top of page
Search

5. How to Start a Music Festival in the Wintertime with Nicolas Cournoyer (Legendary Co-Founder of Igloofest)



On this week’s episode of The Sustainable Kind Show, I sat down with Nicolas from the Igloofest team.

I didn't want to talk about DJ lineups. I wanted to talk about logistics. I wanted to know how you throw a world-class party when the ultimate Event Director, Mother Nature, is actively trying to freeze your equipment and bury your venue in snow.

Igloofest is a masterclass in production difficulty. And if you’re a creator, producer, or entrepreneur trying to build something sustainable in a hostile environment, you need to hear what Nicolas has to say...

The Value: Sustainability as an Extreme Sport

Let’s be honest: standard event production is usually an environmental disaster. The waste, the single-use builds, the massive power consumption, it’s a linear model on a finite planet.

Now, add sub-zero temperatures to that mix. Your challenges just doubled. Most producers facing that kind of friction would just crank up the diesel generators, buy cheap disposable gear, and hope for the best.

Nicolas and his team didn't take the easy route. They realized years ago that to keep the party going long-term, they had to respect the venue.

In this episode, we dive into the gritty reality of cold-weather sustainability. We talk about:

  • The Waste Audit Reality Check: How they manage tons of waste and were one of the first large events to champion renewable drinking cups and beverage holders.

  • The Energy Equation: Keeping everyone safe and show moving forward can be a challenging combo at a massive large scale event. Nicolas and I dive into how they ensure their events are looking after the crowd and creating a comfortable, memorable iconic experience in negative range weather.

  • Changing the Culture: igloofest is growing in their mission and geography, so we discuss how they've stayed at the forefront of leading the pact through memorable branding, massive bookings, and a major frozen headache dealing with winter.

The principles Nicolas uses to manage 50,000 attendees in a blizzard are the exact same principles you need to manage a sustainable film shoot: radical planning, minimizing single-use inputs, and having a deep respect for the environment you’re operating in.

Igloofest proves that "difficult" is not an excuse for "wasteful." If they can figure out how to be green at -20°C, we can certainly figure out how to film a corporate interview without generating a bag of trash.

🎧 Listen to the full episode with Nicolas on The Sustainable Kind Show here:


(Link to SPOTIFY TBC)

Connect with Nicolas Cournyer, Co-Founder of Igloofest

Connect with Alex Leonard, Founder of AL Media



Comments

bottom of page