Inspiring conversations with thought leaders.
CEF’s podcast ‘InsideEvents’ invites inspiring people and thought leaders to talk about hot topics; cutting-edge research and science; share stories of success and failure; and interrogate some of the pressing issues and biggest challenges we face across the event and festival industry.
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Glastonbury is famous for its iconic music, mud-soaked fields, and festival spirit—but could it also be a blueprint for surviving the climate crisis? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan talks with climate scientist Dr Richard Betts about how major festivals like Glastonbury are becoming microcosms of our global environmental challenges. From renewable energy and green transport to heat adaptation and eco-activism, festivals are experimenting with real-world climate solutions. Together, they unpack whether these spaces of joy and escape can also drive serious environmental change. Are audiences and organisers doing enough? Should ticketing come with a green travel contract? And what can cities learn from Glastonbury’s sustainability model? Tune in for a thought-provoking look at the future of events in a warming world—and why “edutainment” might be our best bet yet.
Sustainability | Climate Change | Resilience | Behaviour Change
Guest: Dr Richard Betts MBE, University of Exeter (UK)
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London 2012 promised to be a game-changer for disability rights. But over a decade on, how much really changed? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan is joined by Dr Verity Postlethwaite to critically examine the legacy of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. While the event broke new ground in integrating Olympic and Paralympic agendas and spotlighted elite parasport, many disabled people argue that everyday barriers remain—if not worsened. Verity unpacks the social model of disability, the role of government austerity, and why meaningful change depends on more than visibility. Together, they explore how event planning, policy, and community engagement must evolve to better serve disabled populations beyond sport. If you're interested in how mega-events promise—and often fail—to deliver social impact, this is a must-listen. Discover what London 2012 got right, what it missed, and what’s needed to make legacy more than just a buzzword.
Legacy | Inequality | Social Model | Participation
Guest: Dr Verity Postlethwaite, Loughborough University (UK)
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What turns a vibrant crowd into a deadly one—and how can we stop it from happening again? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan speaks with crowd safety expert Dr Alison Hutton to unpack some of the most devastating crowd disasters, including Astroworld and the Love Parade. Through the lens of “cooperative crowding,” Alison explores how shared responsibility, environmental design, and real-time coordination can transform chaos into calm. Drawing on decades of experience in health, festivals, and emergency planning, she challenges the siloed thinking that undermines safety, and calls for new risk frameworks and stronger communication between organisers, medics, performers, and security. This conversation is essential for anyone working in events and festivals—where getting safety right isn’t just a legal duty, it’s a moral one. Learn how crowd psychology, pre-event planning, and creative risk management can help protect lives without crushing the spirit that makes live events so electrifying.
Risk Prevention | Crowd Behaviour | Integrated Planning
Guest: Dr Alison Hutton, Western Sydney University (Australia)
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When most people think of Pride, they picture city parades, big-name sponsors, and rainbow-soaked streets. But a quieter revolution is unfolding across the rural US—from Pikeville, Kentucky to small towns in Arizona—where LGBTQ+ communities are claiming space, visibility, and belonging in powerful ways. In this episode, Dr Michael Duignan speaks with Dr Beck Banks, whose research explores the rise and impact of small-town Pride festivals. Together, they uncover how these grassroots gatherings challenge metronormativity, resist far-right hostility, and build lasting community infrastructure—from youth programs to food drives. With stories of drag, danger, and deep resilience, Beck shows how rural prides disrupt tired stereotypes and remind us that queer life exists—and thrives—far beyond city limits. This conversation is a celebration of queer courage in unexpected places and a call to action for allies, funders, and organisers to support LGBTQ+ communities where they’re most overlooked, yet most needed.
Visibility | Metronormativity | Belonging | Community-Building
Guest: Dr Beck Banks, Warren Wilson College (USA)
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The Paralympics are often praised for inspiring a generation, but does watching elite athletes with disabilities actually get more people moving? In this episode, Dr Mike Duignan speaks with Dr. Chris Brown to unpack the complex realities behind this popular narrative. Drawing on a decade of research, they explore whether the demonstration and festival effects really drive participation, or whether deeper systemic and social barriers remain unaddressed. From the legacy of London 2012 to the superhuman stereotype and the growing influence of cyborgification in Paralympic sport, they tackle tough questions around inclusion, representation, and impact. Dr. Brown calls for tailored approaches, cross-sector collaboration, and treating the Games as a catalyst—not a cure. This is essential listening for sport developers, policymakers, and event organisers who want to do more than just celebrate difference—they want to enable it.
Participation | Leveraging | Empower | Representation | Inclusion
Guest: Dr Chris Brown, University of Hertfordshire (UK)
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How can major sporting events genuinely serve the communities that need them most? In this powerful episode, Dr Mike Duignan is joined by Dr Shushu Chen to explore a question too often ignored: what do global mega-events mean for socioeconomically deprived communities—and what should they mean? Drawing on years of research and real-world insights from events like London 2012 and Birmingham 2022, Shushu challenges the assumption that “legacy” automatically means inclusive benefit. Instead, she calls for a rethinking of who we plan for, who we listen to, and who gets left in the shadows. From regeneration trade-offs to the promise of strategic alliances and post-event enhancement funds, this conversation lays bare the complexities, contradictions, and possibilities of using events as tools for social inclusion. Honest, urgent, and hopeful—this is essential listening for anyone shaping the future of events.
Mega-events | Inclusion | Deprived communities | Legacy
Guest: Dr Shushu Chen, University of Birmingham (UK)
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What really happens when things go wrong at a live event—and how do professionals decide what to do next? In this episode, Dr. Claire Drakeley reveals why decision-making at events is more complex, creative, and consequential than most people realise. Drawing from her PhD research and years of frontline experience, Claire explores the psychological and practical dynamics of making high-stakes calls under pressure. From routine issues to near-emergencies, she introduces a new framework that goes beyond gut instinct and helps professionals make better, faster, and more accountable decisions. A must-listen for anyone serious about events and their impact.
Decision-making | Live events | Risk | Uncertainty | Psychology | Professionalisation
Guest: Claire Drakeley, University of Northampton (UK).
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In this episode, Dr. Brian McCullough unpacks the environmental blind spots of major sports tournaments, using March Madness as a case in point. With 80% of emissions linked to fan and team travel—often ignored in official assessments—he challenges the sustainability claims of neutral-site models. We explore whether regionalization could be a realistic solution, what women's tournaments can learn, and how fans, organizers, and institutions must all rethink their roles. From Scope 3 emissions to ISO 20121, this episode confronts sport’s inconvenient truth: loving the game doesn’t mean ignoring its climate cost.
Sport event sustainability | Scope 3 emissions | Fan travel | Regionalization | Tournament design
Guest: Dr Brian McCullough, University of Michigan (USA).
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The Olympics promise legacy—but who actually benefits? In this compelling episode, Dr. Judith Mair joins Dr. Michael Duignan to explore the complex realities behind Olympic-led urban transformation, focusing on Tokyo 2020 and the road ahead to Brisbane 2032. From gentrification and displacement to truth-making and indigenous inclusion, they interrogate the disconnect between promised legacies and lived experiences. Judith challenges tokenistic consultation, reveals governance blind spots, and argues for grassroots-first approaches to legacy. If you're tired of polished Olympic PR and want to understand what really shapes host cities, this conversation pulls back the curtain.
Olympic legacy | Urban development | Gentrification | Community consultation | Brisbane 2032
Guest: Dr Judith Mair, University of Queensland (Australia)
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In this gripping episode, Dr. Gjoko Muratovski joins Dr. Michael Duignan to explore how the 1936 Berlin Olympics became one of the most powerful exercises in political propaganda in modern history. We unpack how Nazi Germany orchestrated the Games to manipulate global perception, influence international diplomacy, and lay the foundations for today’s mega-event spectacles. From torch relays and architectural grandeur to the dark art of image-making, this conversation uncovers troubling parallels between past and present. What lessons does Berlin 1936 still hold—and how can we decode the hidden messages behind today’s sporting showcases?
Propaganda | Olympics | Nationalism | Imaging | Soft Power
Guest: Dr Gjoko Muratovski, Deakin University (Australia).
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Dr. Trudy Barber joins Michael Duignan to explore the provocative future of live music in an era of avatars, AI, and virtual performance. From ABBA Voyage to sex robots, holograms to immersive gigs, Barber draws on decades of digital experimentation to ask whether we’re witnessing a radical reinvention—or the slow demise—of live music's soul. They unpack nostalgia, authenticity, cyberpsychology, and the uncanny valley, all while interrogating the ethics and creativity of AI-driven cultural production. A must-listen for anyone curious about how technology is reshaping not just music, but what it means to be human.
Holograms | Live music events | Authenticity | Digital culture
Guest: Dr Trudy Barber, University of Portsmouth (UK)