For the first time in AGF’s history, the not for profit organisation are hosting and presenting the International AGF Awards, a new awards night which aims to highlight a single best-in-class event for its sustainability across 11 categories. The ceremony takes place at the Green Events & Innovations Conference, which kickstarts the ILMC week on Tuesday 5 March in London.

AGF Co Founder Claire O’Neill said, “The significance of the International Greener Festival Awards is that for the first time we are crowning the top winner as the greenest festival in the world. We also shout about the festivals with the best transport, waste, power and innovation to making the whole industry greener and those using their influence and reach for good. The purpose is to accelerate positive change by shining a light on the best ideas us humans are coming up with to solve our collective conundrums.”

After 11 years of assessing and certifying festivals and events around the world through the Greener Festival Award and it’s derivatives, the time has finally come to shine a spotlight on those who are doing the most amazing work in each of the sectors assessed, to recognise the individuals and suppliers who are breaking ground, and to ultimately present the top prize attainable – the International Greener Festival Award!

No higher accolade has before been presented in this field, as the International Greener Festival Award winner is the event that has scored the highest in the detailed peer reviewed AGF assessment and analysis, from all of those visited and audited across all countries who participated throughout the year. In 2018, this includes over 40 festivals, from 17 countries across 4 continents.

Not only will these awards provide great recognition to the winners, but there is a depth and meaning in every case. The reasons for each winner will be shared so that we can learn from the best practice around us and make our industry better – socially, environmentally – and successfully.

Categories for the International AGF Awards are:

AGF Greener Transport Award

One of the biggest impacts if many temporary events. Audience, production, crew and artists with our transport sector still staggeringly carbon heavy, who’s smashing the pants of reducing their carbon footprint and still delivering the party!

AGF Greener Catering Award

Food is such a significant issue for sustainability for it’s ethical and environmental impacts both globally and locally. By consciously crafting our consumption choices and what we support with our bellies, we can make some huge strides to a more sustainable relationship between one another and our planet. (this would be called the greener food award but sounds a bit off!)

AGF Greener Pioneer Award

For the person who has shown an exemplary commitment, drive and passion to a cause or action to make events more sustainable. Providing inspiration, motivation and opportunity to help others to do the same.

AGF Greener Creative Award

This award is for the event who create the most incredible spaces, installations, shows or environments in the most ethical and environmentally sustainable way.

AGF Circular Festival Award

This one goes to the festival that has demonstrated a firm grasp of the need to close the loop on their resources flow. Every item that comes in to the event ultimately has a plan above disposal. Preventing waste, reusing, recycling and demonstrating the full traceability of all movement of materials both in and out of the event.

AGF Water & Sanitation Award

The winner of this award has shown clear environmental concern in their water usage and sanitation provisions, by reducing water usage and waste, minimising production and poo mileage, eliminating unnecessary chemicals and separating liquid waste streams to allow natural biological processes to harness valuable nutrients.

AGF Greener Innovation Award

This goes to the outstanding innovation, initiative or invention that has been a game changer in the green event space, that has disrupted business as usual, or has given a new solution to help turn something problematic in to something good. This award can go to either an event, and individual or a supplier that has stood out the most from the global event assessments.

AGF Pied Piper Award (Greener Communications)

Who has the silver tongue and skips along like the pied piper, luring unsuspecting victims to a greener way?! This award goes to the event that has had an excellent communication and PR plan which has resulted in significant cultural or behavioural changes for the greener good within and beyond their event!

Delegates of GEI, ILMC and the ILMC Production Meeting will be able to attend the prize-giving ceremony follows the day’s conference sessions, and the opening of ILMC31, at the Royal Garden Hotel, Kensington High St, London on 5th March 2019.

AGF are welcoming partners and sponsors to help give a huge celebratory hoorah to the wonderful people and organisations. If these awards resonate with you and your passion and goals get in touch! awards@agreenerfestival.com

Rainbow Serpent 2016 – James Gillot photography

Entries for the first ever International AGF Awards below. Shortlists soon to be revealed:

Bayou Boogaloo (US)
Body & Soul (IE)
Boom Festival (PT)
Boomtown Fair (UK)
BST Hyde Park (UK)
Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
Couvre Feu (FR)
Das Fest (DE)
De Poupet (FR)
DGTL Festival (NL)
Dubcamp Festival (FR)
Envision Festival (CR)
Fire In The Mountain (UK)
Green Gathering (UK)
Greenbelt Festival (UK)
Hadra Trance Festival (FR)
ILMC (UK)
Kew the Music (UK)
Les Escales (FR)
Manchester Pride (UK)
Mandala Festival (NL)
Metal Days (SI)
Own Spirit Festival (ES)
Øya Festival (NO)
Paradise City (BE)
Pete the Monkey (FR)
Pohoda Festival (SK)
Primavera Sound (ES)
Rainbow Serpent (AU)
Roskilde Festival (DK)
Spring Utrecht (NL)
Terraforma Festival (IT)
Uitfeest (NL)
Utrechtse Introductie Tijd (UIT) (NL)
We Love Green (FR)
Wonderfeel (NL)
Wonderfruit Festival (TH)
Wood Festival (UK)
Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.