During the pandemic, everything was kind of at a standstill, and people were more focused on survival than on new developments and innovations. Personally, I used the time to produce my own music and launch two record labels. As a result, everything related to the events industry took a backseat for me. So I was all the more pleased to see an old friend and business associate again these past few days to visit a new venue in eastern Munich.

The venue is beautiful, as are all the other venues in this group, but here sustainability and environmental protection were prioritized right from the start. It was new to me that sustainability is playing an increasingly important role in the event industry and will play an even greater role in the future.

Is it possible to celebrate festivals sustainably?

That was the first question that popped into my head, and it looks like the answer is YES, it's possible. However, to make that happen, everyone needs to pull together, or the event needs to be planned and executed according to the ISO 20121 standard.

Phew, that sounds complicated at first, but it definitely makes sense. When you consider everything that's needed for an event, it can be daunting, but collaboration is both possible and desirable, especially for the sake of the environment. Many event agencies, venues, and caterers haven't really considered this issue yet. This is particularly true for venues that were slow to embrace organic practices and, through switching to organic options, discovered "hey, this actually works!" and "wow, the customer wants this!" Naturally, this has led to higher event prices, which in turn has boosted revenue, because they've focused on organic products.

Now we come to the topic of sustainability, and I've already discussed it with some people. This sparked a lot of confusion or a classic Bavarian reaction, like "we don't need that yet." During the pandemic, at least for me, a thought process began that told me continuing as before simply wouldn't work. With the new CO2 emissions trading system starting in 2023, sustainability will become significantly more important for events organized by large companies. Anyone who wants to work for these large companies will have to grapple with this issue sooner or later.

Sustainability shouldn't only be the case at large events.

Clearly, not much will happen regarding sustainability in the wedding and birthday party sector from 2023 onwards. However, sustainability will be a key issue much sooner for Christmas parties, trade fairs, roadshows, fashion shows, and similar events. Everywhere it extends beyond the private sphere, it will become increasingly important in the coming years.

But sustainability should also be considered in private celebrations. Especially at weddings, so much extravagance is overdone that it's almost unbelievable. Starting with decorations that are shipped halfway around the world for use in just one day. The same goes for the technology, where DJs often offer the "top ten" Chinese electronics that end up in the trash after a year or two, only to be replaced with the next upgrade from China. Again, everything is shipped halfway around the world only to be disposed of, still functional, after use or after one or two seasons. Because, after all, the customer always demands new things, but is that really true...?

Rethinking many things in order to survive

Especially in the wedding industry, where everyone thinks each wedding should be a unique experience, everything is nevertheless scaled and standardized, yet still sold as individual. Therefore, the issue of sustainability should also reach mobile DJs, who largely try to impress with cheap equipment and sheer volume. For example, you rarely see lights like those from ASTERA among mobile DJs. This is probably because they are expensive to buy. While they also come from China, they are of a quality designed for longevity.

But the clients, in this case the bride and groom, should also start thinking more environmentally consciously and planning their wedding more sustainably. For example, it makes no sense to get married and celebrate hundreds of kilometers from home and transport all the guests there. That's not sustainable, and for things like decorations, flowers, and food, more attention should be paid to regional sourcing, which is ultimately a big part of sustainability.

Sustainability is an issue that cannot be avoided in the event industry.

Certainly, it will take time for this topic to become firmly established and permeate all areas of the diverse event industry. But we should start addressing it now and rethinking certain things, processes, and purchases with sustainability in mind. After all, we only have one planet to celebrate on. At this point, I'd also like to extend my sincere thanks to Gina, who opened a new door to thinking for me, something I never would have considered in my "music production tunnel" and "launching a label" workflow. It's a very exciting topic that will gain even more importance in the coming years, and one we should start preparing for now... Thank you...