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13 February 2007

BRISTOL PREPARES TO ACCOMMODATE 20,000
ETHICAL DELEGATES FOR NEW VEGAN FESTIVAL

With all the talk about environmental footprints and ethical lifestyles there has probably never been a better time to launch an International Environmental and Ethical Lifestyle Festival. But this has not been an easy task for organizer Tim Barford from Bristol based Hemp food company Yaoh; "We are planning for up to 20,000 people which is 3-4 times the number who've attended previous vegan fayres" says Tim.

At previous festivals Yaoh have found it challenging sourcing enough suitable accommodation for all the exhibitors, speakers and visitors. This year the festival, formerly known as the Bristol Vegan Fayre, has doubled in size over 2 days and has many new attractions such as live bands, a fashion show, a floating bar and a Hemp Expo. It's expected that more visitors will come from outside the Bristol area, including overseas. The event is expected to be particularly popular with Americans where veganism is already a popular lifestyle option.

The organisers of the International Environmental and Ethical Lifestyle Festival approached Destination Bristol for help in finding suitable venues in Bristol for a potential 15,000 vegetarians and vegans descending on Bristol for the world's biggest ever Vegan Festival. The event is set to be staged at Waterfront Square on June 9th and 10th shortly after National Vegetarian Week in May (also set to be the biggest ever). The show organisers may need to find over 10,000 spaces for speakers, performers, exhibitors, nutritionists and visitors who have above average expectations of vegan food.

Helen Davies, Manager of Conference Bristol, part of Destination Bristol said, "We were delighted to be approached by organisers of the Bristol Vegan Fayre to assist in sourcing their accommodation for what is a wonderful event for Bristol. An on-line accommodation booking system has been set up especially for the festival, providing attendees with an efficient way of selecting and researching a hotel specific to their needs and a quick and easy booking procedure"

Tony Bishop-Weston from Foods for Life said, "Destination Bristol has been invaluable in helping us with this mammoth task and have been working hard to research facilities and match them with our delegates specific ethical needs". The ex-hotelier continued; "We think there's an opportunity for the local tourism industry to cash in on this market - many cultural groups such as Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, Jews and Rastafarian ital followers also look to vegan food to help comply with their dietary preferences and there are so many great visitor attractions nearby to make a short break very attractive"

Last year Asda, Morrisons and Marks & Spencer got involved, this year the Vegetarian Society are rumoured to be secretly planning a full flush with backing from their patron Sir Paul McCartney. Meanwhile the Bristol based Vegetarian and Vegan Foundation have big plans for National Vegetarian Week too.

Current market trends research shows that more people than ever before are eating vegetarian and also actively avoiding dairy - meanwhile all the signs are that sales of new foods such as hemp oil, hulled hemp seed, hemp protein and Yaoh's new Hemp milk maker are going through the roof. There is even a sugar free hempseed chocolate bar.

There are now many high profile vegans. A vegan has just won the UK Savate Kick Boxing Championship Title, vegans such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Moby, Benjamin Zephaniah, James Cromwell, Morrisey, Joaquin Pheonix, Bryan Adams, Alicia Silverstone, Woody Harrelson and a host of new vegan cookbooks have all helped raise the profile of the benefits of a vegan diet over recent years.

Concern over the environment is said to be a major factor for new converts.

ENDS
Notes to Editor:
 Those wishing to book accommodation for The Vegan Festival will need to go onto www.conferencebookings.co.uk, and where it says 'New Reservation' delegates will need to enter the code BRSVEGAN2007.

 Conference Bristol in addition to their accommodation booking service, also offers a free venue finding service to help event organisers source suitable venues for conferences, seminars and meetings within the Bristol area and can arrange site visits and provide materials for delegate packs, they can be contacted on 0117 946 2200 or e-mailed at conference@destinationbristol.co.uk

 Destination Bristol, formerly the Bristol Tourism and Conference Bureau is a not for profit partnership between Bristol City Council and Business West. Destination Bristol is the destination management partnership for Bristol and South Gloucestershire and leads the marketing of the area as a travel destination. The aim of the organisation is to work with members and partners, to increase business competitiveness, support employment and economic growth, and raise the profile of the Bristol city-region as a European-class travel destination.

 Yaoh are a Bristol based company manufacturing hemp based food and cosmetic products. They also sell a unique Hemp milk maker. Tim Barford the owner has launched a number of Vegan initiatives in Bristol including the Vegan Guide to Bristol and five Bristol Vegan Fayres.

Useful websites:
www.bristolveganfayre.co.uk
www.visitbristol.co.uk
www.conference-bristol.co.uk

For more information please contact:
Kerrie Grist
Marketing Executive
Destination Bristol
Tel: 0117 946 2205
Email: kerrie.grist@destinationbristol.co.uk
Web: www.visitbristol.co.uk