We acknowledge that for AFIC 2023, we met on the lands of the Cammeraygal people. The Cammeraygal are the traditional custodians of this land and are part of the greater Eora Nation. We pay our respects to past, present and future ancestors of the Aboriginal nations.
The Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) is the Asia Pacific’s leading industry meeting place for festival management personnel who deliver quality music, arts & culture, food & drink, ideas and sporting festivals. Learn more
AFIC is a chance for organisers to learn, share and network with industry colleagues, whilst meeting and connecting with industry suppliers, grant providers and educational institutions.
Delegates include festival producers/directors/managers from all festival types from public (all tiers), private, and not-for-profit sectors, and come from across Australia and abroad. Learn more
AFIC’s third annual event was held across Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 August 2023 at Luna Park, Sydney.
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2023 speakers, panellists and workshop presenters
- (Keynote) Rhoda Roberts AO – Creative Director, Parrtjima Festival and First Nations Advisor to AGB Events
- (Keynote) Anthony Bastic AM – CEO & Creative Director, AGB Events
- Samantha Palmer – General Manager Visitor Economy and Client Programs, AUSTRADE
- The Hon. John Graham, MLC – NSW Minister for the Arts; Minister for Music and the Night-time Economy; Minister for Jobs and Tourism
- Berish Bilander – CEO, Green Music Australia
- Greg Donavan – Managing Director, Outback Music Festival Group
- Ashleigh O’Gara – Event Manager, Ability Fest (Untitled Group)
- Caitlin McNaughton – Manager, Research and Insights, Patternmakers
- Andrew Macarthur – Managing Director, Clean Vibes and City Return and Earn
- Shannon Green – Senior Manager, Business Development, Sydney Showground (Royal Agricultural Society of NSW)
- Liz Martin – CEO, Accessible Arts
- Sally Porteous – Managing Director, Red Lanyard & The Event Planners Workshop; Founder, Event Managers Network
- Lisa Dowsett – Head of Events & Partnerships, Northern Beaches Council
- Jake Challenor – CEO & Co-Founder, Sound Story
- Alana Hay – Founder and Managing Director, Milestone Creative
- Roderick van Gelder – Crowd Safety Consultant, Event Safety Institute Australia
- Jason Holmes – Managing Director, H2 Insurance Solutions
- Jessica Wundke – Manager of Policy Reform, Green Industries SA
- Jeremy Fleming – Founder and CEO, Stagekings (New Product Showcase presenter)
- Luke Trickett – Founder and Managing Director, Backpocket (New Product Showcase presenter)
- Andew Stone – General Manager, Meshh Australia (New Product Showcase presenter)
- Robert Slikker, Group General Manager, Olinga Group / Bold Futures (New Product Showcase presenter)
- Dr Abbas Elmualim – Partner, Bold Futures (New Product Showcase presenter)
- Sean Murphy – AFIC Master of Ceremonies
2023 Program
Spanning two days, the conference featured:
- Two keynote presentations by Rhoda Roberts AO and Anthony Bastic AM;
- Updates from the NSW Government and Austrade;
- Presentations from 20+ industry-leading professionals;
- Three panel discussions covering accessibility, sustainability and a general ‘ask the experts’ session
- Two evening networking events, including a three hour Sydney harbour sunset cruise
- Trade exhibition
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Why attend AFIC?
AFIC is the Asia Pacific’s leading industry meeting place for festival management personnel. It’s a rare and vital opportunity to –
NETWORK WITH PROFESSIONALS FROM ACROSS AUSTRALIA
- Meet like-minded professionals
- Expand your national client base and form new partnerships
- Acquire new staff
- Discover new suppliers and/or reinforce existing supplier relations
EDUCATE YOURSELF & YOUR STAFF
- Gain valuable insights into the future of our industry
- Obtain timely and targeted information to ensure your business’s survival
- Engage in robust conversations and contribute to developing best-practice
- Reinforce your professional standing in the Australian festival community
Event galleries
View our event galleries from the 2022 event and the 2019 event.
Get social with us and connect with your colleagues
Follow AFIC on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
Connect with your colleagues through our LinkedIn Group or Facebook Group – or simply search ‘Australian Festival Industry Professionals’.
Testimonials
What previous delegates and speakers say about AFIC..
“It was a real pleasure and great to be involved in the event for the first time. You’re (Carlina Ericson) superb at organising events and the boat party was outstanding, you really nailed that one. The food was excellent, along with the whole crowd. Thanks again as I wouldn’t have ventured out here if it wasn’t for your event.” Tushar Joshie, CEO, FestivalPro (UK)
“A wonderful conference for industry professionals from the festival landscape to share knowledge, learn about innovative developments, exchange information and discuss the key issues the industry faces. I was able to network and hear from some of the most experienced professionals on important topics. Being the only conference in Australia dedicated to servicing festival industry professionals I felt it was important to attend the inaugural Australian Festival Industry Conference.” Heather Croall, CEO, Adelaide Fringe Festival (SA)
“Taking part in AFIC 2022 was such a memorable and enjoyable experience. As someone who has spent most of my career working in the music industry, it was so beneficial for me to meet the key players of the festival and events industry and hear about their challenges and triumphs through a series of panels, workshops and keynote speeches. There were inspiring take-aways and of course, some great networking and new friendships formed. Would highly recommend AFIC to anyone involved in any facet of both the festival and events industry (regional and metro) as well as the music industry in general.” Jane Gazzo, music journalist and event producer (VIC)
“Australia’s festival industry needs a place to collaborate, focus, share, and innovate together as a group. AFIC was everything the industry needs. This conference will become a critical piece of industry infrastructure in years to come.” Dave Horsley, Co-founder & Director, Screenwave International Film Festival (NSW)
“I was recently a speaker at AFIC 2022. It was expertly run and Carlina was a great support in the lead-up to and during the event. The event itself was an excellent way to connect with festivals and events people across lots of different industries and build some fantastic new contacts and lots of new knowledge from the varied presentations. It was a nice way for like-minded folk to come together and learn from each other in a fun and friendly environment. Highly recommend this event and looking forward to coming back next year!” Morwenna Collet, disability access and inclusion expert
“The Australian Festival Industry Conference is fast becoming the annual go to conference to better understand best practices in the event and festival space. It is a fantastic opportunity to network and learn from industry professionals across multiple disciplines. Discussions about emerging trends in events and festivals, including the use of technology, was most valuable.” Associate Professor Jamie Ranse, Founder Mass Gathering Collaboration, Griffith University (QLD)
“All the speakers were relevant to events and it was a great way to network with other event people. The location was easy to travel to and the resort was perfect.” Chantelle French, Events Officer, Waratah-Wynyard Council (TAS)
“I attended AFIC for the first time in 2022. The speakers were very engaging and packed with knowledge. I came away with solid actions and practical content that I can share with my team and event organisers. The networking was invaluable – I made many new connections that I know we can build on in future. I look forward to 2023!” Michaela Davis, Event Advisory Group, Fraser Coast Regional Council (QLD)
“You did a brilliant job of curating relevant and useful presentations for the inaugural event. I wouldn’t have changed anything & I found it a very useful event for networking.” Phil Nicholas, Events Delivered (NSW)
2023 Partners
Strategic Partner

Gold and Harbour Cruise Partner

Gold Partners
Marketing Partner

New Product Showcase Partner




Welcome Function Partner
