x

The latest industry news to your inbox.


I'd like to hear about marketing opportunities

    

I accept IQ Magazine's Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

IQ 123 out now: Alex Bruford, Louis Tomlinson, The Sphere

IQ 123, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.

The November 2023 edition sees Gordon Masson talk to Alex Bruford about his first 20 years in music and the philosophies behind his ATC Live agency and, elsewhere, the IQ editor goes behind the scenes of Louis Tomlinson’s Faith in the Future world tour.

In addition, the issue offers a deep dive into the growing live music cruise business, as well as a health check on the Danish market. Plus, the IQ team reflects on the recent International Festival Forum (IFF) and looks ahead to the ‘out-of-this-world’ 36th edition of ILMC.

For this edition’s comment and columns, IQ passes the mick to Nick Morgan for some key takeaways from a decade of producing and organising festivals, while Rachel Flaszczak explains how MVT’s Own Our Venues helped save her grassroots music venue for future generations.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £8 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IFF 2023: Promoters and agents on the perfect deal

Artist fees, billing and whether promoters and agents can ever both be ultimately happy on a deal dominated the discourse in today’s first panel of this year’s International Festival Forum (IFF).

Hosted by WME’s Andy Duggan (UK), the panel — titled ‘Headliners: The Winner Takes It All?’ — featured agent and X-ray Touring co-founder Ian Huffam, and festival promoters Cindy Castillo (Mad Cool, Spain), Josh Koram (Event Horizon, UK), and Natalie Ryan-Williams (Way Out West, Sweden) at London’s Omeara venue.

Having overseen a record attendance for Way Out West in Gothenburg this August (55,000), Ryan-Williams has good reason to celebrate. However, when asked if both festivals and artists can win at the same time, she said: “Absolutely, but both can be losers too. Though, more often than not, it’s the promoters who end up on the losing end of the battle.”

Castillo – whose Mad Cool showcase in Madrid was headlined by the likes of Lizzo, Lil Nas X, Machine Gun Kelly and Queens of the Stone Age – was in agreement with Ryan-Williams.

“We both win and lose. If I get the artist I want, I’m winning, and if the artist gets booked, they’re not just making a great transaction in financial terms,” said Castillo. “But if the event doesn’t do well and we don’t sell tickets, the promoters suffer economic losses. Equally, artists also have to perform in front of a crowd. If I’m buying a band to play in a 25,000-capacity venue and only 5,000 people show up, it’s not a good look for both artists and promoters.”

“Ideally, you’d want both parties to be winners, and there is a sweet spot where that can happen”

Huffam, whose clients include Gorillaz, Blur, Moby and Robbie Williams, highlighted a major issue with the current festival market.

“There’s too much choice nowadays,” he said. “Ideally, you’d want both parties to be winners, and there is a sweet spot where that can happen, which is maybe 10% to 25% of overall festivals. But there are cases where festivals have massively outperformed artists, and vice-versa. It’s difficult to provide a precise answer, but we should all strive to hit that sweet spot, wherever or whatever it is.”

Koram, who books Afro Nation on a global scale and who recently came back from the festival’s flagship Portugal edition (headlined by WizKid, Davido and Burna Boy), questioned whether there can be a “happy medium” as promoters continue to take massive risks — especially in a post-Covid climate.

“We obviously have to amplify the artists we’re building and booking on these amazing festivals, but I’m not sure a 50/50 satisfaction split can be achieved,” he said. “I can only speak for myself, but I feel that the promoter almost always gets the short end of the stick.”

“There’s a sizeable number of bespoke or niche festivals, which wasn’t the case back in the day. There’s more room than ever before to develop your artists”

While the panel all hailed the increasing number of diverse artists and genres, noting the increasing prevalence of non-English speaking artists both domestically and internationally, another major point of discussion was the watered-down effect today’s festivals have on boosting an artist’s career.

“There seems to be a festival every weekend in almost every country, so logically speaking, the amount of impact an artist is going to have is very much diluted because of the volume and frequency of these events,” said Huffam.

Despite Huffam’s concerns, he spoke of a positive flipside: “There’s a sizeable number of bespoke or niche festivals, which wasn’t the case back in the day. There’s more room than ever before to develop your artists. You have to adapt.”

Castillo commented that the right moment on a festival’s bill can still create “big moments” for some.

“If I book a smaller act to play at 8pm, when there’s already around 40,000 people at the venue, it shines a brighter spotlight on those artists and that’s down to being in a more prominent slot than they would’ve anticipated,” she said. “Even if those life-changing moments are less common, this can be resolved by simply booking emerging artists in the right slot.”

IFF wraps up today with over 1,000 festival and agency professionals taking part. Alongside the schedule of debates, IFF featured showcases from booking agencies including UTA, X-ray Touring, Solo Agency, Primary Talent, ATC Live, ITB, Earth, and additional shows hosted by MVT, Music from Ireland, The Spanish Wave and Music Finland.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IFF 2023: CAA’s Emma Banks & Mike Greek hold court

CAA UK bosses Emma Banks and Mike Greek looked back on their storied careers and gave their thoughts on the current state of the business in a joint keynote at today’s International Festival Forum (IFF).

After more than 30 years of working together, the powerhouse duo behind CAA’s London office shared the conference stage for the first time ever.

The leading agents sat down with ILMC MD Greg Parmley to discuss a host of topics on the final day of the invite-only gathering at South London’s Omeara. Here are a selection of highlights of the hour-long discussion, starting with a time-warp back to 2006…

Leaving Helter Skelter to form CAA’s London office 17 years ago…

Mike Greek: “There were moments at Helter Skelter where it was a brilliant company with a great group of people, but we were only supportive of each other to a point. Naively, I thought we were all in it together, and there were moments where I’d help people but the feeling wouldn’t be reciprocated…When the opportunity to start looking at a different business model came about, that was a factor in deciding to set up a company with a more ‘American’ outlook which was based on camaraderie, teamwork, and togetherness instead of the old-school “eat what you kill” philosophy.”

Emma Banks: “We didn’t feel like we were being seen. And to follow up on what Mike said about America, which had just woken up to the fact that there were other places outside of New York City, Boston, and Los Angeles, they were taking our clients because, by and large, there’s more money to be made in America. All of those things together paved the way for us to talk to some of those US-based companies, and ultimately set up a CAA office in London.”

“If we can make money out of it, we can do it, and if we’re not already covering something, we’re thinking about doing it”

CAA UK’s growth…

MG: “When we started, we had around four or five people.”

EB: “Nowadays, we have various offices in London that cover different areas of the business. I think there’s around 380 people now in London that look after music, TV, sport — specifically football. We’ve got an executive search business, which is an emerging market, as well as podcasts and brand consulting. It’s grown massively to the point where we have offices in places like China and Singapore that look after a lot of things, despite our individual offices’ relatively small sizes. The domestic and international growth has been exceptional, and I can’t see it slowing down anytime soon.”

The 2023 festival season…

MG: “As we’re based in Europe, we do think a lot about European festivals. But our job starts at the Laneway Festival in Australia that happens every January or February, then we move towards festivals in Mexico and South America that normally begin around springtime before we enter the busy summer period. There’s a constant festival opportunity, and it’s not always concentrated on the May to July months. You see all these festivals changing and evolving alongside their host countries, and despite audiences wishing for better facilities or bigger lineups, I see huge growth across different territories all over the world.”

“I think we all get caught up in the idea that the industry revolves around the biggest festivals in the world, but it shouldn’t be”

The trend of A-list acts playing in more stadium shows than festivals…

EB: “Going forward, some of them will do that, but crucially not all. However, there are legitimately some artists you can’t put on a festival bill because, from a production and backstage facility standpoint, their demands can’t generally be achieved at a festival. As we’ve seen throughout the year, some of the biggest stadium shows featured megastars such as Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and Taylor Swift. It’s not just about the money they can take out of multiple sold-out stadia, but also the additional revenue generated from platinum ticketing, VIP ticketing, and their complete control over the artwork and the billing. There’s so much more control for them, and the money they can make from all the incidental stuff blows festivals out of the water.”

Festivals’ responsibility towards creating headliners…

MG: “It’s really a loaded question for the bigger festivals, but I think the opportunity for real artist growth and career development comes from their mid-size counterparts. I think we all get caught up in the idea that the industry revolves around the biggest festivals in the world, but it shouldn’t be. I’d much rather recommend an artist headline a 20,000 to 30,000-capacity crowd than being third or fourth in the bill of a 70,000-capacity festival, because I firmly believe that mid-sized festivals are the lifeblood of the industry and we should be seriously thinking about them in a rapidly crowded and changing market.”

“It’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I think that artist fees are too low”

On artist fees…

MG: “It’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I think that artist fees are too low. We always hear complaints about how festival fees have risen, but how often do you hear agents complaining about them making so much money? There’s no transparency on what the profit margins are in festivals, and it’s clearly a huge investment. With that said, I think artist fees should be improving because there are so many different ancillary revenue streams — especially for the bigger events — and I don’t think they recompense artists properly. I think more can be done for the artists playing in those festivals.”

EB: “I agree with Mike. We actually had a discussion in the office about general ticket prices, thinking about how we don’t actually charge enough on ticket prices in gigs, and we certainly don’t put enough in the budget for support acts anymore. When Mike and I started 30 years ago, there was around £50 to £100 for the support artists. Fast forward to now, and most of the time, there’s still only £50 to £100 for the supporting acts. It’s laughable because no one in their right mind would do anything for that. When there’s no transparency, we’re going to push for as much money for our artists as we can. If the artist fees don’t go up, more and more artists will resort to simply doing their own shows.”

What they’re most proud of during their run as co-heads so far…

MG: “I look at a lot of agents that worked with us. They’ve started with us and we’ve watched their careers grow over the years. I know it’s a bit cliché, but seeing them develop has been incredibly rewarding, and it’s great to see them grow and become leaders in their own right.”

EB: “That’s what it’s really all about. Very few people leave the company unless they’re leaving the business. It’s also very important to maintain a culture amongst your colleagues and employees, which can’t be fostered through a Teams meeting online. We all spend so much time together. There’s also the fact that we do some great work with our clients, but that comes from being in a happy, positive environment.”

“Watching an artist you’ve been with for years grow is still incredibly rewarding”

What keeps them motivated…

MG: “Constantly working with new artists keeps us energised. It’s another cliché, but watching an artist you’ve worked with for years grow is still incredibly rewarding and exciting. Seeing them go through their first phase as an artist to sell out their first major headline show keeps me going.”

EB: “I’m pretty much the same as Mike. When you start working with an artist who’s playing their first gig in a tiny club, and then later get them to a point where they’re headlining arenas and festivals, is truly something special. You maintain a good relationship with them to the point where you know their families well, and as we’ve seen numerous times, record company people come and go but it’s often the case where agents are one of the very few people that remain a consistent presence in their lives. It’s great if you sign a big artist, but the good vibes really come from working with emerging talents you’ve been with from the very beginning. They’ve grown with you, and that’s really special.”

What do they admire most about each other…

EB: “It’s his dedication. He’s done an amazing job balancing his family and his job without ever taking his eye off the ball. His clients get 100% of him, but his family are also properly looked after to the point where he’s even allowed his children to have a dog, and he hates dogs! He’s always been so supportive of me, and without him, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

MG: “Emma’s a leader, and she’s brilliant at what she does. She’s so intuitive about the way our business should grow, and thinks nonstop about how we can develop a culture and how we can bring people on. It’s very rare in life that you have a working relationship that we’ve had that supports each other, and her leadership qualities are second to none.”

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

Largest edition of IFF to open doors in 3 weeks

More than 1,000 music festival professionals and booking agents are expected to attend this month’s International Festival Forum (IFF), which is presented in association with TicketSwap.

Just 100 tickets are left for the invitation-only gathering, which will take place at a new campus location at Omeara in South London from 26-28 September.

IFF mixes conference debate, lunches, dinners and private agency pop up offices with a schedule of live showcases. Networking events this year include The IFF Opening Party, hosted by CAA & Rock Werchter, at Flat Iron Square on Tuesday 26 Sept., while WME hosts its annual Happy Hour the following day, and the Wasserman Music Drinks take place on Thursday 28 Sept.

The third round of agency partner showcases was announced this week. One Fiinix Live closes the daytime live programme on 27 September with performances from Blair Davie and KAWALA. Then, on 28 Sept., Primary Talent International will present Antony Szmierek, Cathy Jain, Lost Romantic and SIPHO, with ATC Live later presenting Divorce, English Teacher, O and The Silhouettes Project.

Music from Ireland, Music Finland and The Spanish Wave will present five of the fastest-rising artists from their respective markets

This year’s International Showcase is hosted by Music from Ireland (Gurriers, Enola Gay & Lucy McWilliams), Music Finland (Joalin) and The Spanish Wave (Maika Makovski). Meanwhile, Music Venue Trust showcases four emerging artists on a unique ‘United by Music’ night on Thurs 28 Sept.

IFF’s debate schedule is now complete and will launch with ‘The Festival Season 2023’ at 10am on Wednesday 27 Sept., featuring panellists Christof Huber (Yourope), Pavla Slivova (Colours of Ostrava), Alex Bruford (ATC Live), Stephan Thanscheidt (FKP Scorpio) and Almudena Heredero (Primavera Sound).

‘The Audience Session’, which will follow from 11.30am, will see Sarah Slater (Ticketmaster), David Mogendoorf (TikTok), Niek Murray (Pinkpop) and Sophie Roberts (UTA) offer insights on how festivals and artists are keeping up with a changing audience, and engaging fans both at the event and beyond.

In addition, WME agent Andy Duggan will host ‘Headliners: The Winner takes it All?’ from 10am on 28 September, which will delve into the issues around crafting the perfect festival bill. CAA chiefs Emma Banks and Mike Greek will then jointly deliver The IFF Keynote at 11.30am.

As well as 13 core booking agency partners, key supporters for this year’s event include Ticketmaster as platinum partner; FKP Scorpio, DEAG, Tysers, Intent and TVG Hospitality as associate partners; and The Jockey Club Venues as conference host.

Previous editions of IFF have seen early-stage performances from the likes of Lewis Capaldi, Tom Grennan, Yonaka, Bob Vylan, Sam Ryder, Slaves, Raye, Black Midi, Loyle Carner, Dermot Kennedy and Shame.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

How TicketSwap is revolutionising ticketing in 2023

TicketSwap, IFF’s official title partner, has spent over a decade making ticketing fairer and safer – and the past year has been no different. The ticket resale app has seen great success in the past year with a roster of innovations – all designed to make the ticketing space fairer and safer for fans, organisers and artists alike.

Here are four things TicketSwap did in 2023 that placed them at the very front of the ticketing landscape…

Taking the headache out of ticket storage
Getting your hands on tickets to events is one thing – storing them somewhere safe and easily accessible is another challenge altogether. TicketSwap’s new Ticket Import Function enables fans to effortlessly import PDF tickets into the app, allowing for organised storage and hassle-free access. The Ticket Import Function also comes with juicy extras for fans, like the chance to win VIP upgrades at events, drinks tokens, queue fast-tracks and other TicketSwap benefits.

Future-proofing with FairShare
The events industry has been hit hard over recent years, with a staggering number of events being cancelled or postponed indefinitely. But TicketSwap’s new feature, FairShare, makes the secondary ticket market more future-proof for all parties.

With FairShare, any profit on tickets sold is shared equally between the ticket seller and event organiser. With this, both TicketSwap and fans invest in the event industry and support event organisers in producing events in the future. The new feature also ensures that there are fewer overpriced tickets in circulation.

FairShare also gives fans the perfect way to show up for their favourite artists, giving them the chance to invest back into the event industry and support their favourite event organizers.

Cutting edge content
Through its partnerships with event organisers around the world, TicketSwap has spent 2023 giving its following access to the most in-demand stages, sets, parties and events through its content offerings. By fostering social collaborations with acclaimed international artists and household names, the content team is redefining the live music and festival experience, bringing it right to fans’ fingertips – quite literally, across Instagram, TikTok and beyond.

And, for the fans who are feeling lucky, TicketSwap also launched a regular giveaway series offering fans the chance to win tickets to be there, in person, at their very favourite events – an initiative that has created an overwhelming buzz on the app’s social platforms.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SOS (@saveoursceneuk)

Strengthening trust with seamless integrations
TicketSwap’s alliance with experience platforms demonstrates the app’s dedication to revolutionizing the ticketing sector. These collaborations empower TicketSwap to offer its widely-used SecureSwap feature for numerous events, enhancing the resale security for secondary tickets across various occasions.

According to Mike Robinson, country lead UK at TicketSwap, the integration “allows old ticket barcodes to be invalidated, new barcodes to be generated and a brand new ticket issued to the customer.” This eradicates issues at the door around fraud, name changes and tickets being sold multiple times on different platforms – and, to quote Robinson, is “a game changer.”

Want to join us on the journey? Reach out to us at [email protected]
IG/TW/LI/TT: @ticketswap

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IFF 2023: Emma Banks and Mike Greek set for keynote

CAA chiefs Emma Banks and Mike Greek will deliver a joint keynote at this year’s International Festival Forum (IFF), taking place between 26-28 September in London.

After more than 30 years of working together, the powerhouse duo behind CAA’s London office will share the conference stage for the first time ever.

This year’s keynote is due to take place at 11:30 on Thursday 28 September at IFF’s new home in south London.

Iconic music venue Omeara and its surrounding spaces will form the campus, hosting booking agency and export office showcases, pop-up offices, speed meetings, conference debates, parties and more.

Iconic music venue Omeara and its surrounding spaces will form the campus

Since launching in 2015, IFF has become the leading annual gathering for festivals and booking agents, bringing the industry’s principal buyers and sellers together each autumn, when conversations about the following year’s festival line-ups are well underway.

Booking agency partners on this year’s IFF include CAA, WME, Wasserman, UTA, X-ray Touring, Primary Talent, ATC Live, Earth Agency, Solo and many others.

The 2023 edition is in association with TicketSwap, and backed by leading festival associations including the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), YOUROPE and international festivals federation DeConcert!

In addition, Music Venue Trust will host a National Lottery-funded ‘Revive Live’ show on the final night.

IFF is an invitation-only event organised by the ILMC. Full details, including how to apply to attend are at www.iff.rocks. A 90-second video summary about the event can be viewed below.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IFF announces 2023 edition with new venue

The ninth edition of the International Festival Forum (IFF) will take place at a new campus location this year in a move that allows an expanded programme and increased delegate numbers.

IFF, presented in association with TicketSwap, will take place in South London music venue Omeara from 26-28 September. The venue and surrounding spaces will form the IFF Campus and host booking agency and export office showcases, pop up offices, speed meetings, conference debates, parties and more.

Since launching in 2015, IFF has become the leading annual gathering for festivals and booking agents, bringing the industry’s principal buyers and sellers together each autumn, when conversations about the following year’s festival line-ups are well underway.

Booking agency partners on this year’s IFF include CAA, WME, Wasserman, UTA, X-ray Touring, Primary Talent, ATC Live, Earth Agency, Solo and many others. The 2023 edition is also backed by leading festival associations including the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), YOUROPE and international festivals federation DeConcert!

In addition, Music Venue Trust will host a National Lottery-funded ‘Revive Live’ show on the final night.

“We can’t wait to welcome the music festival community to London in a few short months”

“With around 1,000 delegates expected in 2023, representing tens of thousands of artists and over 750 festivals from around the globe, this year’s IFF is definitely moving up a gear,” says International Live Music Conference (ILMC) head Greg Parmley. “We can’t wait to welcome the music festival community to London in a few short months for this entirely in-person edition.”

Previous editions of IFF have included early performances from Lewis Capaldi, Tom Grennan, Yonaka, Bob Vylan, Sam Ryder, Slaves, Raye, Black Midi, Loyle Carner, Dermot Kennedy and Shame, among others.

Meanwhile, as a venue, Omeara boasts two live stages, and has hosted early London shows by the likes of Maggie Rogers, Julia Jacklin, Sam Fender and Idles. The venue opened its doors in Southwark in late 2016, bucking the trend for widespread venue closure across London at the time.

IFF is an invitation-only event organised by the ILMC. Full details, including how to apply to attend are at www.iff.rocks. A 90-second video summary about the event can be viewed below.

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IQ 114 out now: Di and Gi, Green Guardians, Stadiums

IQ 114, the latest issue of the international live music industry’s favourite magazine, is available to read online now.

The October edition sees writer Derek Robertson take the temperature of the global stadium circuit post-Covid for Pitch Perfect: Stadium Report 2022.

This issue also reveals the New Bosses 2022, as well as the Green Guardians Guide – a review of the latest and greatest innovations helping to green the industry.

IQ readers can also enjoy a double whammy of Italy-related content, with writer Adam Woods examining the state of the country’s live music industry for a market report on p56, and IQ news editor James Hanley ringing in Di & Gi’s 35th anniversary on p28.

Elsewhere, IQ reviews the eighth edition of the International Festival Forum (IFF), which saw a record 800 delegates from 40 countries flock to London last month.

For this edition’s columns and comments, Ticketmaster’s Sarah Slater talks about the record-breaking summer of events and outgoing AIF CEO Paul Reed on the past, present, and future of the festival sector.

As always, the majority of the magazine’s content will appear online in some form in the next four weeks.

However, if you can’t wait for your fix of essential live music industry features, opinion and analysis, click here to subscribe to IQ from just £6.25 a month – or check out what you’re missing out on with the limited preview below:

 

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IFF ’22: The new kids take centre stage

The teams behind the multitude of new companies and events to launch post-Covid took the spotlight on the final day of this year’s International Festival Forum (IFF) in London.

Moderated by IQ‘s Lisa Henderson, the New Kids on the Block quickfire presentation session heard from the key new festival and agencies to have emerged in the last 18 months.

The panel featured FKP Scorpio MD Stephan Thanscheidt, Mother Artists co-founder Natasha Gregory, Barbara Hexges of Goodlive’s Superbloom, Runway Artists founder Matt Hanner and Jess Kinn and Emma Davis from booking agency One Fiinix Live.

Thanscheidt discussed the success of the debut edition of FKP’s new open-air festival Tempelhof Sounds, launched with DreamHaus and Loft Concerts on the grounds of Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport in June. The event was headlined by Florence + The Machine, Muse and The Strokes.

“We had strong media partners and huge media reach, so the brand got established really quickly”

“We announced it last October, and four weeks later Omicron kicked in,” sighed Thanscheidt. “But we had a fantastic premiere. We had 40,000 people per day, which made us really happy because we were pretty much restricted because of Corona in Germany until this April. So the first edition went  really well and we had strong media partners and huge media reach, so the brand got established really quickly. The city of Berlin also welcomed us with open arms, which was fantastic for us.

“It was cool to book our new festival because most of the festivals we do were booked the second half of ’19 and then got postponed and postponed and postponed. So we had to wait until this year and there were a lot of bands who couldn’t get the slots at other festivals, so we had a fantastic line-up that was fresh and was really well received by the audience.

“We had a very good audience that was also interested in all of the topics that are part of the philosophy of this festival, like diversity, gender equality and all these kinds of things. We had a huge sustainability programme, and we set ourselves clear goals from the very start.”

Gregory, meanwhile, spoke about the progress of artist management and live agency called Mother Artists, which she launched in 2020 with her brother, music manager Mark Bent. The agency represents the likes of Idles, First Aid Kit, Amy Macdonald, Bombay Bicycle Club and Foster the People.

“It’s just about being honest with each other and realising that you’re dealing with humans”

Detailing the firm’s patented  “no-bullshit” policy, Gregory said: “It’s just about being honest with each other and realising that you’re dealing with humans. When we’re talking about festivals and budgets, we’re having an honest conversation [with promoters] and we come to the same number – there isn’t this working against each other.

“The pride I have in teams like Idles is that I don’t feel like I’m going to lose my job every day and I hope that the promoters feel the same way. We are all the same team, you leave your egos on the side. We’re all in it for the same reason, and there is zero tolerance for bullying. If someone writes a shitty email to someone in my team, we don’t accept it, I support them… That sounds like a great place to work.”

Hexges reported on the two-day Superbloom, which finally launched in Munich’s historic Olympic Park in September after two postponements due to Covid-related restrictions. Calvin Harris, Macklemore, Megan Thee Stallion, Rita Ora, Skepta and David Guetta were among the acts that performed across 11 stages during the event.

Alongside live music, the festival delivered a multi-faceted programme of art, culture, diversity, lifestyle, society, research and development, sustainability and science, with the aim of “redefining the music festival concept”.

“We had 50,000 visitors per day on a huge, historic location in the heart of Munich”

“We had 50,000 visitors per day on a huge, historic location in the heart of Munich,” said Hexges. “It was our first edition and we sold out. It had eight stages, including three main stages – one indoor – and the concept includes 50% music and 50% experience. We had 11 experience areas and it was a tough ride to be honest, but it worked and I was surprised at how well it went.”

Former ATC Live agent Hanner recalled taking a leap of faith and setting up Runway in spring 2020, having been made redundant shortly after the onset of Covid-19. The company made Steve Backman, formerly of Primary Talent International, its first agent appointment last year and expanded its team with four new hires in early 2022.

“The pandemic forced my hand,” he said. “I had a choice to make at that stage. And having spoken to a few artists and knowing that they’d come with me to be part of a fledgling roster, I was made redundant on the Friday and I think Runway began to exist in some form the following Monday. So it was a pretty swift turnaround.”

“We try to get involved building careers, for artists in meaningful ways, not just for the ones who are going to make us a bit of money next week”

He continued: “We are very independent, and we work with a lot of independent managers, a lot of independent artists and that is broadly what ties a lot of our roster together, even more so than stylistically. It also means that we’re pretty involved with our artists and our teams. We like to think of ourselves as boots on the ground, part of a core artist team.

“We try to get involved building careers, for artists in meaningful ways, not just for the ones who are going to make us a bit of money next week, but hopefully the ones that are going to make us some money maybe in eight years’ time. It also means that we’re growing our team organically. We’re not able to throw money at things.”

Booking agency One Fiinix Live was launched by Ed Sheeran agent Jon Ollier following his departure from CAA in late 2020. Davis – who served as Ollier’s assistant at CAA – joined the company from its inception, with ex-Paradigm agent Kinn coming on board in February 2021. The duo debated the benefits of working for a growing independent company.

“One of the most important is that we kind of make the rules,” suggested Davis. “The job is the same and you’re working with the same people but we have the power to go the way we want to, which is exciting.”

“It is also making sure we’re not just putting an artist out there for the sake of it and really sticking to the strategy of only touring at the right time, especially now,” adds Kinn. “Being able to pick and choose helps.”

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

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.”

 


Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.