Jarvis Cocker and Brian Eno to give keynote at Green Events and Innovations conference

Jarvis Cocker and Brian Eno are set to give keynote speech at Green Events and Innovations conference (GEI) later this month.

The conference explores how to develop sustainability in the live touring industry. Eno has previously headlined the event alongside Aurora and Jacob Collier.

This year’s event, GEI16, will feature a keynote conversation with Brian Eno that will be hosted by EarthPercent’s executive director, Cathy Runciman. Cocker will later take to the stage to present his “Biophobia”.

Claire O’Neill, CEO, A Greener Future – one of the organisers behind the event – said: “We are over the moon that Brian Eno and Jarvis Cocker will bring such a special experience to the GEI delegates this year.

“GEI, since its inception, has been about uniting the live community and beyond to make a better world for all of us. This is why we love the work of our charity partner EarthPercent and can’t wait to experience and share what we have in store next month.”

A press release says attendees can “expect the most cutting-edge discussions, engaging talks, and solutions for a greener event sector. A jam-packed programme will delve into the challenges of delivering green global events, from music to sports, with discussion topics such as transport, energy, food, equality, inclusivity and climate justice, contracts and sponsorship, set design & materials usage for circularity, and much more.”

GEI16 takes place on February 27 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel London. You can get tickets for the event here.

📣 EXCITING NEWS! 

Brian Eno (@brianeno ) & Jarvis Cocker (@welovepulp) Keynote Announced for #GEI16!

Curious to learn more about Brian and Jarvis? Check out our latest blog post and grab your GEI16 tickets today! 👉 https://t.co/Bex0mXR5w6 #GEI16Speakers #GEI16 #AGF pic.twitter.com/dQO2FxJryD

— A Greener Future (@agreenerfuture_) February 1, 2024

In 2022, Eno founded Earth Percent – a charity providing a simple way for the music industry to support the most impactful organisations addressing the climate emergency.

“We’ve been trying to say to people, ‘Look, if you want to find a simple way of joining the climate struggle, this might be the answer,” he said of the project in the past. “We’re a shortcut to a lot of things that otherwise might be fairly hard to do.”

He also released an exclusive collaboration with former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe on Earth Day that year called ‘Future If Future’ to draw attention towards the climate crisis.

Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour, placed an emphasis on environmental sustainability.

The tour’s eco-friendly measures include cutting direct emissions by 50 per cent compared to the band’s last tour in 2016 and 2017, using 100 per cent renewable energy and having solar installations at every venue.