Making live music events as environmentally friendly as possible relies on thousands of people installing solar panels, transporting waste, collecting reusable cups, measuring energy usage and performing other operational duties. A job performed by a worker. But all employees who do this work ultimately fall within the purview of a particular live event company's sustainability officer. Eric Distler is one of them.
As Vice President of Sustainability for AEG, Mr. Distler leads the company's corporate sustainability program. He has executives in similar roles at Live Nation, ASM Global and Oak View Group, which together are responsible for greening a significant proportion of global events and venues. The group (which Distler says all know each other, given the sustainability space's relatively small size) first met in February during a panel discussion at the inaugural Music Sustainability Summit in Los Angeles. They appeared together in public.
“The symbolism of us being together on that stage is powerful and hopefully it will inspire the industry for us to root for each other and explore what we can do together.” says Distler. Because the stakes are so high, he says, there is an incentive to share information, especially given that “this research is truly reproducible.” What you do at one venue or festival can also be done elsewhere without local infrastructure. ”
Mr. Distler comes to this position after working in the sports and entertainment sustainability field for more than 10 years. At AEG, he and his team of five design and lead sustainability efforts across the company. 25 festivals and over 50 music venues. Nine arenas and similar sized venues. 4 red light districts. He has conducted over 15 tours so far.
AEG has had a sustainability program in place for 15 years, but when Distler joined in October 2021, his remit was to address the worsening climate crisis, the growing demand for sustainable events among consumers, and the growing demand for sustainable events among consumers. It was about “taking the program to the next level” in new sustainable technologies. And regulations.
“External forces are bigger and more influential than ever before,” he says. “This is really moving the industry forward in the sense that companies need to prioritize and dedicate internal teams to understand this work, build resources, and take action in meaningful ways. .”
During his first three months on the job, Distler spent meetings with 50 internal stakeholders to better understand the business, explore ways to make it more sustainable and gain senior leadership buy-in. did. This is “fundamental and really paved the way for more detailed work,” he says. Other colleagues too. ”
Based on the information he gathered, he created a strategic framework for sustainability, as well as an official vision statement to “inspire the world's many voices to protect the planet” and a statement that the company “operates responsibly and We have created a mission statement that declares, “We are committed to promoting global development.'' The impact of live entertainment to protect our planet for future generations. ”
“It’s important to have a strategy on the page, and ultimately create a framework to guide us moving forward,” says Distler.
The framework includes a set of focus areas including carbon and energy, waste and materials water, stewardship and engagement, and six guiding principles ('cooperation, not competition', 'transparency and frequent communication') and seven Also includes two pillars. Operations, Suppliers, Employees, Fans, Community and Partnerships.
These partners include Schneider Electric, a French multinational energy management company that AEG has worked with for 14 years to support goal setting, strategy, energy sourcing, market intelligence and risk management. A Greener Future in the UK and Three Squares Inc. in the US are sustainability consultants, and r.World is responsible for all of AEG's Denver music venues and select venues in Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as six other venues. We offer cups available. Golden Voice Festival. For Coachella and Stagecoach, AEG donated 44.2 tons of food to our partner Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and 34.6 tons of supplies to Galilee Center, which provides clothing and other essentials to Coachella Valley families. .
Distler is also seeking additional support. Last year, he worked to hire his four people into three of his newly created sustainability roles. “It is not uncommon for sustainability teams to be small and under-resourced,” he says. “I see a large part of my responsibility as making sure the department is financially healthy and building and advocating for our staff and resources.”
In addition to Mr. Distler and his new hires, the team includes a data and analytics lead responsible for measuring the impact of AEG events, and a team with jobs like festival management that eat, sleep and breathe this. All other people' are also included. Additionally, AEG's employee-led People For The Planet group is made up of employees from other parts of the company who want to contribute to sustainability projects.
Overall, the group is “probably pretty representative of the sustainability sector,” Distler said. “While our core team may be small, we have external and internal partners who help us get the job done.”
Given that Europe has stricter sustainability regulations than the United States, the European industry is a good example of initiatives that could eventually be adopted in the United States. Last November, AEG's O2 Arena in London unveiled the Green Rider. This is a best practice guide for sustainable tours and events that outlines what venues are doing in key areas.
“It's a great way to sit down with artists and their management teams and think about what we can do while they're there.” [at the O2] It's really sustainable and that ultimately gets through to the fans,” Distler said of the guide, which was created in collaboration with UK-based sustainability consultancy A Greener Future.
Distler said his team is collaborating “all the time” with artists including Billie Eilish, who will host an event called “Overheat” at the O2 in June 2022 and promote climate change. It featured vegan food and water refill stations along with friendly programming. Last April, after learning that rock band Muse was “passionate about climate issues,” AEG's Crypto.com Arena announced the launch of the Los Angeles Cleantech Alliance, which focuses on clean technology, climate action, and the promotion of clean technology. He says he made the donation on behalf of the incubator and to the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. Urban green economy.
On behalf of the band, AEG made a donation from AEG's Crypto.com Arena to the LA Clean Tech Incubator, which promotes clean technology in the city. Last year, the team worked with Maggie Rogers to measure the carbon footprint associated with one of her U.S. tour stays and provided that information to Rogers' team, along with suggestions for mitigation.
In the US, AEG has launched a comprehensive sustainability program for GoldenVoice festivals including Coachella, Stagecoach, Cruel World and Just Like Heaven. In particular, Goldenvoice's Cali Vibes has served as a testing ground for sustainability efforts, such as solar panels to light the parking lot and the conversion of unpurchased merchandise into staff uniforms, and these projects have been replicated at other events. Possible uses are being studied.
“I always say sustainability doesn't happen within teams,” says Distler. “Avoiding and repurposing waste at festivals, etc. is done in collaboration with our operations team, partners and carriers. This ultimately requires work that cannot be completed in a company office.”
While the music industry is ultimately responsible for a small portion of global emissions and waste, Distler is adamant about its impact. He recalled attending a panel discussion in New York last fall alongside sustainability leaders from large companies with “huge footprints, millions of tons of emissions.”
Yet when it came to audience Q&A, “everyone asked me questions, but no one asked them.” Considering its “influence”, [on] The music industry has a responsibility to focus on sustainability, share these efforts with fans, and “create an environment for positive, inspiring and uplifting work.”
Distler said he “absolutely” sees real progress being made when fans, partners, artists and athletes “put the right level of pressure on companies to take meaningful action.” is helping. Many of the major companies AEG works with are also approaching sustainability in a more focused way, he says.
“It's about sitting down with your partner and saying, 'What are your focus areas? What are your goals? What are your aspirations?'” he said. “Then we share ours. , let's see what lines up… It's really encouraging to see the enthusiasm and willingness of our partners to come up with ideas and brainstorm and that the industry is moving in the right direction. It shows.”