Holly at WOMAD
As a new addition to the EcoEvents team, I was delighted to be able to take part in the set up and execution of WOMAD 2008. The sun shone for the duration, providing the perfect setting for what was a vastly successful and wonderful event.
Alongside a few typical general merchandise stalls, the festival was packed with many curious and intriguing alternative stalls, arts and crafts, as well as many delicious varieties of food and drink, which was dominated by an impressive array of vegetarian, organic and fairtrade produce (of which I made my way around the majority!). In addition to the main arena, a little haven of calm and shade was provided by the Wellbeing area. This wooded area was dotted with many different therapy tents; available treatments ranged from a full body Thai massage, to shiatsu, reflexology and gong baths! The family and kids area was beautifully set out in a large clover field, with entertainment and a large family oriented camping area.
What I found most impressive was the ability of the festival to cater for all ages and tastes; whether you were looking for a quiet family weekend or up for hardcore partying, everyone could be satisfied without hampering the ability of others to also achieve their weekend objectives. Quite a feat of organisation and planning!
On the ‘eco’ side, all traders were provided with recycling facilities and the site had an abundance of accessible recycling bins, waste water from showers was used to dampen the pebble track encircling the main arena to prevent dust and many of the cleaning products came from Ecover. Whilst there are still large areas that could be improved to enhance the festival’s green credentials, it was great to see some measures being effectively taken. Something to work on for next year……