glimpse into their coaching experiences through the candid interviews in this article. Their voices offer genuine insights into the adaptive nature of sustainable initiatives, painting a vivid picture of progress and ambition within the festival sustainability realm.

Interview with Hanne Halbye from Grønnere Musik

Grønnere Musik is a non-profit initiative in Denmark that aims to reduce CO2 within live music. It is their ambition to achieve this goal through knowledge, raising awareness, and sharing of learnings and actions that the music community in Denmark and other countries can use freely. The organisation aims to cover and include the different stakeholders within music to speed up the process and to ensure capacity building.

What was the focus of the coaching trajectory for you?

“Originally we wanted to make a green pledge/code of practice for music festivals to join in on to make a decrease in CO2 within energy, waste, transport, water and food. (Similar to what they have done in the UK with Vision 2025´s Code of Practice but adjusted to Denmark/Scandinavia). Our focus shifted to a project with a focus on increasing plant-based food and reducing food waste at festivals starting with the voluntary people behind the scenes. We analyzed the CO2 emissions on the food served at a festival but the lack of raising funds has paused that project for now.”

Could you highlight the insights and/or outcomes that you have gained from the coaching trajectory?

“Nothing comes easy and we had to deviate from our original plan. At the moment we are working on a new project starting beginning of 2024 that has the same aim as our original project on reducing emissions and resources and sharing knowledge aimed at smaller and medium venues and festivals. Throughout the process, LiveGreen has been very helpful in giving us feedback from projects and other countries. They have a great network and knowledge on what is going on within the festival scene.”

In the context of sustainability, how do you envision collaboration between different festivals or creative entities playing a role in collectively addressing climate challenges? 

“I believe that initiatives like the Future Fit Festivals, the Green Deal Circular Festivals, The European Green Festival Roadmap 20230, and the LiveGreen Masterclass are all fantastic initiatives to show the way and inspire the larger festivals that have scale and resources to deal with climate change and can have a great impact on the audience, musicians, suppliers, employers, etc.. I hope that we can assist some of the medium and smaller festivals in getting together and learning from one another on how to address, act and communicate on how to deal with the climate challenges!”

Interview with Núria Barniol

Núria Barniol, with a decade of experience in the events industry, navigates her trajectory as a sustainability consultant. Through coaching with LiveGreen, she’s honed her skills to position herself internationally. Combining expertise in branding, communication, production, and sustainability, she envisions a paradigm shift in the festival scene. Her brainchild, the ‘smartcup,’ aims to revolutionize the festival norm, making reusable cups the standard across Europe within the next decade.

What was the focus of the coaching trajectory for you?

“Since the Festival Lab at LiveGreen, I was able to participate in coaching sessions with Alina Minkova, and the guiding theme has been how to position myself as a consultant for sustainable events on an international level. It has been a learning experience, prompting self reflection on both my skills and experiences to ensure that each decision is as authentic as possible. Discovering my natural skills and best aptitudes that I can apply to my own strategy has also been extremely valuable for me. I´ve also enjoyed engaging in interesting discussions and exercises and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.”

Could you highlight the insights and/or outcomes that you have gained from the coaching trajectory?

“Understanding that my background consists of four different fields has allowed me to use these strengths to my advantage. The fields being branding, communication, production and sustainability. This combined experience allows me not only to provide valuable and creative solutions to sustainability problems but also to link team members of these four respective fields, together with sustainability in mind.”

If you were to dream ahead into the future, what kind of impact will you have had on Europe’s festival industries in 5-10 years time?

“Precisely because I envisioned how festivals could improve, I questioned the improper use of reusable cups. The project I´m working on involves cups with traceability control and changing the business model. It´s a genuinely sustainable operation that will make cups solely for reuse. We´ll know the real number of reuses and when they reach a sustainable ratio, ensuring they cease to be mere merchandise or a source of profit from lost cups. I envision this kind of intelligent cup (smartcup) becoming the standard.”

Want to learn with LiveGreen too?

LiveGreen’s coaching trajectory served as a catalyst for innovation and adaptability within Europe’s creative industries. The stories of Hanne Halbye and Núria Barniol exemplify the evolving landscape, showcasing the resilience and transformative potential inherent in sustainable initiatives.  As we look toward the future, let these stories inspire a harmonious symphony of sustainable practices, echoing across festivals and creative endeavors. If you’re interested in learning from LiveGreen, make sure to check out their Masterclass – visit LiveGreen’s Platform to sign up and access the invaluable resources and learning opportunities.