Discover ADE Green's program

For this year's program, ADE Green lined-up a mix of national sustainability leaders and global game-changers. Next to that, there is plenty of practical stuff to discover with plenary panels, workshops and more. So, read on and choose your favorites.

Frequent Flyers; does DJ Culture have to rely on Airmiles?
When it comes to sustainability in the dance industry, there’s an elephant in the room: frequently flying DJs. How can you keep your environmental impact low when you pursue an international DJ career, book artists from abroad or organise an event in another part of the world? Ok, offsetting your carbon impact eases the pain, but what can we change NOW? The answers to these questions are still up in the air and will be discussed with Eli Goldstein from Soul Clap & DJs for Climate Action, filmmaker and climate journalist Bernice Notenboom, DJ/Producer Job Sifre and Tom van Wijk from AIR Events.

Nature Needs Heroes presented by Timberland
We are witnessing an unprecedented migration from rural to urban areas. In a few decades, we will most likely be living in megacities, isolated from nature, or so it seems. But think deeper: we're not isolated by any means - nature is both all around us, even in the cities, and deep within us. We are nature. And many successful artists either use nature as their main source of inspiration or have a close relationship to it as they seek for balance and creative stimulation away from the endless circuit of screens and DJ booths. And in the end, after their journey, these creative heroes will bring back their interpretation and concept of nature in their works on our dance floors, screens and speakers. In this panel, we talk to DJs, music producers, philosophers, and VJ Heleen Blanken about how they study and observe nature and use this for their works of art.

If you don't like the System don't depend on it
Andy Cato is a well-respected artist and part of the renowned duo Groove Armada. One day he stumbled upon an article about sustainable farming which resonated deeply. “If you don’t like the system,” it said, “don’t depend on it.” Andy sold his publishing rights and took out an extra mortgage to invest in a piece of land in southern France, where he started his dream farm. Slowly he achieved a nature-inclusive way of farming which balances giving and taking from the earth. During our in-depth interview with Andy Cato live on stage, we’ll ask what drove him to start this journey as a farmer without any experience, what we can do to change our global food system and what his advice is to the audience.

International Festivals join Forces on Circularity
Having to provide all the basic needs within a very short timeframe, festivals are ideal testing grounds for circular economic innovation. Since The Netherlands aims to be fully circular in 2050, the Dutch festival scene is at the forefront of these developments. Harald Friedl, CEO at Circle Economy, will walk you through the latest international developments with cities, countries, and brands jumping the bandwagon and also committing to this huge transformation. What’s more, an international collaboration of festivals is forming, featuring pioneering European festivals that’ll collaborate to design circular chains and co-create solutions regarding food, water, energy, and materials. The participating festivals of this will be revealed soon.

Food Footprint powered by Rabobank
The production of food has a major impact on climate change, usage of water and biodiversity, and we know that we need to change the way we eat to save the only planet we have. The idea of transforming our need for protein from animal-based to plant-based ingredients is now being taken much more seriously, but what next steps can event organizers take to offer meals within the limits of the planet and what exactly are those limits? Together with researchers, the Swedish WWF has calculated how much greenhouse gases a meal generates in order for us to achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement and feed the world without destroying it.

The conclusion is 0.4 KG CO2 for breakfast and 0.5 KG CO2 for lunch or dinner, and the concept is called One Planet Plate. But in all fairness, most people won’t have any feeling for what these numbers really mean when it comes to what's on their plate. In this panel, you get to find out. This year three European festivals experimented with apps to calculate the carbon footprint of festival food, as well as challenging themselves to create dishes with a lower CO2 impact and communicating this to their audiences in different and inspiring ways. In this panel, we showcase their best-practices and discuss the insights and next steps to be taken in order to offer food to our audiences within the limits of our earth.

Plastic Promise; the next Steps towards responsible Plastic use
Plastic Promise is an initiative that was launched at last year’s edition of ADE Green. So far, the focus of The Plastic Promise has been on plastic cups. Festivals, cup-suppliers, and drinks brands have collaborated within the whole chain to create a circular cup system at festivals and to create awareness among visitors. We look back on this successful year with Plastic Promise ambassador Sam Feldt as our host. First, we will fresh up your knowledge about plastics with Daniël Poolen. After that, Heineken, Awakenings and Friendly Fire will share their learnings in different ways to create a circular cup system. What are the challenges and how could the system be improved and expanded to more events?

The Art of Activism and the Activism of Art
These are tough times, there's no doubt about that, but the flip side of that is that in recent years we’ve seen more and more people driven to work for change, taking to the streets or speaking out over a cause. Music has always been tied up with idealism and loud expression of ideas. In this panel, we will explore the different ways we can campaign through music, arts, and events. How does one form a movement at scale and create real impact? What makes a good campaign and what strategies prove successful? How do we enable audiences, the media and ultimately our governments, to take action? And how do we transform that action into real and lasting change? ADE Green will take a look at these questions, and more, with Raindance Project co-founder Wessel van Eeden, co-founder Meadows In The Mountains Benjamin Sasse and Eli Goldstein from Soul Clap and DJs for Climate Action. For this panel, ADE green joins forces with Resident Advisor.

Closing Keynote; a new Narrative of Sustainability
We are excited to announce that Mac Macartney will close off ADE Green with a one-of-a-kind keynote speech, providing a new narrative on sustainability. Mac is an international speaker, writer, and change-maker. Mentored by indigenous people over many years, he has acquired profound and original insights into questions preoccupying many contemporary leaders. Mac seeks to encourage the emergence of the leader in each of us, the leader who will take courageous action for a better world. Mac intends to make you feel that the time is right to put all of your competence and brilliance towards the pursuit of what you truly love: that better future.

Six Innovations that will change the Industry
If you’re after new ways to make your event, festival or business more sustainable, then be sure not to skip this part of ADE Green. Using the festivals' flexible water and energy grids as testing grounds, Innofest invites green entrepreneurs and inventors to test their innovations at real, working festival sites. The six most promising of these start-ups have been selected to present their innovations at ADE Green. This year’s innovations include circular water solutions by Semilla Sanitation Hubs, mobile sun power stations by Volta Energy and gamification to improve waste separation by E-waste Arcades. They’re all ready-to-go-innovations, with a test record to prove it. So walk in, meet their makers and start making an impact at your event! Or, if you are an innovator yourself, we still have a wildcard up for grabs; register here for a chance to present your own innovation at ADE Green 2019.

Workshops: Sustainable Event Management and Resource Plans and “Designing out” Event Waste
Last but not least, ADE Green will feature two hands-on workshops. The first is led by Douwe Luijnenburg who will make his proven track record in event sustainability count. In this hour session, he will provide a practical how-to guide for event organizers, giving you insight into how to transform your practice. From simple but effective first steps to grand long-term vision, you can be assured that all his recommendations are grounded in experience and eminently achievable for operators on all scales. Next up is a 1,5-hour intimate session that’s by invitation only, for a total of 12 attendees, during which you’ll create a resource plan for your own event according to circular principles. The session is hosted by Leonie Boon, aka The Recycle Queen, as she has been dubbed after 15 years of experience with waste management in the festival industry. She would love to share her knowledge and guide you towards a circular and future-proof festival, according to the well-known but harder-to-achieve mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle. Apply here.

ADE Green features international keynote speakers, food for thought in combination with practical hands-on workshops and a range of panels on different topics. The conference takes place at DeLaMar Theater on Friday October 18th.