Association of Festival Organisers Conference 2018

The Agenda now includes...

Friday
- New Festivals Welcome - a chance for new festivals to say hello. Steve Heap (AFO)

- A 'New' Festival Story - Gill Tee (Black Deer Festival) talks about many years in the events business but her first for organising a festival.

- AFO Reception - join us for a glass on us to start the best networking opportunity of the year.

Saturday
- AFO opener - Steve Heap (AFO)

- Blue Planet Wake Up Call - Festivals must take responsibility for the waste they create! What will you tell your grandchildren about how we polluted their planet?...and this is what you can do.
Chris Johnson, (Powerful Thinking / Shambala Festival), Teresa Moore (A Greener Festival), Mary Corfield (Greenbelt Festival), Tim Benson (Smart Power Ltd), RAW Foundation, Mark Laurie (8th Plate), Liz Warwick, (Sustainability Consultant).

- A Load Of Wristbands (a ticket agency showcase) - What can ticket agencies offer you? This showcase is where you can pick the best deals.
Gigantic, Eventim, Ticket Arena, TicketSellers, The Ticket Factory, Future Ticketing and Chip & PIN Solutions.

- Can / Should Agents & Managers Help Sell The Ticket? - Joe Heap (Towersey Festival) puts the case that they should.
Joe Heap (Towersey Festival), Adam Slough (JSL Productions), Stew Simpson (Musician)

- And This Is What We Do With The Waste
Ben Cuthbertson (Grundon Event Service)

- The Beginner's Guide (A-Z of Festival Management) - Steve Heap (AFO) gives a career's worth of tips for the relatively new festival organiser.

- From A Shed in The Woods - A closer look at how Wild Rumpus arrived and now runs two very successful festivals.
Sarah Bird (JustSo Festival), Rowan Hoban (JustSo Festival)

- How Much Are You Really Worth? - Nick Morgan (CEO We Are The Fair) proposes that we are worth a lot more than THEY! or even US believe. Then - how will we prove it? - with research.
Nick Morgan (We Are The Fair), Caroline Jackson (Bournemouth University & EIF)

- Just Stick It In The Field - A site plan full of tips and ideas on how to make the most of your venue.
John Radford (JR Event Services), Tim Benson (Smart Power Ltd)

- And What If It's Cancelled? - Could be you, could be them, or could be a storm. And a brief look at GDPR. Phillip Day (Lacey's Solicitors)

- You Can't Run A Festival Here! - yes you can says Ian Pease (National Trust WoodFest)

- Selling The Ticket - still the toughest job.
David Jacobs (Festyvent) along with PR and Marketing managers.

- We Do It In The Town - A gathering of those with a town-based festival venue. What is Different? Is it better? And what do the Council think?

- The Colin Irwin Interview - The man who (with his friends) started the folk rock movement - Ashley Hutchings joins Colin (Guardian, music journalist and author) for a chat.

Sunday
- The AFO Round-tables - Legal with Jon Payne (LSL Solicitors), Insurance with Nick Smith (Graham Sykes Insurance), Funding with Anita Dinham (ACE), Improve your income with Glamping! with Tally Wade (OpenAir Business), Tara Wakeman (Hearthworks TIPIS), Sacha Massie (YOURTS for life), Hannah Batt (The Shire Huts), Lee Hawksworth (Glampit) Jodie Boyd (Pic'n'Mix Festival Kit)

- Crowd Care, Security & Volunteers - you have them all and you need to hear the latest rules, regs and good practice.
Mark Harding (UK Crowd Management / Showsec), Sue Torres (Wicked Events)

- PRS New Tariff - after 3 years of "chatting", PRS tells us their new story and the Musicians' Union gives the musicians' point of view.
Rob Kirkham (PRS), Martin McGuire (PRS), Kelly Wood (MU)

Plus a great Saturday night Showcase with Hadrian's Union, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage, PerKelt and Cut Throat Francis, bustling Trade Market and good food and drink.