RECORD OF NOTTM GREEN FESTIVAL MEETING
Held at Sumac Centre 18 Jan 2015. Patrick chairing.
Present: Moby (Skills Exchange); Lynda (Forest Fields Community work); Patrick (Veggies); John (Green Fest); Jeremy (Green Fest); Bob & Chris (ExLibris); Pauline (Palestine Solidarity); Ian (CoOp); Dave (Lord Biro); Sally Anne & Neil (Green Emporium).
Apologies from Jane (Greenpeace): Walt (Party Power); Margret (Women’s Environmental Network).
Since last meeting, a letter to existing supporters was written by Patrick and distributed by John. It gave all details existing currently, including date and place, contact addresses (electronic and post) and requests for donations, with bank details.
Location – Arboretum, 6 September preferred. John stated date pencilled in by Arbo events team. Firm booking can follow only after site insurance and first aid are booked. A third condition is a comprehensive risk assessment – this already exists from previous years for the same location and event.
Group Communications – Pauline reported difficulty entering our website due to ‘site not secure’ notice. Patrick stated this most likely results from our provider’s not being expensively registered with a certification service, and is not evidence of actual internet hazard. Moby urged an explanation and reassurance be included. Our discussion group names list is separate from the public announcements list.
Funding
– one donation received so far.
– John stated Giac Romano, friendly food stall operator, offered some monetary assistance last year.
– Overall spend has averaged £6000 to 6700. Of this, £5000 was direct grant and around £1500 was income from stall booking fees.
– First aid usually cost £620 including on-site assistance (even including safety patrols by bike). The commercial operator was found preferable to the volunteer nature of traditional first-aid organisations, which in some years were unable to appear.
– Necessary expenses also include portaloo (£150) and various licences (£125).
– The Arboretum is an Alcohol-Free Zone, but many attenders bring canned drink – so a ‘Temporary Entertainment Notice’ is needed to cover various zones on the site, and number of attenders with drinks.
Advertising has been largest single item in Greenfest budget, costing £2000 to £2250 in Nottm Evening Post and its spinoff publications.
– Jeremy reported many, probably most, attenders heard about Greenfest by this means. No other public outdoor events have tried to do without it.
– Patrick urged looking at sponsored ads. We have sometimes had an article in the Post.
– Notts TV now exists (FV Channel 8) and might be used for ads and/or features.
– General agreement to use media opportunities for a ‘we need money’ call.
– Bus and Poster ads can be researched (perhaps by Helen Ross of Green Partnership?). Could electronic bus-stop signs publicise, as they did for the ‘Feeding of the 5000’ project recently?
Advertising and promotion ideas suggested
… Left Lion paper (now monthly)
… Broadway (Green theme week, Festival tie-in, monthly leaflet)
… Twitter accounts
… Radio stations (Faza, Kemet = Christine, Radio Dawn = Ash Chaudry)
… New Art Exchange (options including film)
… Nottm Contemporary Gallery
… Electronic bulletins, inc. Partnership Council, Renewal Trust
… Logo sponsorship on posters, flyers etc.
– Moby noted West Bridgford eco-houses support a local eco-project, and various members, including small firms, might advertise, promote or donate to Greenfest.
– Giac Romano‘s help to past Greenfests was praised by Patrick and John.
– Patrick reported a grant bid to Lush will be prepared. John stated they turned down Greenfest in 2014, amicably, due to the volume of similar bids by other events. Patrick: local Lush stores reserve right to pursue their own initiatives.
– Jeremy thought Greenfest promo/appeal stalls might be taken at other events, also to canvass potential stallholders.
– Moby bids for Nottm City Council money for local events – she saw unpursued opportunities for communication between Notts Energy Usage and Climate Change project. Patrick notes forthcoming Climate March.
Patrick emphasised that the essential part of the budget is that covering insurance and site safety conditions.
Universities agreed as useful contacts, impeded by ever-changing population. Ian noted a 2014 conference on the Public University ethic, aiming to escape the pervasive corporate culture.
Sally urged Green Energy projects be involved.
– Bob now works for EcoTricity who might help.
John stated Greenfest’s essentials need £2500 – other items are variables.
Ian reported his approaches to CoOp sections: Energy (no response yet), East Midlands, Central England and Phone CoOp.
– Chris: could Supporters’ Stall pay some more, to support Greenfest?
– Patrick urged a stall rates review, and the recent rates were studied. He felt earlier notice would draw more bookings.
– Ian noted Sponsorship stall rates are quite common elsewhere. He will contact Green Technology Network, Nottm Energy Partnership, Climate Action Network (Caroline Herman).
– Moby noted Councillors’ budgets of about £3000 each are sometimes underspent. Area Committees are, however, monetarily poor.
– Ian saw hope still of help from Nottm City Council due to its aim to be a green city.
– Chris noted T4 Solar Energy Installers as another possible source of help.
– Sally felt adverts on website potentially lucrative. Walt sent word on a suggested web designer.
Discussion took place about vehicle movements on the Arboretum grass surface, an issue provoking a City Councillor’s hostility. Jeremy understands we are the last Arboretum event allowing participants to take their vehicles onto the grass. Goose Fair uses metal ground protection, but the Forest Rec. Ground is flat.
Patrick announced Veggies Crew have agreed to guarantee the entire cost of Nottm Green Festival, confident that the fund-finders will raise the required funds. John proposed the sincerest thanks to Veggies Committee for their decision. A vote of thanks was endorsed by attenders to the present meeting.
Other issues – Grow Your Own Festival, the annual event created in connection with Nottingham in Bloom, is to occur in September on Woodthorpe Park. [Linda has since confirmed that it is set for Saturday 5th Sept and so does NOT clash with Greenfest. It would be a potential promo opportunity: ‘Green Fest Tomorrow’]
Concern that school holiday could impede publicity was lessened by the confirmation that Nottm schools actually return on Sept 1st.
Chris requested a list of exclusion-inclusion criteria.
The current list given to participants concentrates on practical site regulations.
Moby urged that more play facilities be provided, seeming to have thinned-out recently. John stated money as the sole problem. Dave recommended the band Johnny & The Raindrops as a good children’s attraction.
Other events:
– Sally noted Felbrigg Hall Green Fest (Norfolk) does clash on Sep 6th. Its distance makes the clash more relevant to stallholders than visitors.
– Belper Green Fest = May 30th (possible Nottm promo?)
– Greenlight Festival Leicester = spring 2015 … when?
DATE OF NEXT MEETING agreed Sunday 8th Feb, 4pm prompt.