Green is the New Gold: Meet the Sustainability Trailblazers of FestForums® 2026!
By: Holly Owen, FestForums® | March 18, 2026
Photo by Chris Jensen, Sustainability at Festivals Discussion at FestForums® 2026 | Santa Barbara, CA
Sustainability has always been at the heart of the festival industry's evolution, and this year's FestForums® panel brought together some of the most forward-thinking voices in the space. The conversation was electric - here's a closer look at the incredible panelists who took the stage.
Meet Ron Dorfman, Founder and CEO of Skywell
Ron Dorfman is the founder and CEO of Skywell, A tech company that has developed innovative technology that produces clean, pure, fresh drinking water from nothing more than air, no pipes, no chemicals, no plastics, and no delivery trucks.
Beyond the hardware, Skywell has also developed a cloud-based sustainability reporting platform that calculates and reports in real time the sustainability metrics associated with the use of their equipment, think of it as a live sustainability scoreboard for events. Ron also co-founded the International Safe Drinking Water Alliance, cementing his commitment to global water access far beyond the festival world.
At FestForums® 2026, Skywell parked their mobile hydration truck along with hydration stations collecting water from the air straight to your drinking cup! It can be powered by traditional grid power or renewable energy sources for enhanced sustainability practices and off-grid drinking water coverage. It’s also ideal for outdoor placements requiring high-volume drinking capacities and ease of mobility and movement.
Meet Vivian Belzaguy, Director of Sustainability at Ultra Music Festival
As Director of Sustainability at Ultra Music Festival, Vivian Belzaguy is the driving force behind one of the most decorated green programs in the live events industry.
Ultra Music Festival’s ‘Mission: Home’ sustainability program reaffirms its stature as a global leader in environmental responsibility, earning impressive accolades from both international and statewide organizations.
Mission: Home has educated 8.2 million people worldwide, diverted nearly 400,000 pounds of waste from landfills, and donated more than 84,000 pounds of food, beverages, and supplies back to the community. Ultra also became the first U.S. festival of its scale in over a decade to earn the prestigious "Greener Festival" certification, cementing the festival's place as a true global leader in sustainable events.
Learn more about Mission: Home here.
Meet Zoe Berman, Chief Operating Officer at Sound Future
Zoe Berman is the COO of Sound Future, a nonprofit that turns live events into a force for environmental good.
Their flagship program, Surf & Turf, is a first-of-its-kind global initiative that makes it easy for events to fund local restoration projects that rebuild ecosystems and track progress through satellite imagery. Rather than waiting for environmental disasters to strike, Sound Future empowers events to take proactive climate action, proving that festivals don't just have the power to entertain, they have the power to heal the planet too.
Meet Will Shares, Founder of The Ecology Dept.
Will Shares is the founder of The Ecology Dept., a company he created to shine a much-needed spotlight on the environmental foundations of festival production. With a background in creativity and entertainment media, Will built The Ecology Dept. to lead the way in bringing emphasis to this often overlooked but foundational area of festival ecology. His work sits at the intersection of culture and conservation, helping event producers understand that a festival's ecological footprint isn't an afterthought, it's a core part of the experience.
Lock In 2026 Pricing by April 1st, 2026!
Don’t miss your chance to be part of the FestForums® community! Secure your partnership by April 1st, 2026 and lock in 2026 pricing before rates increase. Whether you’re an exhibitor, sponsor, or industry partner, this is your opportunity to connect with the most influential voices in live events at a rate that works for you. Reach out today to claim your spot and pricing — this offer won’t last long!
About FestForums®
FestForums® is the B2B live gathering for festival producers, organizers, and industry leaders to learn and network all in one place. The conference includes various panels, exhibitors, awards, concerts, and parties galore — all presented in a relaxing, convivial environment. We discuss technology, sustainability, safety, wellness, marketing, operations, and many more topics, with mixers and a trade show designed to cultivate networking in beautiful Santa Barbara.