Event Industry News Podcast

Sustainability strategy experts Sam Wilson, managing director at Syntiro Associates, and Dr Dominic Tantram, partner at Terrafiniti, present a podcast precursor to the ‘Unmasking Greenwashing in the Events Industry: Understanding, Identifying, and Avoiding Misleading Practices’ panel at Event Sustainability Live (ESL).

Succinctly titled ‘Greenwashing’, this episode sees Sam and Dominic do some background, their two companies having worked together, before defining the term and inadvertent incarnations.

Steered by host James Dickson, they go on to talk/to explain materiality and double materiality, comms traps and much more.

Clued-up contributors, real insight, and some telling hand gestures, this is a great use of time. It’s equally powerful as background to the ESL session on November 21st, where Tara Blackburn, environmental sustainability manager at Hearst Lab Scout, and executive director at Evcom, Claire Fennelow, will join Sam and Dominic for the session.

Event Sustainability Live takes place at ExCeL London between 20th-21st November and is free to attend, click here to register

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In and around events-world for years, Seattle-based CEO and co-founder of MJ Unpacked, George Jage, sowed the seeds for a show committed to the cannabis sector back in 2014.

MJ Unpacked, the biggest trade event in a now burgeoning business, hits St Louis, Missouri, this month and Atlantic City, New Jersey, next spring.

Aimed exclusively at retail and brand executives on a national scale, it promises quality collaborations, product innovation and cutting-edge scientific advancements as well as access to deal flow and capital.

In this episode, George talks about starting a national cannabis CPG (consumer packaged goods) show before there was a national cannabis CPG market, the legalisation process, from Colorado to California and beyond – every state has its own regulatory structure, politics, tax, and infrastructure.

With questions from host James Dickson, George discusses the cannabis spoils, ‘This is some really powerful medicine from nature that’s been with us since we crawled out of our caves’, going on to dig into the makeup of MJ Unpacked, how it adapts for different cities/states, the benefit of controlling audiences and protecting exhibitors/suppliers. A real education in 30 minutes.

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Founder and CEO at Eventwise, Chris Carter, and company set out to transform financial management in the sector for ‘greater efficiency and control’.

Formerly a promoter in Bristol, Chris wanted to get into accounting. This episode, his first appearance on any sort of podcast, incidentally, serves to normalise that leap.

Starting with some background, and the focused switch from artist to event ‘whole’, Chris discusses the triggers and ambitions behind developing and launching the Eventwise platform, ‘replacing’ the spreadsheet.

Designed specifically for creatives, Eventwise isn’t complicated but it’s robust and structured. Prompted by host James Dickson, Chris goes on to talk about integrating with ticketing and other platforms, scenario planning, cost control and more besides.

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Louisa O’Connor, managing director of female-led brand experience agency Seen Presents, which represents the likes of Netflix and TikTok, has been in the industry since she joined Grace & Tailor subsidiary We are Vista, formerly Logistik, in 2008.

This episode benefits from Louisa’s experience, nous and personality as it looks at cultural relevance; what it means, how it plays a part in brand events, and beyond.

With host James Dickson putting the questions, Louisa talks education and the power of real-world brand immersion, going on to discuss budgets, timelines, and ‘talkability’.

The conversation covers communities, values and evolving brand activation, before looking at positioning by the likes of Adidas Originals, JD Sports, Microsoft Pride, all of them Seen clients, and, crucially, consistency.    

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From sales director at Mentor Direct Marketing to vice president, European sales, at software solutions giant Cvent, nearly 30 years later, Jamie Vaughan has been in the thick of event technology.  

In this episode, a fast, informative 35 minutes, Jamie takes host James Dickson back to the days, the trials of analogue registration, through the impact of digitising the process, and beyond.

James highlights SaaS, putting data to work, apps, good and bad technology.

An unabashed, eloquent proponent of AI, Jamie talks tracking success, visitor analysis, how physical manifestations of technology are adding to events rather than replacing them, before going on to detail the pandemic’s impact on Cvent, the learnings. And how the company focused on evolution rather than ‘pivoting’.    

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In and around events since 2002, Kate Holliday brought her considerable sustainability chops to trade show and exhibitions giant GES, where she is head of ESG, some 12 months ago.

In this episode, Kate defines ESG – environment social and governance – emphasising its spoils and how crucial it is to embed those things into the GES psyche.

In discussion with host James Dickson, Kate goes on to compare Defra’s emission factors to GES’s specific calculations and how the two work together.

She talks measuring sustainability in flooring and graphics for organisers, the power of tech, energy, supporting events and their communities, the power of strategic warehouse location, reusing products, colour coding and ensuring ever greater efficiency on site. 

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Multi-award-winning creative agency Sledge can boast an impressive catalogue of clients, Sage, Aruba and O2 contemporary among them. Managing director Sarah Yeats has been with the company for more than 12 and a half years, so she knows a thing or two about live experiences.

In this episode, after detailing her career trajectory and giving some concise Sledge history, Sarah talks about event planning, looks between the lines of corporate speak, and highlights the value of talking to attendees.

Prompted by host James Dickson, the conversation goes on to inspiration and education at shows before digging into ‘digital’, budgets, creative thinking, sustainability, and how unique events can be, realistically.

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With a background in graphic design, marketing and web development, commercial manager Sam Pearce joined Exhibit 3sixty from the Dovetail Group in 2023.

This episode sees Sam talking about Exhibit 3sixty’s development from straight-ahead stand builder when it launched sixteen years ago to delivering a full service for exhibitions.

With questions from host James Dickson, Sam goes on to discuss the spoils of the online ordering process and the power of exhibitors’ digital journey, repeat business, and how marketing the company has changed in his 18 months there.

Other subjects include role models, building supplier/client relationships, venues, ergonomic ordering, Ikea’s kitchen builder and augmented reality…

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An outdoor event’s relationship with its local authority ranks high among the elements crucial to success. Following on from Timm Cleasby, director of operations at Tramlines, this episode is about Sheffield City Councillor Richard Williams’ take on the festival.

Focused on the city’s green spaces, Richard talks host James Dickson through Sheffield’s new long-term agreement with Tramlines’ organisers, which is set to keep the event in its Hillsborough Park home long-term.

Richard discusses planning, the spoils of the festival for local businesses and the local community.

Reaction, weather, safety, transport and the greater Tramlines’ picture - it’s all here.  

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In the event industry for more than 20 years, monitor engineer to director of operations at Tramlines, where he’s worked since it started in 2009, and much more besides, Timm Cleasby is a perfect festival season guest.

In this episode, Timm talks host James Dickson through the hard work behind Tramlines’ evolution from city centre to Hillsborough Park and how it’s scaled up while containing costs.

He goes on to highlight the benefits of being in a part of Sheffield used to hosting big events – not least the combination of great public transport network and ‘local’ audience fostering significant sustainability.

Over an engaging 40 minutes Timm discusses the show’s regional impact, changing Hillsborough’s cultural stamp, building a relationship with the local authority et al, Fringe at Tramlines and much more.

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