The finalists for the Future of Festivals 2023 Innovation Award have been announced!
The FoF Awards are the highlight of the Future of Festivals every year. All companies and festivals that focus on creating extraordinary projects, ideas, apps etc. for the event industry can apply. The award recognizes and rewards the festival makers and companies that put innovative and forward-looking ideas into practice and thereby drive the entire industry forward. The winners of the FoF Awards are pioneers and trailblazers in the industry who are bringing about positive change and setting new standards through their achievements.
Finalists in the category: Services & Products
Finalists in the category: Festivals
The NORDEN Festival should also be accessible to all people and allow people with disabilities equal, independent access. In the first two years, the focus was on hearing-impaired and deaf people. More than half of all readings and lectures on a total of 12 festival days could be accompanied in German sign language, and there is a mobile induction loop for hearing-impaired people in several venues. The entire festival site was made almost completely accessible for people with mobility impairments with ramps. People with disabilities actively participate in the festival and support the NORDEN Festival team as experts in their own right. In addition, people with disabilities are taken into account in the program planning and are given a platform on the stages of the NORDEN Festival as a previously underrepresented group. A trained inclusion team is always on hand to provide support if required.
During the NORDEN Festival, there will be numerous activities for all visitors to raise awareness of the issues of accessibility and inclusion within society and educate people at the same time. Pupils from the local school with a focus on hearing will give a German sign language course and accompany the musicians on stage with their sign language choir.
With a plan for the next four years, the NORDEN Festival should be as completely barrier-free as possible. At the same time, all visitors are to be educated, fears of contact are to be overcome and encounters are to be created. With the implementation of the barrier-free measures, the NORDEN Festival 2023 was able to record a significant increase in the number of people with disabilities attending the festival.
As the largest independent metal festival in Germany, Summerbeeze Festival has implemented the sustainability concept “LESS TRASH – MORE THRASH”. The creative idea for waste separation and cleanliness successfully sets it apart from other festivals by sensitizing fans to the topic and encouraging them to participate.
With the generous support of EMP, the project was implemented with 25,000 “T(h)rasher Bags” to sensitize visitors to waste avoidance. The bin bags were distributed on arrival and placed on the campsite in three categories (yellow bag, residual waste and paper). The “T(h)rasher team” ensures that the stations are emptied every day.
On the day of departure, the garbage bags were well received by the visitors and the campground was cleaner than ever before. The Rotary Club provided support with “CROWDPFANDING” by collecting cans and returnable bottles and donating the proceeds to charitable organizations.
The foodies were instructed to separate waste and leftovers were also disposed of in food waste garbage cans. Fortunately, no fines were necessary.
Looking back, he is proud of all those who took part. With 45,000 guests, the amount of waste was 144 tons, half less than the previous year.
