Australian Festival Industry Conference 30-31 August 2023

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)