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Issue 37 February 2010 £4.75
A guide to greener events
Warning over alcohol brand sponsorship By Christina Eccles ORGANISERS should think carefully about forming advertising and sponsorship agreements with alcohol brands, an expert has warned. Professor Gerard Hastings claims although advertisers are prevented from promoting themselves directly at young people, they are finding ways round this by sponsoring and advertising their brands at festivals – he claims many of which are attended by a young audience influenced by what they see at these events. He has produced a study looking at how alcohol advertising influences the behaviour of the people it is targeted at and he said organisers should think of the moral implications of being associated with brands, even if sponsorship would bring in valuable revenue. He said: “Organisers should think very carefully. It is very nice for them to get money to run their festivals, but it is coming at a cost. If festivals are joining up with alcohol companies, they are becoming part of the effort to promote the product. “The problems we have when people drink too much could be serious issues at festivals. If organisers feel there is an issue with young people drinking too much, do they want to
be part of that process?” The report also explored some of the ways alcohol advertising – which is worth about £800m per year – is making itself attractive to festivalgoers. Brands such as Carling have forged strong partnerships with festivals and the brand was headline sponsor of Reading and Leeds until 2007 – renaming the event, the Carling Weekend. The report said Carling took particular interest in the fact the event was the ‘first choice for the festival virgin’ and capitalised on that by offering branded tents and free cans of beer to festivalgoers. Professor Hastings added by appearing at festivals, brands can benefit from the appeal of the acts on and get their brand associated with that. He added: “There is the implication that an event wouldn’t happen without their support and the bands somehow endorse the product. Organisers should think about the consequences.” The Main Event approached Carling’s owner Molson Coors but the company declined to comment. Is it right for organisers to expose young festivalgoers to alcohol brands even if sponsorship brings money to the event? Send your comments to ce@whpl.net
A never-before-seen Ice Queen was the star attraction at Newcastle’s New Year’s Eve Winter Carnival. The puppet – along with two other carnival queens – was paraded through the streets as producers Walk the Plank raised icy temperatures in the city. Producer Liz Pugh said: “The whole event was very good natured and there was a real willingness from spectators to come out and support what was happening. We managed to get some of that carnival heat out onto the streets.” Picture: Karen Wright Full story Page 8
A NEW guide has been published which gives organisers a helping hand on how to make their events more sustainable. It has been written by Meegan Jones – who has worked as a sustainability manager for Festival Republic on Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds. It helps festivals who want to become green to know where to start and the steps they need to take. Sustainable Event Management: A Practical Guide includes case studies and examples from festivals around the world including: Big Green Gathering Glastonbury Camden Green Fair Latitude Reading It also looks at key aspects of how organisers can understand and manage the impact of events of any type and scale and includes discussion on energy, zero emissions options, carbon management, water and waste. The Main Event is the official magazine of the National Outdoor Events Association