First carbon-neutral Horseracing Industry Conference takes place with high-profile delegates in attendance

26 Oct 2023

Delegates from across the racing industry attended the first carbon-neutral Horseracing Industry Conference at York Racecourse on Tuesday, October 24, which was delivered by the Racing Foundation and University of Liverpool Management School.

Over 250 delegates from across the industry registered for the event: from racecourse representatives to racehorse trainers, funders to charities and racing schools to suppliers. The cross-section of British racing and the wider sporting landscape attendees engaged with keynote talks from specialists and experts from within and outside of the sport.

When developing the agenda for this year’s conference, the Racing Foundation and University of Liverpool Management School did so with the belief that in order to discuss the future of the sport, it was imperative to engage younger audiences and make their voices heard. Each agenda item featured a ‘next generation panellist’ who represented the next generation of racing’s fan base and workforce. Complimentary delegate tickets were offered to under 25-year-olds to encourage engagement and debate with the challenges and opportunities discussed at the conference.

Environmental sustainability was embedded into the conference this year not only through its inclusion on the agenda, but by its sustainable practices. The conference used reusable signage, encouraged delegates to travel by train, collected carbon data and used a digital-only brochure and lanyards made from recycled bottles, replacing traditional plastic name badges. A lunch using produce from the York area was also served as the Racing Foundation and University of Liverpool Management School addressed all aspects of environmental impact in delivering the event. The carbon used will be offset using an approved scheme.

Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Commercial Committee David Jones kicked off the conference with the keynote address, offering a commercial view of the forthcoming industry strategy and stressing the importance of significant innovations through collaboration.

The Racing Product agenda item kicked off with Racing League founder Jeremy Wray delivering the importance of trying new ideas within the sport of racing and calling for more data and more technology to capture the next generation of racing fans. He said that while we haven’t managed to engage millennials or Gen Z with the sport yet, there is still hope and still time to win their attention.

Vikram Banerjee is Director of Business Operations at the England and Wales Cricket Board. Instrumental in the delivery of cricket’s modernised format, The Hundred, Vikram talked about changing preconceptions of cricket as an elitist sport and how the ECB broadened cricket’s appeal and engaged families with young children.

Equine Breeding: Past, Present and Future was the first session after lunch. Vice-Chair and Veterinary Chair of the International Thoroughbred Breeders’ Federation Dr Des Leadon delivered an educational keynote talk on the history of thoroughbred breeding and the integrity of the breed. In keeping with the conference structure of considering the wider sporting landscape, breeding specialists James Crabtree and Fred Barrelet then explored equine breeding techniques in the non-thoroughbred, reflecting on the benefits and negatives of using such techniques in sports such as showjumping and polo.

Ruth Dancer is the Director of White Griffin who delivered the racing industry’s sustainability assessment results and recommendations in 2022 and for the second year delivered a keynote talk at the Horseracing Industry Conference. After giving an update and insight into best practice across various industry sectors, Dancer posed the question: Where are you in your journey? Subsequently encouraging delegates to educate themselves, get started, talk about what they’re doing and celebrate every single sustainability win.

Football followed Dancer’s talk. Ben Fisher, Environmental Sustainability Officer of the English Football League, talked about the power of sport to engage communities in the area of environmental sustainability, its connection to social aim, and the opportunity to use sustainability to leverage fan buy-in.

The final item of the day was the industry leadership panel. Its aim was to offer all delegates the opportunity to quiz racing’s decision makers in an open forum. Keynote address David Jones was joined by Claire Sheppard (Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Chief Executive), Charlie Liverton (Chief Executive of the Racehorse Owners Association), Dale Gibson (interim CEO of the Professional Jockeys Association), Jemma Marshall (President of the National Association of Stable staff), Neil Hayward (Chair the Industry People Boar) and David Armstrong (Racecourse Association Chief Executive). They joined conference host and broadcaster Rishi Persad onstage to answer questions from the audience. The discussion included data, training and retaining the industry’s workforce and community engagement for racecourses.

Rhi Lee-Jones, Head of Communications and Events at the Racing Foundation, said:

“It was fantastic to see such a strong delegate list at the 2023 Horseracing Industry Conference, with a number of attendees either Chief Executives or Chairs of racing organisations. This allowed for some very effective networking for all delegates across the industry.

“The conference is only as strong as its speakers and I would like to extend a huge thank you to all the industry experts who joined us onstage as well as Vikram Banerjee from the England and Wales Cricket Board and Ben Fisher from the English Football League who so generously offered their time in order for delegates to learn from their insights.

“York Racecourse was our venue of choice for the 2023 event due to their commitment to environmental sustainability and ability to support the delivery of a carbon-neutral conference.

“From providing a locally-sourced lunch, to recycling points and sustainable waste management, they did a sterling job of supporting our aim of keeping the quality of the event first-rate whilst reducing its impact on the planet.

“I would encourage any event managers in the British horseracing Industry to contact me if they would like to discuss ideas to make their events more sustainable.

“Finally, I’d like to thank the whole team at the Racing Foundation and University of Liverpool Management School who successfully delivered the sixth Horseracing Industry Conference to such a high standard.”

For more information about future Racing Foundation events, please sign up to the newsletter at racingfoundation.co.uk/news.

The event gallery can be viewed here.

For support in delivering a low-impact event in the British racing industry, please contact Rhi Lee-Jones via the submission form