Sourcing Eco-friendly Materials for Music Festival Temporary Structures.

Most music festival entities produce sustainability objectives along with targets and achievements. This can cover a variety of aspects related to running a festival on a greenfield site, and one of the biggest impacts can be how temporary structures are constructed. What are the key considerations for organisers when sourcing eco-friendly materials for them.

An outdoor festival may have a need for multiple temporary structures including stages, hospitality, medical facilities, control rooms and other ancillary buildings. Tighter sustainability targets means that organisers are now under pressure to ensure that they meet festival-goer expectations in an environmentally responsible manner. This is impacting on organising entities as the focus for temporary structures shifts to reusability, recyclability with local sourcing to reduce waste and a lower carbon footprint. What should organisers be considering when planning their eco-friendly temporary structures for future events.

Sustainability Objectives.
The solution for lowest carbon structures is usually one that has already been built so organisers are more frequently considering rented modular infrastructure where standard dimensions make reuse easier. Some organising entities work with other festivals to share staging assets where event dates do not clash. Sourcing construction materials locally can also reduce transport emissions and logistics complexity lowering costs over time. Sustainability objectives can be set that dictate how temporary structures are made and often specify that materials used can easily be repaired, repurposed and recycled cleanly. In addition, a preference for wood and bolted connections can ensure that toxic adhesives are not used in any construction.

Common Eco-friendly Materials.
Organisers are increasingly considering bamboo as a construction material because it is fast growing, lightweight, strong and biodegradable. Common structures that use bamboo include entrance gates, stage canopies and viewing platforms, for example. The use of tensile fabric membranes as roofing covers are increasing in popularity because they are usually made from recycled polyester, PVC composites or organic canvas. These are lightweight and easily transported usually with rapid assembly and disassembly making them a popular choice. If temporary structures are using wood organisers should ensure that materials are FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified which ensures that it has been harvested sustainably where biodiversity is protected. Alternatively, organisers can consider using engineered wood like plywood which has better reuse potential and is easier to repair. For stage structures that need robust truss systems (lighting rigs) the use of recycled aluminium is increasingly being used because it is durable, fully recyclable, strong, lightweight and generally has a long lifecycle.

New Emerging Materials.
Manufacturers, who are also under pressure to come up with new eco-friendly materials, are experimenting with innovative solutions to create new construction materials. These include mycelium acoustic panels, hemp composites, cork insulation and composite bioplastics. Common uses can include decorative facades, acoustic treatments, partitions and lightweight scenic structures, for example. In addition to these new composites there is also a focus on recycled plastic structural components which can be used for interlocking flooring systems or lightweight roofing.

Operational Considerations.
Specifying and using eco-friendly materials for temporary structures on festival sites can sometimes be more expensive than using traditional materials. This is due to increased manufacturing costs and low volumes, but this may improve over time, and organisers can benefit in the longer term as structures can be reused. An outdoor festival can still be subject to adverse weather conditions, especially high winds, heavy rain and extreme heat. Eco-friendly materials must still meet wind loading standards, fire safety compliance and be water and UV resistant. If temporary structures are intended to be reused for multiple events over a long time organisers will need provide suitable storage facilities as well as make allowances for ongoing repairs and maintenance.

For festival organisers planning their next event using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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