Lieberbergs to keynote second IFF

The International Festival Forum (IFF) has announced Marek and Andre Lieberberg as the joint keynote speakers for this year’s sophomore event.

In their first joint keynote, the father and son team will be sharing lessons learnt from their six decades in concert promotion, including from the storm-hit 2016 edition of Rock am Ring.

The keynote completes the conference agenda at the invitation-only event for festivals and booking agents, which will welcome around 500 professionals to its second edition from 28 to 29 September.

Other topics include The Therapy Session, an annual sparring match between festival bookers and agents, moderated by Coda’s Cris Hearn, and Agent & Festival Roulette, an original format that sees guests spinning IFF’s Wheel of Fortune to answer previously submitted questions at random.

“With more showcases than ever, more agency partners, and even a few more invited delegates, it’s looking like a great second edition”

Contracts & Licensing, chaired by Glastonbury’s Ben Challis, will discuss a summer affected by bad weather, cancellations and performance licensing issues. The Artists: View from the Stage invites a panel of future headliners to feedback directly on their festival experiences, and The Engagement Session will see tech pioneers showcasing their industry-changing solutions first hand.

IFF’s conference agenda sits alongside its two-day showcase schedule presented by partner agencies ATC Live, CAA, Coda, ITB, LPO, Pitch & Smith, Primary Talent, UTA, WME and X-ray Touring. Each agency will showcase their priority festival artists for 2017 and conduct Q&As with festival delegates.

“After last year’s sell-out launch event, we’re broadening the IFF agenda to include more of the key topics in the international festival business,” comments co-founder Ruud Berends of Networking Music. “And with more showcases than ever, more agency partners, and even a few more invited delegates, it’s looking like a great second edition.”

The event last month announced its first delegates and a full provisional schedule.

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