FESTIVAL OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS 2023

FESTIVAL STATISTICS

The Festival of Sustainable Business 2023 had a variety of sponsors!

  • Headline Sponsor: Building Growth South West

  • Inclusivity Sponsor: Evelyn Partners

  • Carbon Offset Sponsor: Equans

Conference Statistics

  • 610 attendances (physically and virtually)

  • 24 speakers

  • 5 seminars

conference Summary

The hybrid conference took place on 23rd March 2023 at The Bristol Hotel.

People attended physically and virtually, where all were able to make use of networking and Q&A opportunities.

Speakers included, but not limited to:

  • Katherine Piper, Head of Partnerships and Sustainability, Future Leap

  • Ian Goodchild, Sales Director, Kensa Contracting

  • Nick Pledge, Chief Executive Officer, EcoSync

  • Savita Willmott, CEO, Natural History Consortium

  • Rebecca Nohl, Associate, SYSTEMIQ Ltd (formerly Dasgupta Review team)

  • Ian Barrett, Chief Executive, Avon Wildlife Trust

  • Lisa Saunders, YTKO/Building Growth South West

  • David Tudgey, Cofounder and Director, Bristol Energy Network

  • Ellie Brundrett, Net Zero Project Manager, Regen

  • Matthew Grimwood, Partner, TLT

  • Louise Daniels, Head of Communications & Marketing, Thrive Renewables 

  • Sam Willits, Head of Sustainability Integrated Care System, North Bristol NHS Trust

  • Chris Skidmore, Former Energy Minister at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)

  • Harriet Murray Jones, Partner, Bevan Brittan

  • Andrew Spicer, Corporate Associate, Bevan Brittan

  • Daniel Proctor, Director, Future Leap Finance

  • Theodora Hadjimichael, Chief Executive, Responsible Finance  

  • Selene Molina, Head of Engineering, Vattenfall

  • Emma Burlow, Founder, Lighthouse Sustainability

  • Laurent Perge, Innovation Advisor, University of Bath / SETSquared Sustainable Technologies

  • Dr Elies Dekoninick, Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath 

  • Jinghui Liang, Chief Technology Officer, Labcycle 

  • Annie Snelson-Powell, School of Management, University of Bath 

  • Connor Bryant, Co-Founder and Director, Rubbish Ideas

conference seminar topics

  • Seminar 1 - Green Energy Solutions and Business (sponsored by TLT)

  • Seminar 2 - Growing your Business through Sustainable Investment (sponsored by Bevan Brittain)

  • Seminar 3 - Retrofitting and Delivering Low Carbon Heating at Scale (sponsored by Kensa Contracting)

  • Seminar 4 - Business Circularity, Sustainability, and Design: How can they move your business forward? (sponsored by the Sustainable Business Support Programme)

  • Seminar 5 - Business, Biodiversity, and the Ecological Emergency (sponsored by Bristol City Leap)

exhibition Statistics

  • 639 exhibition attendees

  • 5 exhibition zones

  • 25 speakers

exhibition Summary

The event took place on 15th June 2023 at the Paintworks Event Space and Courtyard.

It consisted of a busy:

  • Interactive Indoor Exhibition Zone

  • Outdoor Transport, Food, and Tech Zone

  • Networking Zone (sponsored by Termex)

  • Talks Stage (sponsored by Bristol City Leap)

  • Programme (sponsored by Latcham)

  • Timeout Space

The talks zone had speakers including but not limited to:

  • Rob Gardner, Founder, Rebalance Earth

  • Tyler Leyland-Jones and Luc Drepaul, Consultants, Future Leap

  • Traci Lewis, Founder, Catalyse Change

  • Will Houghton, Project Developer, Bristol Energy Cooperative

  • Jen Macfarlane, Project Manager, Building Growth South West

  • Ben Wright, Managing Director, Bristol 24/7

  • Tom Walmsley, Founder, Nature Connection

  • Derek Tanner, Enterprise Development Programme Lead, Black South West Network

  • Dan Proctor, Director, Future Leap Finance

  • Zoe Banks Gross, Head of Partnerships and Public Affairs, Sustrans

  • Darron Hamilton, Senior Active Travel Officer, Bristol City Council

  • Councillor Carla Denyer, Councillor for Clifton Down, Green Party

  • James Sterling, Communications and Engagement Manager, Bristol City Leap

exhibition talks zone topics

  • Panel Discussion on Biodiversity and Business

  • Panel discussion on Bristol City Leap - Bristol’s journey towards becoming a zero-carbon, smart energy city

  • Sustainable Investment and Business as a Force for Good

  • How Businesses Can Reach Net Zero  

  • Supporting Young People to be Sustainability Leaders and Change Makers through Green Careers  

  • Supporting Skills in Sustainability and Construction 

  • Role of Business in Eco-Education in Schools  

  • Green Skills for Work and Business

  • Making Net Zero Affordable for the SME Community  

  • Benefits to the Economy from Active Travel 

AWARDs CEREMONY SUMMARY

The Awards Ceremony took place at The Bristol Hotel on 9th November 2023.

Over 180 people attended from a range of purpose-led organisations to celebrate sustainability excellence!

Awards Ceremony guests enjoyed a three-course vegan meal featuring locally sourced ingredients. The concluding highlight of this remarkable event was a musical performance by The Funny Terns, composed of Angus Barr and Natalie Fee!

The Awards Ceremony had a variety of sponsors:

  • Headline Awards Ceremony Sponsor: Thought Quarter

  • Dinner Sponsor: Bristol City Leap

  • Drinks Reception Sponsor: Termex

AWARDS TOPICS and winners

  • Social Sustainability - SWIG Finance (sponsored by TLT)

  • Innovation in Low Carbon Technology - The Bottle Yard Studios (sponsored by Equans)

  • Biodiversity - Belmont Estate (sponsored by Lawlight)

  • Circular Economy and Waste - Oat Float Bristol (sponsored by Albert Goodman)

  • Communicating the Climate and Ecological Emergency - Avon Wildlife Trust (sponsored by Rin Hamburgh and Co)