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Five takeaways from the International Festival Forum

A record 800 delegates from 40 countries flocked to the eighth edition of the International Festival Forum (IFF) in London, last week.

With the world’s best-known festival professionals and booking agents in attendance, IQ has compiled some key takeaways from this year’s event.

Play it safe and route your tours selectively
During the panel Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever? Chris Payne (WME, UK) voiced concerns about the viability of club shows, both for the fans and the touring industry.

“I don’t know that the next generation is going to want to go to a club in their town, be it Bedford or Coventry. They will go online. I’m worried about clubs generally because the ticket price is very expensive, and bands can’t afford to tour for anything less than £1,200–1,500 [per night] but then we’re missing a gap [in the touring ecosystem]. We can’t just skip straight to 800 capacity venues”

Payne also said that agents will need to be selective about which markets their artists play in 2023 in order to curb losses.

“You know your major markets will likely sell,” he said. “The ticket prices are going to be difficult… but it’s going to look better in your Londons or Amsterdams or Berlins than in a fifth market or a sixth market – I don’t think that’s [possible in] 2023. Forget those regional shows, if you’re not sure. There’s nothing worse than losing money on those one or two shows and then it wipes out your profit.”

Payne’s thoughts were echoed by One Finiix Live’s Jess Kinn during the New Kids on the Block panel, who said: “We need to make sure we’re not just putting an artist out there for the sake of it and really stick to the strategy of only touring at the right time, especially now,” she said. “Being able to pick and choose helps.”

Payne continued: “Next year will be about making safe bets. Personally, I won’t be trying to take a big bite out of the market next year, I just want to remain stable.”

“Even if it’s a partner I don’t like or a brand I hate, I have to start considering it”

Reconsider sponsorship offers in order to keep ticket prices down
Speaking during Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever? Cindy Castillo (Mad Cool, ES) said that festivals may have to be less fussy about their partners in order to secure much-needed cash and keep ticket prices down.

“We now need to adapt, as a festival, to things that we wouldn’t have done before in order to keep the prices affordable,” she said.

“For example, brands would come to us and say ‘Hey, I want to sponsor your festival’ and if it was not a brand that we share values with, I would have said no – it doesn’t matter the amount of money you put in. But now, even if it’s a partner I don’t like or a brand I hate, I have to start considering it. We have a business here and we need to keep it running and working.”

“People are going to have to choose whether they want to go on vacation or whether they want to do a festival as a holiday”

Be cheap or be unique to attract fans
With the projected increase in ticket prices and a decrease in fans’ disposable income, festival bosses are anticipating tough competition in 2023. During The Festival Season 2022 panel, Primary Talent’s Sally Dunstone ventured that destination festivals may come out on top if fans are forced to choose between a holiday or a festival.

“People have to be more careful with how they spend their money,” she explained. “So people are going to have to choose whether they want to go on vacation or whether they want to do a festival as a holiday.”

Detlef Kornett (DEAG, DE) added: “Recession is going to hit us and I think we will see people that left our industry return because logistics and retail and construction, all of them will suffer. Starting a new festival will be a big challenge. I like to say that next year is going to be about ‘be unique or be cheap’, but anything in the middle will be really difficult to get through.”

“There needs to be a way for us to keep people who can’t afford [festivals] the chance to see live music”

Be careful of pricing out certain groups of fans
During one of many discussions about ticket prices, Rauha Kyyrö (Fullsteam Agency, FI) said that increasing the cost for consumers could price out certain groups, making festivals less accessible for all.

“One real concern I have is that we’re making these events less and less inclusive,” she said. “We have to start thinking about ways to let people in for a very, very low price. I don’t know how we justify it, but there needs to be a way to allow people who can’t afford it the chance to see live music.

Nikolaj Thorenfeldt (Smash! Bang! Pow!, DK) added: “‘Inclusive’ is incredibly important. It’s the first word in our office when we discuss building a new event because they have to be for everybody. Everybody has to feel welcome. If you’re pricing out several customer groups, that is not the right direction.”

During The Festival Season 2022 Karolina Kozlowska (Live Nation, SE) said there had been a huge increase in VIP and platinum ticket sales, which could theoretically help subsidise cheaper tickets in the future.

“Some people are very willing to buy the more expensive ticket to get that extra comfortable experience,” said Kozlowska. “So you might not need to raise all your ticket prices – at least not by 20% – if you can make better experiences for the VIP or platinum guests which then allows the young kids an affordable ticket.”

“I think we’re going to see more and more questions about touring and how we tour”

Rethink the way you tour, to protect everyone’s mental health
With an increasing number of artists cancelling tours due to mental health concerns, James Wright (UTA, UK) was keen to remind the industry that it’s not just those on the stage that are at risk of burn out.

“It’s encouraging that [this issue] is getting the press coverage that it is because it’s been under-discussed in the public domain for a very long time. But it’s not just the artists who get the headlines; it’s the burnt-out tour manager or it’s the crew that are physically exhausted.

“We’re going to see more and more questions about touring and how we tour; length of tours, turnaround of shows more crew required and so. It’s a big topic.

“Going forward, a lot more needs to come from agents about how we route tours. There needs to be conversations with the artists and management ahead of time, to talk about how they want to tour and what their expectations are. And it’s the whole ecosystem that needs to work together.”

IFF returns to London from 26-28 September, 2023.

 


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IFF ’22: ‘Agents and promoters must stick together’

Top agents and festival promoters say that the spirit of collaboration cultivated during the Covid-19 pandemic must be maintained if the industry is to overcome the next set of challenges.

The discussion took place today at IFF (International Festival Forum) during the panel Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever?, which featured Nikolaj Thorenfeldt (Smash! Bang! Pow!, DK), Chris Payne (WME, UK), Adele Slater (Wasserman Music, UK), Rauha Kyyrö (Fullsteam Agency, FI) and Cindy Castillo (Mad Cool, ES).

Fullsteam’s Kyyrö told IFF delegates that the bright side of the pandemic was an increased sense of understanding and patience among colleagues in the business.

“What I’ve noticed during the summer and autumn is that none of the companies to me seem to be working 100% efficiently,” she said. “I think everyone’s still struggling a little bit with how to set up their business and how to work internally so this is making us a little bit more patient. I’m no longer getting so many angry emails about not responding right away. I might get a reminder, but it’s usually a kinder reminder.”

Wasserman Music’s Slater said the pandemic also gave promoters and agents the chance to get to know the person behind the email address, thus humanising business relationships.

“We all had to club together because no one really knew what was going on at any point,” she said. “With promoters, once you’d rescheduled your shows, you would check in on them and see if they were okay and actually get to know the person rather than asking for a pencil. You had time to get to know people. It helped relationships with people rather than [feed into] the whole agent versus promoter [thing].”

Thorenfeldt from Smash! Bang! Pow! agreed, adding: “Some of the best conversations I’ve had with various business partners was when we actually got to talk about stuff that’s not numbers of whatever. You actually started to get to know certain relationships a lot better, which I think has been incredibly fruitful in a lot of ways since we returned to business. You found out what’s important in some of your work relationships and got a better idea of what sort of pressure each of us is feeling in our everyday life.”

Mad Cool’s Castillo said she personally experienced this newfound empathy from industry peers when the promoter cancelled Mad Cool Sunset.

“I think we have become more willing to look for solutions when problems arise”

The festival was called off after organisers were unable to find a “suitable” replacement for Rage Against The Machine, who recently cancelled all forthcoming dates in the UK and Europe.

“Four or five years ago, the response probably would have been ‘You’re gonna pay me everything now’,” explained Castillo. “Now, 95% of people said ‘Okay, Cindy, don’t worry. We understand the situation. It’s a shame this has happened. Let’s look for a solution.

“I think we have become more willing to look for solutions when problems arise. Maybe a couple of years ago, there would have been more aggressive communication with people demanding what they want but now there’s understanding.”

And it’s not just the bonds between agents and promoters that have strengthened because of the pandemic, according to WME’s Payne.

“We’ve got closer as a team internally because we’ve had to help each other. It might be that one of my colleagues has got a show but I’ve got a better relationship with a promoter and I’ll go down and help a little bit. And hopefully, that’s happening in the promoter world as well. It makes you just run harder and faster and better together.”

The panel agreed that, going forward, different forces in the industry must continue to work as one in order to overcome issues such as soaring costs, staff shortages and talent drains.

“These are crazy circumstances and we need to try and compromise,” continued Payne. “So I’m hoping compromises are a bigger part of everyone’s conversations, from agents to promoters, because we’re in an ecosystem and you don’t have one without the other.”

Thorenfeldt from Smash! Bang! Pow! added: “We want to help great artists achieve their wildest dreams – that’s the mutual goal for all of us. I also think that if there’s a mutual problem we need to look at it together, as well.”

 


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IFF 2022: Unpacking the European festival season

A handful of top festival executives reflected on a tough summer and highlighted the key challenges ahead in the opening panel of the 2022 International Festival Forum (IFF).

A record 800 delegates from 45 countries have flocked to the eighth edition of the invitation-only event for festival professionals and booking agents, which kicked off last night (27 September).

Today’s The Festival Season 2022 panel brought together promoters Karolina Kozlowska (Live Nation, SE), Detlef Kornett (DEAG, DE) and Nadja Konietzko (Bluesfest Byron Bay, AU), with agents James Wright (UTA, UK) and Sally Dunstone (Primary Talent International, UK).

Kornett detailed a number of the now-familiar issues experienced by events across the board coming out of the pandemic.

“We’ve been all been hit with price increases, with logistical problems, with lack of security, lack of stagehands, lack of riggers, lack of material,” said Kornett. “But I found this year particularly challenging, hearing and experiencing all the stories of our long term suppliers being in the dark.

“For some of the festivals, the price increases and whatsoever could not be captured because we’d already sold the tickets [in 2020]. So our results have not been as we wanted them to be, but generally we felt lucky because we could stage our events. We were not hit by weather, we didn’t have to shut down because we couldn’t get security. Our long term suppliers across the group worked with us. So we somehow got there but how, at times, you can only talk about at night when nobody’s listening.”

“We sold 15% of our tickets in the last two weeks, which showed the audience was also traumatised by what happened”

Konietzko explained how Bluesfest managed to ultimately triumph over adversity.

“Our season started with the cancellation of the 2021 event, which was one day before the event,” she lamented. “We were faced with the biggest challenge for our company, which is 33 years old. So we had to go into the politics and convince government to bail us out and to help us, which they did because they were the ones who shut us down because of one case of Covid in the area. So it was very political this year.

“Our challenges were to not only find finances for the year ahead, but to also pay out every supplier and staff member who was already working on the 2021 event. And we succeeded – not only did the government help with the payment of the 2021 event, we were able to get some grants and funding for the future event.”

A further complication arose when the Byron Bay festival site was hit by flash floods in the weeks leading up to the 2022 festival in April, headlined by Crowded House and Midnight Oil.

“Our crew had been through so much already for two years and the wish to return was bigger than anything else,” added Konietzko. “So I don’t know how we did it, but we managed and we opened. We sold 15% of our tickets in the last two weeks, which showed the audience was also traumatised by what happened.”

“Some people are very willing to buy the more expensive ticket to get that extra comfortable experience”

Kozlowska recalled her unfortunate timing of starting with Live Nation Sweden in March 2020.

“I started booking a festival and that cancelled very shortly afterwards, followed by the next one. So my first festival summer in Sweden was very interesting,” she said. “There were some challenges but, overall, Lollapalooza went amazingly: we had over 70,000 unique visitors – an increase of 20% from 2019.”

The promoter said there had been a huge increase in VIP and platinum ticket sales, which could theoretically help subsidise cheaper tickets in the future.

“Some people are very willing to buy the more expensive ticket to get that extra comfortable experience,” said Kozlowska. “So you might not need to raise all your ticket prices – at least not by 20% – if you can make better experiences for the VIP or platinum guests and then by that, you can also get the young kids to actually be able to afford a ticket.”

Primary Talent’s Dunstone, who works with acts such as Jack Harlow and Rina Sawayama, was also able to put a positive slant on the season.

“People are going to have to choose whether they want to go on vacation or whether they want to do a festival as a holiday”

“It’s been a great summer for my clients,” she said. “Everybody’s been out touring. A lot of my clients blew up during lockdown so it’s the first time they’ve been able to actually play festivals, so from that perspective, it’s been really positive. But there have been a lot of challenges, especially with the state of the airports within Europe: lost luggage, cancelled flights, people missing connections. That’s definitely been a lot of my problem-solving over the summer. But the shows all happened.

“There are going to be a lot of challenges next year, especially with price rises across the board. People have to be more careful with how they spend their money. When buying a festival ticket, you have to buy everything around it – transport, accommodation, so it can become like a holiday really. So people are going to have to choose whether they want to go on vacation or whether they want to do a festival as a holiday.”

Kornett brought up the findings of a survey which suggested that up to half of German festival-goers in Germany were put off returning to festivals due to Covid-19.

“In the UK, obviously, Covid is kind of over and one’s stopped worrying for now about that,” he said. “On the continent, it’s slightly different, and in Germany in particular. In Germany, there was a survey that was quite interesting because, across all festival goers, 50% were concerned about Covid when going to a festival, and thought that would possibly keep them from going. That’s a large number.

“The other question is even more interesting: what would make you go back? And the answer was, ‘If it was cheaper.’ Well, that goes against what we’re about to face where everything is going to go up.”

“Next year is going to be about ‘be unique or be cheap’, but anything in the middle will be really difficult to get through”

The prospect of further consolidation in the festival market also cropped up, with Wright deeming it “inevitable”.

“I don’t necessarily think it’s a good or bad thing,” he said. “There’s definitely and always will be a market for independent festivals in the same way that grassroots venues and independent venues are a vital part of our business. But I think consolidation, in the same way it is with the agency businesses, is inevitable to some degree.”

“Consolidation is part of our business,” added Kornett. “You also need to watch carefully for consolidation in stage hands/crew-type of businesses. Because I think there will be quite a few companies that need to seek support in order to get through what they experienced this year.

“Recession is going to hit us and I think we will see people that left our industry return because logistics and retail and construction, all of them will suffer. Starting a new festival will be a big challenge. I like to say that next year is going to be about ‘be unique or be cheap’, but anything in the middle will be really difficult to get through.”

 


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International Festival Forum 2022 sells out

The International Festival Forum (IFF), the key autumn gathering of the international music festival business, has sold out.

A record 800 delegates from 45 countries are expected to attend the eighth edition, which kicks off tomorrow night (27 September) in Camden, London.

Since 2015, IFF has seen the industry’s principal buyers and sellers come together for 2.5 days of networking, showcases, and conference sessions.

This year’s instalment will see world-class booking agencies such as Wasserman Music, X-Ray Touring, UTA and Primary Talent showcase festival-ready talent.

The conference programme, meanwhile, will offer sessions including The Festival Season 2022, New Kids on the Block and Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever?, as well as a keynote conversation with Roskilde.

Speakers for these sessions include Sean Goulding (One Fiinix Live, UK), Natasha Gregory (Mother Artists, UK), Stephan Thanscheidt (FKP Scorpio, DE), Adele Slater (Wasserman Music, UK) and Rauha Kyyrö (Fullsteam, FI).

The eighth edition of IFF also sees the introduction of a new central hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden, which will be transformed into IFF Central for three days.

Exclusive to delegates, IFF Central will host all conference sessions, complimentary delegate lunches, a late-night bar that’s open until the early hours, and ample space for private meetings.

This year’s IFF is presented in association with TicketSwap, and with support from Ticketmaster, Tysers, Vatom, eps, Ooosh! Tours, Music Venue Trust, John Henry’s and the UK’s Department for International Trade.

For more information on the IFF’s 2022 schedule, click here.

 


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Speaker line-up completed for IFF 2022

The full list of speakers has now been confirmed for the 2022 International Festival Forum (IFF), presented in association with TicketSwap.

More than 700 booking agents and festivals have signed up from 40-plus markets for the invitation-only event in London from 27-29 September.

Live Nation promoter Karolina Kozlowska (SE) and UTA’s James Wright (UK) complete the lineup for The Festival Season 2022 panel, joining Detlef Kornett (DEAG, DE), Nadja Konietzko (Bluesfest Byron Bay, AU) and Sally Dunstone (Primary Talent International, UK) from 10.30am on Wednesday 28 September.

The Roskilde Festival team – programme director Anders Wahren, deputy director – communications, partnerships & philanthropy Christina Bilde and head of sustainability Sanne Stephansen – will then star in the keynote conversation Roskilde Festival: 50 Years Young at noon.

The legendary Danish festival will host a special 50th birthday celebration from 9-11pm later that day in the Glasshouse of IFF’s host hotel, the Holiday Inn in Camden (more details here).

In addition, Runway Artists founder Matt Hanner (UK) will join Superbloom’s Barbara Hexges (DE), Jess Kinn & Sean Goulding (One Fiinix Live, UK), Mother Artists’ Natasha Gregory (UK) and Stephan Thanscheidt (FKP Scorpio/Tempelhof Festival, DE), to present their new companies or events on our New Kids on the Block session, on Thursday 29 September from 10.30-11.30am.

Finally, Mad Cool Festival’s Cindy Castillo (ES) completes the Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever? session, alongside Wasserman Music’s Adele Slater (UK), Chris Payne (WME, UK), Smash!Bang!Pow!’s Nikolaj Thorenfeldt (DK) and Rauha Kyyrö from Fullsteam (FI), at noon on Thursday 29 September.

Supporters of this year’s IFF include Ticketmaster, Tysers, Vatom, eps, Ooosh! Tours, Music Venue Trust, John Henry’s and the UK’s Department for International Trade.

View the full artists’ lineup here, and listen to all the showcasing artists via the official IFF 2022 playlist here. For more information on the IFF’s 2022 schedule, click here.

 


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IFF 2022: First agency showcases revealed

With less than a month to go until kick-off, the International Festival Forum (IFF) – the invitation-only event for festival professionals and booking agents – has revealed the first partner agency showcases. The announcement comes as the programme for the event is finalised, with over 800 attendees expected from 40 countries.

Wasserman Music, X-Ray Touring, UTA and Earth Agency are among the world-class booking agencies that will be showcasing festival-ready talent at this year’s IFF in Camden, London.

Following the 27 September opening parties, X-Ray Touring will kick off IFF’s daytime showcase schedule at PowerHaus in Camden on 28 September, presenting Gigi Moss, Psymon Spine, The Native and Zheani.

The following afternoon, Wasserman Music will present Dead Pony, Debbie, flowerovlove, and Piri & Tommy , and Earth Agency showcases Deijuvhs and Haviah Mighty.

Capping off IFF’s showcase schedule later that night, United Talent Agency will present three artists – FAT DOG, Panic Shack and ZAND – under its up-and-coming music brand, Hear This.

The Roskilde team is inviting all IFF delegates to raise a glass at a special birthday celebration in IFF’s host hotel

With a schedule of events that includes daytime conference sessions, pop up agency office spaces around Camden, the eighth edition of IFF “must be the most involved, and wide-reaching yet,” says co-founder Ruud Berends.

As part of this year’s programme, IFF has also announced 50th-anniversary celebrations for Denmark’s marquee festival, Roskilde. On 28 September, at 12:00, IFF will host a unique conversation with the Roskilde team that will cover everything from its 70s roots, to how it thrives today as an organisation linked to the latest trends and ideologies.

Later that day, between 21:00–23:00, the Roskilde team is inviting all IFF delegates to raise a glass at a special birthday celebration in the Glasshouse of IFF’s host hotel, the Holiday Inn in Camden (more details here).

Agencies still to announce showcasing artists over the coming weeks include Primary Talent, ATC Live, Solo and One Fiinix Live. Meanwhile, supporters of this year’s IFF include Ticketmaster, Universe, Tysers, Vatom, eps, Oooosh! Tours, Music Venue Trust, John Henry’s and the UK’s Department for International Trade.

View the full artists’ lineup here, and listen to all the showcasing artists via the official IFF 2022 playlist here. For more information on the IFF’s 2022 schedule, click here.

 


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Mad Cool & The Spanish Wave announce IFF showcase

Mad Cool Festival and The Spanish Wave are teaming up to promote Spanish talent at this year’s International Festival Forum (IFF).

Three Spanish artists will perform at the Mad Cool Festival & The Spanish Wave Presents showcase at London’s Camden Assembly from 9pm on Wednesday 28 September. The line-up will be released in August.

The event will mark the culmination of a nationwide project to find the best emerging acts from Spain. With applications open from 2-30 August, the finalists will be selected by the festival and emerging talent showcase platform and export specialist, The Spanish Wave.

Spain is the guest country for IFF 2022

Spain is the guest country for IFF 2022, ILMC’s invitation-only event for music festivals and booking agents, which takes place in London between 27-29 September.

The latest round of guest speakers and conference topics for this year’s conference were unveiled last week.

More than 400 delegates from 26 countries have now signed up, with demand for IFF 2022 passes proving higher than ever.

IFF’s new delegate hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden, will be transformed into IFF Central for three days and host conference sessions, private parties and meetings, and speed dating for attendees.

Full information about this year’s event, including how to apply for a pass, is online at www.iff.rocks.

 


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More speakers confirmed for IFF 2022

The latest round of guest speakers and conference topics have been unveiled for the International Festival Forum (IFF) 2022, ILMC’s invitation-only event for music festivals and booking agents.

United Talent Agency’s UK office co-head Obi Asika is the first industry leader confirmed to join host James Drury (ILMC) for The Festival Season 2022, to discuss the key challenges organisers have faced as we look forward to a smoother 2023.

Wasserman Music’s Adele Slater (UK) and Chris Payne (WME, UK) will appear alongside IQ Magazine‘s Gordon Masson and Smash!Bang!Pow! CEO Nikolaj Thorenfeldt (DK) on Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever? to examine the main ingredients powering our multi-billion dollar business.

And Barbara Hexges (Superbloom!, DE) will speak at The New Kids on the Block, a quickfire presentation session of every key new festival and agency that’s emerged in the last 18 months, alongside Stephan Thanscheidt (Tempelhof Sounds, DE) and Jess Kinn & Sean Goulding from One Fiinix Live (UK).

The first 400 delegates from 26 countries are now signed up for IFF 2022

IFF 2022 will offer the usual plethora of networking, showcases, panels, and parties – all taking place between 27-29 September in London. Check out the first speaker announcement here.

The first 400 delegates from 26 countries are now signed up, with demand for IFF 2022 passes proving higher than ever.

IFF’s new delegate hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden, will be transformed into IFF Central for three days and host conference sessions, private parties and meetings, and speed dating for attendees.

Wasserman Music, WME, CAA, UTA, Primary Talent, ATC Live, X-Ray Touring, Solo Agency, Pure, One Finiix Live and Earth Agency are among the first to back the 2022 edition as agency partners, many of whom will present showcases featuring the hottest new talent.

Full information about this year’s event, including how to apply for a pass, is online at www.iff.rocks.

 


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First wave of speakers announced for IFF 2022

The first round of guest speakers and conference topics have been announced for the International Festival Forum (IFF) 2022, ILMC’s invitation-only event for music festivals and booking agents.

More than 800 delegates are expected to attend this year’s gathering of the international music festival business.

IFF 2022 will offer the usual plethora of networking, showcases, panels, and parties – all taking place between 27-29 September in London.

On Wednesday 28 September, Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever? invites a mixture of booking agents and festival chiefs to discuss the two key ingredients powering this multi-billion dollar business – the people and their relationships. Joining session chair Gordon Masson (IQ) will be Nikolaj Thorenfeldt, CEO of Smash!Bang!Pow! (DK), and Chris Payne (WME, UK).

Set for Thursday 29 September, The New Kids on the Block will be a quickfire presentation session of every key new festival and agency that’s emerged in the last 18 months. Host Lisa Henderson (IQ), will welcome speakers including Stephan Thanscheidt of FKP Scorpio (DE) and Jess Kinn & Sean Goulding from One Fiinix Live (UK).

IFF has announced a new central hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden

“With what looks like a record summer festival season for many, this year’s edition of IFF is going to be the busiest yet,” says IFF co-founder Ruud Berends.

IFF has announced a new delegate hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden, which will be transformed into IFF Central for three days and host conference sessions, private parties and meetings, and speed dating for attendees. A handful of rooms remain at the hotel.

Wasserman Music, WME, CAA, UTA, Primary Talent, ATC Live, X-Ray Touring, Solo Agency, Pure, One Finiix Live and Earth Agency are among the first to back the 2022 edition as agency partners, many of whom will present showcases featuring the hottest new talent.

Full information about this year’s event, including how to apply for a pass, is online at www.iff.rocks.

 


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IFF 2022 launches with new central hub, agency partners

The eighth edition of the International Festival Forum (IFF), ILMC’s invitation-only event for festivals and bookers, is now live.

More than 800 delegates are expected to attend this year’s gathering of the international music festival business, with many of the world’s leading booking agencies signed up as partners.

Wasserman Music, WME, CAA, UTA, ICM Partners/Primary Talent, ATC Live, X-Ray Touring, One Finiix Live and Earth Agency are among the first to back the 2022 edition and many of whom will present showcases featuring the hottest new talent.

Alongside the showcases, IFF 2022 will offer the usual plethora of networking, showcases, panels, and parties – all taking place between 27 and 29 September in London.

In addition, IFF has announced a new central hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden, which will be transformed into IFF Central for three days.

IFF has announced a new central hub, the Holiday Inn in Camden, which will be transformed into IFF Central

IFF Central will be exclusive to delegates and will host all conference sessions, complimentary delegate lunches, a late-night bar that’s open until the early hours, and ample space for private meetings.

The hotel also features 100 rooms for delegates in a range of categories, which can be booked at the same time as registering your pass. Room rates are discounted for IFF delegates but there’s a limited number available. Click here for more details.

Since launching in 2015, IFF has gained a reputation for showcasing the most talented emerging artists at early stages of their careers, including Idles, Slaves, Loyle Carner, Public Service Broadcasting, Lewis Capaldi and Shame.

Last year, IFF enjoyed a successful return to a physical event, with a programme that featured a double keynote interview with Melvin Benn and Folkert Koopmans.

More details of IFF 2022, including the provisional schedule, will be announced in due course. If you have an idea for a panel topic, speaker or presentation, please email Ruud Berends.

A limited number of super discounted earlybird passes are now available for just £345 (saving £150 on the full rate). Each pass includes access to all sessions and showcases, lunches, dinners, and some drinks. Click here to register.

 


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