Igloofest is a masterclass in production difficulty. And if you’re a creator, producer, or entrepreneur trying to build something sustainable in a hostile environment, you need to hear what Nicolas has to say...

On this episode of The Sustainable Kind Show, I sat down with Nicolas from the Igloofest team.

I didn't want to talk about DJ lineups. I wanted to talk about logistics. I wanted to know how you throw a world-class party when the ultimate Event Director, Mother Nature, is actively trying to freeze your equipment and bury your venue in snow.

Let’s be honest: standard event production is usually an environmental disaster. The waste, the single-use builds, the massive power consumption, it’s a linear model on a finite planet.

Now, add sub-zero temperatures to that mix. Your challenges just doubled. Most producers facing that kind of friction would just crank up the diesel generators, buy cheap disposable gear, and hope for the best.

Nicolas and his team didn't take the easy route. They realized years ago that to keep the party going long-term, they had to respect the venue.

In this episode, we dive into the gritty reality of cold-weather sustainability.
We talk about:

• The Waste Audit Reality Check: How they manage tons of waste and were one of the first large events to champion renewable drinking cups and beverage holders.
  

• The Energy Equation: Keeping everyone safe and show moving forward can be a challenging combo at a massive large scale event. Nicolas and I dive into how they ensure their events are looking after the crowd and creating a comfortable, memorable iconic experience in negative range weather.
  

• Changing the Culture: igloofest is growing in their mission and geography, so we discuss how they've stayed at the forefront of leading the pact through memorable branding, massive bookings, and a major frozen headache dealing with winter.
  

The principles Nicolas uses to manage 50,000 attendees in a blizzard are the exact same principles you need to manage a sustainable film shoot: radical planning, minimizing single-use inputs, and having a deep respect for the environment you’re operating in.

Igloofest proves that "difficult" is not an excuse for "wasteful." If they can figure out how to be green at -20°C, we can certainly figure out how to film a corporate interview without generating a bag of trash.

Connect with Nicolas Cournyer, Co-Founder of Igloofest

• Igloofest Oficial Website

• Igloofest in Edmonton, March 12-14

• • Igloofest Montreal Instagram

  
  

  
  

  Connect with Alex Leonard, Founder of AL Media

• • AL Media on Facebook

  • AL Media on Instagram

  • Alex Leonard on LinkedIn

  • Alex Leonard on YouTube

  • Alex Leonard on X

Romina Kwong is the Founder, Lead Consultant, and Speaker of Eco-Friendly Events, a consulting agency that supports event organizers and businesses by bringing a holistic, accessible, and realistic approach to implementing green initiatives. Through Eco-Friendly Events, she advocates for environmental and social justice and strongly believes in approaching environmental sustainability with incremental, yet impactful actions. Her aim is to educate all event organizers such that having an event sustainability strategy is second nature, and simply part of the planning process.

Romina has a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Economics, with a Minor in International Development Studies, as well as a Diploma in Event Management. Outside of work, you can find Romina reading a good book with a giant cup of coffee or in the water swimming, scuba diving, or surfing.

Connect with Romina Kwong, Founder of Eco-Friendly Events

• Eco-Friendly Events Website
• Romina on LinkedIn
• Eco-Friendly Events on Instagram
• Eco-Friendly Events on Facebook

• The Sustainable Kind's Website
• The Sustainable Kind on Instagram
• AL Media on Facebook
• AL Media on Twitter
• Alex Leonard on Instagram
• Alex Leonard on LinkedIn
• Alex Leonard on YouTube

Mentioned in this episode:

Midroll Share The Episode Plug

Sebastian Sajoux is the CEO and founder behind Arqlite, an innovative company that is turning ocean plastic into eco-friendly gardening gravel.

Learn more about Arqlite and Sebastian's journey from Argentina to America, as he developed and grew his company during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Listeners will be able to take away positive lessons about facing adversity, growing a reliable team, and developing an optimistic outlook against one of our biggest global challenges, a reliance on plastic!

Check out the Blog post by clicking here.

Connect with Arqlite

• Arqlite's Website
• Arqlite on Instagram
• Arqlite on Facebook
• Arqlite on LinkedIn
• Arqlite on YouTube

• The Sustainable Kind's Website
• The Sustainable Kind on Instagram
• AL Media on Facebook
• AL Media on Twitter
• Alex Leonard on Instagram
• Alex Leonard on LinkedIn
• Alex Leonard on YouTube