LGBTIQ+ List 2024: Gwen Iffland, Wizard Live

The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day. Catch up on yesterday’s interview with Emma Davis (she/her), general manager/agent at One Fiinix Live.

The series continues with Gwen Iffland (she/her), senior marketing & PR manager at Wizard Live, recently rebranded from Wizard Promotions Konzertagentur.

Gwen Iffland has been in the marketing world for more than 10 years and has always wanted to gain a foothold in the live entertainment industry. From stints at dpa Deutsche Presse Agentur to a live communication agency to developing a local beer brand that champions the rights of marginalized groups with a permanent special edition, she has found her place at Wizard in 2022. Gwen lives in the heart of Frankfurt, loves the diversity of the city and has been committed to visibility and awareness-raising work for the queer community for several years via a leading role at Frankfurt Pride and local FLINTA* [Female, Lesbian, Intersex, Trans and Agender] collectives.

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most PROUD of in 2024 so far
Wizard is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, which we took as an opportunity to look closely at the company’s corporate identity. Among other things, this resulted in a new corporate design and I was able to accompany this process as the leading project manager. I am also looking forward to being able to train young people in media and marketing professions from this year onwards, as we want to expand our department.

Your colleagues say you bring the “LGBTIQ+ vibes to the office and after work events” – what does that look like?
The fact that I’m very active, open-minded and don’t mince my words means that my team feels comfortable asking me all kinds of questions. Education is very important to me. Apart from that, my team always gives me the opportunity to develop concepts to make queer artists more visible and to put the topic on the agenda both internally and externally, be it over a beer or through a presentation.

“The upcoming generation is as critical as they are bright and have a lot of drive to push things forward”

How do you get involved in Frankfurt’s queer community?
During the past years, I’ve had the chance to play a key role in shaping Pride in Frankfurt, conceptually, graphically and communicatively. As press spokesperson, I was the contact person for the city, media and the queers and was able to make the LGBTQIA+ community more heard. With around 250,000 visitors a year, Frankfurt Pride is one of the largest community events in Germany. Furthermore, I’m participating at clubcherry, a newly founded collective in and around Frankfurt that campaigns for the presence of flinta* people within the (electronic) music scene. Clubcherry also has a mission to question the male-dominated industry, to connect fellow campaigners and to strengthen FLINTA* within and outside the scene. I’m pleased that I now have a good standing in the city and am asked for advice on queer issues, to be able to drive development forward in this way.

What’s your most pressing challenge in the industry at the moment?
I am noticing that we are questioning ourselves more and more in the industry – strategically and even morally. The fact that I am very socially committed means that it is important to me that I can identify with my profession – after all, my job is an immense part of my life. In times of cancel culture and the like, it’s difficult to find artists who have a clean slate. And I’m not saying that I think cancel culture is bad, quite the opposite: it’s important to create awareness, to address things and to question your actions accordingly.

“Fortunately, a lot is happening right now to put the industry on the right track”

How do you see the live music business developing in the next few years?
I am looking forward to the young professionals to come. The upcoming generation is as critical as they are bright and have a lot of drive to push things forward. The old hands may struggle with this but in the end, it will be what makes the industry thrive. I’m really excited to see where we’ll be in a few years’ time.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Fortunately, a lot is happening right now to put the industry on the right track. My personal concern is to bring the term awareness and related concepts more to the fore at events that are not explicitly aimed at queer people.

Is there a queer act you’re itching to see this year?
I’ve already been to Fletcher’s show in Frankfurt this year – probably the most viral lesbian act at the moment. Seeing all the “baby gays” having the fun of their life, celebrating and singing together was totally heart-warming. I’m far away from all the gossip around Cari Fletcher, her show just gave me the best time. Stunning! But I’m still waiting for Cher to return to Europe so I can cross my top goal off my bucket list and live happily ever after, though I’m beginning to fear that won’t happen.

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