Blue Earth Summit ’23 Inspires, Captivates and Motivates Change
“I can honestly say that the Blue Earth Summit is different. A standout event bringing people together to build a more positive future for our planet, it captivates and motivates attendees — leaving you feeling positive, inspired and eager to drive change.” – Ubuntu Studio
From 11-13th October, the city of Bristol became a hub of innovative thinking, transformative dialogues, and purpose-driven enthusiasm as it played host to the Blue Earth Summit. Drawing over 5,000 attendees from diverse sectors, the summit was held at two inspiring locations, The Propyard and The Wave.
The Blue Earth Summit isn’t just another business gathering. It’s a potent fusion of passion for the environment, the optimism of forward-thinking individuals, and the dedication of businesses to create a world where people, profit, and the planet coexist harmoniously.
With a unique emphasis on the inspiration from the great outdoors, the event embodies the spirit of positive change, urging businesses to pave a better way forward.
Historian David Olusoga OBE set the tone for the event from the start as he laid out the untold history of the outdoors and explained how businesses and community organizers can avoid the mistakes of the past and build a better – and more inclusive – future together.
For headline speaker Ben Goldsmith, the Blue Earth Summit stands out as an essential event: “For anyone working on the most important set of issues of our time, the Blue Earth Summit is a must.”.
Will Hayler, co-founder of Blue Earth Summit, reflected on the event’s significance: “We are on a mission to transform the way the world works. To reach our goals, we must work across industries to reduce our collective negative impact. This transformative approach is good for business and it’s essential for our planet. We have learnt a lot at this year’s event but overall feel affirmed that there is a space for Blue Earth bringing together vital conversations, connections and action. We are already thinking about the next Blue Earth event!”
It’s not just the stages where the magic happens. The sidelines of the summit buzzed with conversations, brainstorming sessions, and networking, creating a space where ideas flourished and new partnerships were born. Designer Jordan Wright captured this sentiment perfectly, stating, “The magic is found in between. The conversations that happen in between are where ideas flourish and innovative solutions are born.”
The summit’s eclectic audience ranged from entrepreneurs and C-suite executives to academics and young enthusiasts, from seasoned environmentalists to adventurous souls.
“I’m hugely impressed by the array of speakers,” said headline speaker Bevis Watts, Chief Executive of Triodos Bank UK. Watts has spent his whole career working in sustainability in public, private and voluntary sectors and says “Clearly there is huge demand and energy for people to develop the solutions we need to the climate crisis and nature’s restoration. Gatherings like this are important because we are only ever going to solve the existential crisis we face by working in partnership. So Bringing together all sorts of people from different walks of life with different expertise is hugely important and I’ve already met and made some wonderful connections at Blue Earth Summit. “
Danielle Mulder is a Net Zero and nature sustainability expert with more than 20 years of experience. She is the BBC’s Group Director of Sustainability and was one of the headline speakers at this year’s event She said “Blue Earth has a positive buzz around it. It’s important to be a collective and come together on issues.We need to learn from each other and talk to each other”. Her main message was for people to “get involved, do something, and take action.”
The summit also received praise for its mix of activities, the caliber of attending startups, and the sheer energy it brought to the environmental cause. The Pitch Tent yet again transformed conversation into action with new investment in progressive start-ups. More than 400 impact investors attended the event in search of positive companies to support with over £10 billion in investable funds.
Post-event feedback is still coming in but already it has revealed attendees’ appreciation for the dynamic event setup, which is a deviation from conventional conference formats. Charles Watson, founder and chair of River Action UK, shared, “Great event; excellent speakers and concentration of leaders from across the environmental world; real energy in the venue; unique venue space defines the event – so much more dynamic than a conventional conference venue.”
As the curtains closed on this year’s event, it was evident that the Blue Earth Summit has set the pace for purpose-led business, propelling forward with an agenda that promises positive change for the people and the planet. The road ahead looks promising, and the anticipation for the next Blue Earth event has already begun.
