Our Vision For The Future: DOTI Fest 2019
Producing a sustainable and accessible event
2019 is a big one here at Snook. It’s the 10-year anniversary of the business, and the 2-year anniversary of our Design on the Inside events, known to most as DOTI.
DOTI began because we felt that only the ‘hero’ stories of design were being told: at events, conferences and within teams. Instead, we wanted to champion transparency and honesty, to explore the everyday challenges that people, businesses, charities and governments face when designing a world where everyone can thrive. We brought people together across sectors, over DayOld pastries and coffee, to discuss such topics as designing for mental health, education and the housing crisis.
After 2 years of successful DOTI breakfasts, in the south and north, we are ready to go further.
This autumn (October 31st — let’s reclaim the day for good!) Snook will host DOTI Fest 2019: a day-long celebration of design for people, place and business.
It’s about values AND actions
But how do I fit in? My background is in events, festival production and creative workshop design and I’ve recently been brought on board to help coordinate DOTI fest. Earlier this year, I co-founded Split Banana, a social enterprise that delivers relevant and inclusive relationship and sex education programmes in schools.
Working for Snook has been an insight into business utopia; their values permeate through their work and their team, and their unique approach of solving systems issues through collaborative design is the way forward (not to mention I have female founder inspo).
From the start, accessibility and sustainability were named as values right at the heart of DOTI Fest. It’s been my job to ensure that from design to delivery, from food to decor, from audience to speakers: we’ve considered our choices and supply chains. We want to put on an event that won’t cost the earth, and is good for people, and the future.
Sustainable DOTI Fest
We have carefully chosen Oval Space as our hosting venue and we’re so excited about it. Their mission aligns with ours: to become one of the most environmentally-conscious organisations in the country. As of 31st July 2019, the venue has been plastic-free. We’ll be reminding our guests to bring reusable water bottles to use throughout the day. Plus the venue is close to transport links and we’ll be promoting cycling as our chosen method of transport.
We want DOTI Fest to be beautiful, but not disposable. All of our venue decor has had a life before, and it will have a life after. The DOTI Fest programme will be available to digitally download for those who want to save on paper, and our physical programmes double up as a take-home poster. The rest of our merch has been carefully chosen…I don’t want to give too much away but there might be some planting involved…
As part of the ticket price, we provide a light breakfast, hot drinks, and a fresh street-food lunch. All our ingredients are veggie and vegan and we will be going cow’s milk-free for the day.
Accessible DOTI Fest
We know that attending events like these aren’t possible for all. Alongside ticket sales, we run an inclusion programme, where 10% of tickets will be allocated to those who face a barrier to attending. We’ve advertised this on our website, social media and have sent it directly to local community groups and social enterprises working with vulnerable and marginalised people. We also offer significant discounts to students and charities.
Oval Space is wheelchair accessible and we’ve been lucky enough to have support from an inclusion advisor, who has offered insight into preparation for the day. We’ll also be providing an arts and crafts creche, for those who’d like to bring their little’uns, so they can have fun while you do.
It’s important to us that DOTI Fest emulates the world we want to live in, and shows people that it’s not about sacrifice, but about collaboration and providing exciting alternatives. Not only should we be designing for a better world, but we should be living actions every day that contribute to it, and at DOTI Fest, we can.
There are a limited number of Early Bird tickets on sale until 27th September. Check our website for more information on line-up and details for the day.
If you have any thoughts on how to make DOTI Fest accessible and sustainable, please get in touch with doti@wearesnook.com. It’s a conversation, and we’re listening.
