AIF Hosts a Series of Seminars on Bad Weather and Festival Marketing

Bad Weather / Festival Marketing & Sponsorship Seminars

9:30am -17:15 6th February 2013

Level 5 Function Room, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London

SE1 8XX

• Speakers to include Freddie Fellowes, Secret Garden Party; Greg Parmley, Intellitix; Ian Compton, CMS; Simon James, The Event Safety Shop and Steve Reynolds, Showsec

14^th January, London:-  Following the success of 2012’s Structural Safety and Crowd Management Conference, AIF is back with another event to shed light on major issues facing the UK’s festival market. This series of seminars will be broken into two halves; ways in which festivals can mitigate damage and avoid tragedies in the event of bad weather, and a thorough look into elusive area of festival marketing and sponsorship.The first half of the event will delve into the details of how to prepare for bad weather – right from the planning of the festival through to what to do if bad weather hits. It will be kicked off with a seminar by Simon James (The Event Safety Shop) that will cover contingency planning for UK outdoor events and how to respond to emergency situations that arise as a result of the weather.This will be followed by a panel discussion investigating measures that can be put in place so that, should bad weather arrive, procedures can be swiftly and safely implemented and all the necessary legalities are covered.  The panel of experts in the area will include Emma Parkinson (OXFAM), Shaun Coyne (Hyperion Adjusters), Simon James (TESS) and Steve Reynolds (Showsec).The second half of the event will look at festival marketing and provide information on how to make sure the right audience is reached with the right message and at the right cost.  Ian Compton (CMS) will go into depth on media strategy on a small budget through to the ins and outs of social media.  Following this Tom O’Meara (Digital Content Specialist) will cover how to effectively utilise all the free promotional tools available.A panel discussion will cap off the day on securing sponsorship and funding in order to deliver exceptional events, without compromising the festival’s brand. The line up for this panel will include Greg Parmley (Intellitix), Chris McCormick (Bluepeg) , Dan Walsh (We Are Full Fat) Freddie Fellowes (Secret Garden Party) and Gary Pitt (Get In Bed).Ben Turner, Co-founder and Deputy Chair, AIF said "Problems arising from increasingly frequent episodes of extreme weather conditions during the festival season are becoming far too common. It used to be an issue we'd read about in Europe but now it’s in the UK and it’s likely to continue.“It's the responsibility of the organisers and their staff to ensure that contingency planning is properly considered prior to the event, should it need to be implemented at the last minute. The morning sessions in this series of seminars will cover everything necessary to make sure all festivals are committed to giving their audience a safe and enjoyable experience - come rain or shine."Said Freddie Fellowes, founder of Secret Garden Party and Secret Productions “Sponsorship is the opiate of our industry; attractive to try once and then almost impossible to kick the habit” Event DetailsDate:                    6^th February 2013Time:                    Morning Session – 9:30 to 13:10Afternoon Sessions – 14:10 to 17.15Venue:                 Level 5 Function Room, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road,  London SE1 8XXCost:Full day Conference: £80Full day (AIF Members): £60Half day – morning only  £50Half day – morning only (AIF Members)  £35Half day – afternoon only  £50Half day – afternoon only (AIF Members)  £35Tickets must be purchased in advance from: http://aiforg.com/events_view.php?event_id=26 MORNING SESSIONS - WEATHERING THE STORM (09:30 - 13:10)It’s essential that the possibility of extreme weather conditions be taken into consideration from the very start when planning an event. Difficult decisions need to be made before hand and not when bad weather hits.Is the site designed in a reliable way? What is the chain of command? What are your trigger points? Who is aware of the contingency plan?Expert speakers, including Simon James - The Event Safety Shop and Shuan Coyne - loss adjustor for festivals, come together to present and discuss the sufficient measures that need to be put in place to ensure past tragedies are not repeated at your event.AFTERNOON SESSIONS - TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS (14:10 - 16:45)Independent festivals are not known for their huge marketing budgets or flagrant corporate sponsorship. However they are known for their steady supply of quality music and feel-good experiences and providing this costs money that income from tickets sales often doesn't cover.The second half of the event will provide you with the necessary understanding of how to make sure you reach the right audience with the right message and at the right cost. It will also explore how to secure the sponsorship and funding that festivals need in order to deliver exceptional events, without compromising your identity. Speakers include Freddie Fellowes - founder of The Secret Garden Party and Gary Pitt - Get In Bed the brand specialists working with many festivals including Bestival, Cornbury, Evolution and Snowbombing. SCHEDULEMORNING SESSIONS09:30 – 10:00 – REGISTRATION10:00 – 10:10 – WELCOME & INTRO10:10 – 11:40 – BAD WEATHER PLANNING & ACTION SEMINARSimon James – The Event Safety ShopThis seminar will explore the contingency planning that is essential for outdoor event organisers in the UK. With advice for how to respond to certain weather events and emergency situations, as well as the opportunity to apply contingency planning methods to your own events, this is set to be a very useful and engaging session for festivals organisers, and all of those who have responsibility for risk management at outdoor events.11:40 – 11:55 – COFFEE BREAK11:55 – 13:10 – BAD WEATHER PANEL / Q&AA panel of bad weather experts will discuss how to best ensure that in the case of extreme conditions hitting, events can ensure that correct measures are already in place and the necessary legalities are covered, so that procedures can be swiftly and safely implemented. With first hand experience of what can go wrong and how problems could have been averted these speakers will provide a valuable insight into safeguarding against disasters.Panellists include:Emma Parkinson (OXFAM)Shaun Coyne (Hyperion Adjusters)Simon James (TESS)Steve Reynolds (Showsec)More TBCPlease note that in order to keep costs to a minimum lunch is currently not provided, but there are plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants at the SouthBank Centre.AFTERNOON SESSIONS13:45 – 14:40 – REGISTRATION14:10 – 14:15 – INTRO’S & WELCOMES14:15 – 14:55 – MEDIA BUYING & PLANNING PRESENTATIONIan Compton – CMSThis presentation will explore how festivals can effectively plan and implement a media strategy on a small budget. Covering all areas such as Print Online/Mobile, Posters even TV. The focus will be on Online; namely Facebook, Google,YouTube and the tricks used to make sure a campaign is built correctly and runs to the best of its ability.14:55 – 15:25 – SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIGITAL CONTENT PRESENTATIONTom O’Meara – Digital Content SpecialistThe second presentation will cover opportunities for free promotion, especially using social media networking sites.15:25 – 15:40 – COFFEE BREAK15:40 – 16:00 – FUNDING PRESENTATIONTBC16:00 – 17:15 – SPONSORSHIP, BRANDING & FUNDING OF FESTIVALS PANEL / Q&ASpecialists from the festival industry and world of sponsorship and branding will consider the ways in which events can use partnerships to enrich the audience experience. However maintaining an identity is key and this sort of sponsorship isn't for everyone. Does less funding mean more independence? How can you maintain your identity while ensuring that you cover your costs? Alternative ways to secure the necessary funding will also be discussed.Speakers include:Greg Parmley – Intellitix (Moderator)Chris McCormick – BluepegDan Walsh (We Are Full Fat)Freddie Fellowes – Secret Garden PartyGary Pitt – Get In Bed (Evolution & Bestival)More TBC

About AIF

The Association of Independent Festivals is a not for profit body set up in 2008 to represent independent music festivals in the UK and Ireland.Conceived by Bestival promoter Rob da Bank and Graphite’s Ben Turner, the association’s founder members included Bestival, Cornbury Festival, Creamfields, Evolution Festival, Field Day/Underage, Secret Garden Party, Summer Sundae Weekender and WOMAD.With 31 members ranging from Bromley’s Leefest to the 55,000 capacity Bestival in the Isle of Wight, AIF enables the promoters of some of the UK & Ireland’s most innovative and successful festivals to speak with one voice when addressing the wider music business and government.AIF aims to establish best practice for festivals in a variety of areas such as security, the environment and beyond, providing a knowledge base for festival promoters, as well as creating collective purchasing and marketing opportunities for its members.AIF operates as an autonomous division of the Association of Independent Music.For press enquiries please contact:Hugo Mintz/ hugo@namepr.co.uk   020 835 77305