DF Concerts & Events: Turning up the volume on circularity
For the organisers of Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival, circular thinking is critical to commercial growth. Four key people at DF Concerts & Events explain why their focus on sustainability is building business resilience.
Partnership. Logistics. Communication.
“Climate change has already had a direct impact on outdoor events, whether that’s through extreme weather or rising costs,” says Kevin Mackay, Sustainability Manager at DF Concerts. “For us, sustainability is about building resilience to this. It helps to future-proof the business and ensure we’re better prepared for the challenges ahead.”
Founded in 1992, DF Concerts is Scotland’s largest live music and event promoter. The company runs outdoor music events across the country, such as TRNSMT and Summer Sessions, as well as the world-famous Glasgow venue, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut. CEO Geoff Ellis has been leading the team for more than 30 years and, for him, circularity and sustainability aren’t just nice things to be seen supporting – they’re business critical.
Sustainability is first on the set list – it makes us robust
“Sustainability has always been part of who we are as a business,” says Fiona Ellis, Head of Business Support. “If you go right back to when we worked with Tennent’s on the T in the Park festival, we staged the first carbon-neutral event of its kind in 2006, and that really set the tone. More recently, as we were developing events such as Summer Sessions, we took a step back and asked ourselves what really mattered. Sustainability became central to that conversation. It pushes us to be more innovative, more creative and more collaborative. It strengthens the business and makes it more robust.”
The achievements of DF Concerts with reusable cups is a good example. “Last year, we held Scotland’s largest reusable cup trial at our Edinburgh and Glasgow Summer Sessions events,” says Kevin. “We saved more than a quarter of a million cups from being disposed of. We've been working on this for the last couple of years because it requires spending time with all of our stakeholders. Understandably, anyone that's involved wants to know that the commercials are protected. But what we have demonstrated is that this approach is actually better for business because the reduction in waste brings a reduction in costs. It sounds very simple, but the more goods and services that we're able to maintain and keep in circulation for as long as possible, season to season, the less money we're wasting each year.”
DF Concerts plans to eradicate single-use plastic (including water and soft drink bottles) from its events completely by 2030, providing unlimited water points for fans to refill their own reusable water bottle. The business is also collaborating with other organisations in Glasgow on a working group to develop and promote reusable cup systems. “We want to demonstrate industry leadership and show what’s possible with the circular economy, not just in Glasgow but across the whole of Scotland,” says Kevin.
Collaboration is a headline act
And this spirit of collaboration doesn’t stop at cups. “We bring all our food and drinks vendors together ahead of events to discuss our sustainability goals and to help them feel like part of the wider DF Concerts team,” says Fiona. “That sense of shared purpose makes a huge difference to how initiatives are delivered on the ground.”
The application of circular thinking also embraces reusable event signage, reusable fencing, and the ‘plug and play’ reuse of PA, lighting and stage equipment shared with other event organisers. DF Concerts believes that all of these measures are in demand from Scotland’s gig goers. “Fans want to see less waste,” says Fiona. “They also want to see the more sustainable travel options that we support to help them get to and from the festivals. If we can help make that easy for them, it builds trust and loyalty, and that’s incredibly valuable.
“The circular economy has grown our business in subtle but important ways,” adds Katt Lingard, Head of Event Operations at DF Concerts. “For instance, it’s increased artist sentiment towards the way that we work, and suppliers admire our approach. We're setting an example and that’s clearly growing our reputation – not just in Scotland, but globally.”
“Sweat the small stuff”
Katt offers advice to businesses wishing to embrace circular thinking
“Not many businesses will simply open a cupboard and find the percentage reductions they're looking for. But if you systematically look through your operations, there's always a way to design in more adaptability, more reuse and more repurposing. Break it down into small steps and small areas. If you sweat the small stuff, those gains will soon add up to changing the bigger picture. And working together is key – and not just with those in your industry. Circularity practices can be shared across sectors so it’s important to look outwards and learn from as many people as possible. Someone else will be going through the same process – ask them questions and share what you learn yourself.”