PRESS RELEASE

14^th December 2015

Village Underground (UK), Mysteryland (NL), Solar Sound System (FR/CH) and Clubmob (DE) recognised at the EE MUSIC Europe Awards for the most outstanding engagement with energy and energy efficiency in the European music event production industry

At a ceremony in Barcelona on the 10th of December the pan-European EE MUSIC project awarded the most innovative and effective initiatives, festivals, clubs and event organisers across Europe for their outstanding achievements in developing an energy efficient music culture.

EE MUSIC aimed to scale up skills and knowledge within the industry on energy efficiency and sustainable energy management, to stir up an industry-wide conversation amongst music event professionals, venues, and festivals on how they use energy, and provide the tools and resources necessary for that transition. Over the past two years, the initiative has mobilized hundreds of clubs, events and outdoor festivals to become part of a broader cultural movement towards a more sustainable future, and lay the foundation of

The EE MUSIC Europe Award winners are:

• EE MUSIC STAR FESTIVAL: Mysteryland, Netherlands 

For a total reduction in overall energy use per visitor day of 43%, a significant upscaling of sustainable biodiesel use, innovative use of new monitoring technology through start-up Watt Now and ID&T’s overall audience engagement with environmental sustainability through their Celebrate Life campaign.

• EE MUSIC STAR CLUB: Village Underground, UK

For its significant investment into energy efficiency across the venue including LED lighting and infrared heating resulting in energy consumption per m²significantly below UK and European benchmarks, its use of a 100% renewable energy tariff, its innovative use of a living roof to address twin challenges of temperature insulation and noise insulation, and its visible commitment to environmental sustainability through the reclaimed London underground carriages serving as creative offices and studios on the roof of the venue.

• EE MUSIC STAR CAMPAIGN: Clubmob Munich, Germany andSolar Sound System, France (joint winners)

Clubmob for its integrated approach to audience outreach that helps unlock investment for energy improvements while also making the audience part of systemic change and actively contributing to energy efficiency in a model that is replicable around Europe.
Solar Sound System for its approach to audience engagement that demystifies the concepts of ‘energy’, ‘renewable energy’, and ‘energy efficiency’, making a tangible connection between sound and energy, in a package that can be taken to the street across the globe and for its cross-sector collaboration between artists, scientists and engineers that is creating new technology from the ground up.

The jury also distributed a number of discretionary awards to recognize outstanding contributions to the EE MUSIC project and project legacy:

• EE MUSIC PIONEER REGION AND COLLABORATION: EE MUSIC Region Styria, Austria

For bringing together local government (Land Steiermark), local energy supplier and energy consultants (Energie Steiermark), and local cultural venues to provide a framework for on-going support and improvements for energy efficiency in the local creative event production sector.

• EE MUSIC SUSTAINABILITY PIONEER: Rock in Rio Festival, Portugal

For its long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability and energy management and efficiency, including in-depth carbon footprinting of its global events, its community outreach programmes such as its sponsorship of solar panels for schools in Brazil, and its generosity in sharing data and knowledge with the EE MUSIC project and broader music event industry.

• EE MUSIC GREEN PRODUCTION PIONEER: Eurovision Song Contest 2015, Austria

For its ambitious achievement to power Europe’s largest televised production entirely through a green tariff from the mains electricity grid and battery power, eliminating generator use and avoiding the use of over 400,000 L of diesel, far-reaching audience communications on the event’s environmental sustainability by public broadcaster ORF, and the legacy it leaves for future ESC productions in other European countries.

• EE MUSIC DIAMOND AMBASSADOR: Antonio Cañas Rojas, Greenize, Spain

“Across Europe, operating in hugely varied contexts, we found a group of people within the music event industry who want to create a better world – and who are taking the initiative to change the system by design. Our biggest goal is not to have a green movement, but to make green the overall standard in the industry.”  Jacob Bilabel, founder, Green Music Initiative

“As world leaders reach a universal agreement on limiting climate change in Paris, it is now up to civil society and business to help us translate this into reality. It is courageous pioneers who enable us to change the conversation. The EE MUSIC Award winners, and countless of the organisations and individuals we have encountered throughout Europe, are taking on that leadership role within the music event industry. Now, we need to find a collective narrative within which everyone can find their own voice.” Alison Tickell, CEO and founder, Julie’s Bicycle

EE MUSIC is co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme of the European Union.

The EE MUSIC Europe Awards Ceremony in Barcelona was supported by RTVE Radio 3, the Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm, Apple Tree Communications and Fabra i Coats in Spain.

Photos can be found at: http://ee-music.eu/press

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For further information and interview requests, please contactmaria.popova@unite-partners.com

Notes to the Editor:

About EE MUSIC:

EE MUSIC is co-funded by the Intelligent Energy Europe programme of the European Union. Coordinated by WIP Renewable Energies in Germany, EE MUSIC is a joint effort between sustainability and energy experts, music industry experts and communications agencies including Julie’s Bicycle (UK) and the Green Music Initiative (DE), working to help music events reduce energy use and its environmental impacts. The EE MUSIC approach provides energy efficient and sustainable energy solutions specific to the nature and needs of the music event sector. EE MUSIC is the largest energy campaign for the music event industry there has ever been.

For further information on the project and its activities, see:
http://ee-music.eu/?id=511

EE MUSIC countries:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.

The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union.  Neither the EACI nor the European Commission are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.