How we’re making our 2024 Conference more sustainable

This year, the Music Mark 2024 Conference is exploring Sustainability in Music Education. This will cover all aspects of sustainability, from financial sustainability to the sustainability of workforce and students. However, there will also be a strong focus on environmental sustainability, and we’re working hard to ensure this is present in both the programming and organisation of the event. 

We’d like to share some of the choices we’ve made this year to make the conference as sustainable as possible. 

Catering 

This year, all of the catering at the conference will be vegetarian. Meat and livestock are huge contributors to the climate crisis (BBC), so choosing an entirely vegetarian menu allows us to drastically cut the emissions from the conference. All crockery for the catering will be reusable, with no single-use cups involved, and water stations will be provided for delegates to refill their own water bottles. 

The East Midlands Conference Centre 

We have actively chosen a venue with a commitment to sustainability. In their sustainability document, Nottingham Venues say: 

“At Nottingham Venues, everything we do has sustainability in mind. As a business we are committed to reducing our environmental impact and doing our bit to make a difference. We don’t have it all figured out just yet but we are taking the right steps and bringing our team with us.” 

This includes: 

• Motion-sensitive lighting and LED bulbs in most rooms 
• Working closely with their waste management company to monitor and improve their recycling rates 
• ‘Hydration stations’ so guests can enjoy complimentary water and to encourage the reduction of single-use plastics 
• Real plants used in public areas 
• Sustainable or reclaimed/recycled materials are used in the construction of the buildings, and fabrics, carpets, flooring or furniture are sometimes made from upcycled materials 
• There are 8 EV charging points at the Orchard Hotel and conference centre for guests and staff to use 
• Digital signage in meeting and conference areas to minimise paper waste and printing 
• Providing only fair-trade or ethically sourced coffee and tea, using locally produced coffee and initiatives to reduce food miles and work with local suppliers for other food 

More details of the venue’s sustainability initiatives are available on the Nottingham Venues website. 

Other sustainable choices 

The Music Mark team will be travelling to the conference as sustainably as possible, and we will be launching a Facebook page for delegates where you can arrange carpooling if you aren’t coming via public transport. Black Cat has sponsored the conference lanyards for the second year in a row, allowing us to reuse the lanyards from the 2023 Conference. We’ll be producing a few hard copies of the programme for those who need it, but otherwise, our programme will be available digitally. On each page of the conference website, you’ll notice a carbon tracker at the bottom, showing how much carbon has been produced by the page. 

We’re also encouraging our Industry Partners attending the event to consider their impact, minimising the items they’re bringing with them and making giveaways as sustainable as possible. In our exhibitor and sponsorship form, we asked our partners what they’re doing as an organisation to move towards net zero. On our Virtual Exhibition, many partners have shared their approach to environmental sustainability so you can read their green commitments. 

Incorporating environmental sustainability into the programme 

We’re excited to have a ‘Sustainability Stand’ at the conference this year, staffed by Positive Planet, where you can get expert advice on your sustainability journey. Positive Planet will also be running a session on Tuesday called ‘Survive or Thrive Climate Change’ to equip you with a foundational understanding of the business impacts of climate change, and the This Is Not A Rehearsal Steering Group will launch our new Sustainability Toolkit. 

Other sessions on environmental sustainability include: 

• A stand from Technology in Music Education (TiME) on sustainable technology 
• Keynote sessions on environmental sustainability from Dominique Palmer and Konnie Huq 
• A roundtable discussion on how different organisations have responded to the climate crisis 
• ‘Greening Your Finances’ 
• ‘Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Our story so far’ 

View the full conference programme here.  

We need your help! 

As much as we are considering environmental sustainability in the organisation and programming of the annual conference, to make the biggest difference we need your help. Here are some suggestions on how you can reduce the impact of your conference experience: 

• Travel using public transport. As part of our carbon tracking, we will be asking delegates how they have travelled to and from this year’s conference, and we encourage as many people to use public transport as possible 
• Use our delegate Facebook page to organise carpooling 
• Bring a refillable water bottle and your own hot drinks flask  

Don’t forget to book your ticket now to join us in Nottingham on the 18th – 19th November! As well as environmental sustainability, the programme includes sessions on financial sustainability, sustainability of workforce and of students.