The University of Westminster brought together academics and industry leaders for a panel discussion examining how the Creative and Cultural Industries (CCIs) and live cultural experiences can drive lasting change in environmental sustainability. This built upon ongoing work at the University’s Destinations and Experiences Research Centre (DEX) aimed at generating lasting impact in the tourism and events sectors.
The University of Westminster welcomed attendees from across industry and academia to Zone29, its new home for careers and enterprise, for a panel event titled Responsible Cultural Consumption and Production: From Creative Sustainable Practices to Lasting Impact. The event, which aimed to look at how cultural experiences and the events sector may contribute to sustainability and lasting societal change, forms a key part of Zone29’s mission to facilitate sustainable innovation and collaboration between a university and industry.
The discussion was inspired by two recent edited books on responsible consumption and production from the University of Westminster’s Dr Ilaria Pappalepore and Professor Elisa Salvador of ESSCA School of Management, Paris. It also built upon previous events hosted at the University of Westminster and the University of Sussex, developing interdisciplinary ideas around storytelling, transformative experiences and co-production with audiences, communities and stakeholders.
The event began with a welcome from Professor Andrew Smith, Professor of Urban Experiences and Co-Director of DEX, who introduced guests to the University’s new Zone29 building and research at DEX. Dr Pappalepore and Professor Salvador then gave a presentation about their books, where they introduced the concept of events as living labs for sustainable innovation and raised critical questions to inform the following panel discussion.
Presentation and panellists
Discussion then moved onto a panel event and Q&A session from expert speakers across the industry. This consisted of Ruth Hollis OBE, Consultant and former CEO of Spirit of 2012, the London 2012 legacy organisation that invested over £50 million in social impact through events; Dr Teresa Moore, Co-Founder of the Green Events and Innovations Conference and Director of A Greener Future, a not-for-profit company helping organisations, events, festivals and venues around the world to be more sustainable; Dr Ada Maria Barone, a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at Goldsmiths, University of London; and Dr Zafeirenia Brokalaki, a Lecturer in Marketing and Communication with a focus on markets, ethics and aesthetics at Queen Mary, University of London.
Overall, the discussion stressed the transformative potential of CCIs to expand ecological awareness, foster social inclusion and inspire behavioural and societal change. At the same time, it highlighted critical challenges related to measurement, scalability and legacy, calling for more integrated approaches that connect creative practice, policy frameworks and long-term evaluation.
Following the panel, attendees enjoyed a networking session to further discuss collaboration and development opportunities.
Dr Ilaria Pappalepore
Dr Ilaria Pappalepore, Reader in Events and Tourism at Westminster and co-organiser of the event, said: “It was wonderful to bring together colleagues, industry professionals and current and former students for an engaging and stimulating discussion on how responsible cultural consumption and production can move beyond short-term societal and environmental impacts. The panel speakers gave us lots of fascinating examples from their experience and challenged some stereotypes about sustainable consumption and production. It was also great to use the new space at Zone29 for the first time. I’d like to thank the speakers for their time, expertise and fantastic insights, and the University for hosting this event.”
This event directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, 12: Responsible Consumption and Production and 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about Tourism and Events Management courses at the University of Westminster.
Panellists Dr Zafeirenia Brokalaki (left) and Dr Teresa Moore (right)
Dr Ada Maria Barone (left) and Ruth Hollis OBE (right)
Audience
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