Sustainable Event Management. The Socio-Economic Challenges of Hosting an Eco-Friendly Music Festival

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2020 in the subject Tourism - Event management, grade: 1,2, University of Applied Sciences Saarbrucken (Fakultat Wirtschaftswissenschaften), language: English, abstract: This research analyses the extent to which sustainability at a festival can be managed and how desirable behaviour can be communicated and established. With decreasing profits through record sales, artists increasingly depend on live performances and touring. As it is common knowledge that big music festivals often harm the environment, visitors expect event organizers to comply with sustainable measures. Festival managers are, however, restricted in their implementation of eco-friendly practices, as an event is dependent on the interaction of many stakeholders. Music festivals offer a unique opportunity for event managers to attempt to influence attendee s behaviour to be more sustainable through their diversity and playfulness. By creating the appropriate framework, festival creators can shift a festival towards sustainability. To do that, they must understand their stakeholders values, motivators, drivers, and barriers of greening an outdoor music festival. This paper is based on data derived from existing research and literature in the fields of event management, sustainability, sociology and behavioural research. It illustrates basic greening approaches along with the operational limits of event organizers.