About AIF

The Team

Paul Reed

Chief Executive 

Paul is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the AIF alongside shaping and implementing strategic development and growth. In addition, Paul oversees all campaigns, communications, partnerships and membership development at AIF.

Paul has an extensive background in the live industry, having worked as an independent gig promoter alongside running artist liaison and stage-managing at the likes of Evolution Festival and Secret Garden Party. Prior to this, Paul worked for three years at music development agency Generator in a wide-ranging role that included managing their live programmes and editing their industry newsletter ‘The Gen’. Paul was also previously Head of Operations at classical music centre The Conservatoire and Operations Manager at festival event management company The Event Umbrella.

Favourite festival moment: Doing artist liaison for Iggy and the Stooges at Evolution Festival. Have you seen their rider?!

Phoebe Rodwell

Membership & Projects Coordinator
Phoebe works across the membership and acts as the first point of contact for all our enquires. She provides support across AIF’s wide range of projects and campaigns, helps organise all events and runs the social media channels.

Phoebe joined AIF from the Music Managers Forum where she had spent the previous 18 months growing their membership and helping produce various events, including the 2016 and 2017 Artist and Manager Awards. Prior to that she’d run around various local radio stations, provided production assistance on multiple music videos, and did a 2 week stint as the only girl on the tour bus for a UK arena tour, where she ran the merch stall and produced video content for the artist. Recently, she has also (accidentally) started managing a 5-piece all-girl band from Milton Keynes.

Favourite Festival Moment: seeing Joe Strummer at Cambridge Folk Festival in 2002 is pretty good as far as first festival experiences go… not that I remember, as I was only 5!

Info

The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) is the UK’s leading non-profit festival trade association. Created to represent and empower independent festivals, there are three key strands to our work:

  1. Creating a national network of leading independent festival promoters: With over 50 member festivals, our frequent member meetings are an invaluable hub of knowledge exchange, insight and industry updates and the best way of staying in the loop of the independent festival industry. Sharing experiences with others in the same boat on a range of issues results in a safer and more enjoyable experience for organisers and audiences alike.
  2. Business support and development: We offer members a range of tangible benefits that help their individual businesses. These include business affairs and legal support, financial advice, seminars, events and training opportunities alongside exclusive discounts and cost savings.
  3. Campaigns and initiatives: We are the collective voice of the independent festival sector, representing and lobbying to Government on issues such as secondary ticketing, PRS, Business Rates and policing. In addition, we plan and deliver impactful public facing campaigns on issues facing the industry, such as our digital blackout of festival websites to raise awareness of legal highs.

Founded in 2008 by Rob Da Bank (Bestival) and his Manager Ben Turner (Graphite Media), the AIF operates as an autonomous division of the Association of Independent Music (AIM) with its own board and governance structure. The combined attendance of AIF’s 55 member events exceeds 500,000, contributing over £200m to the UK economy annually.

AIF also operates a Friends of AIF scheme, connecting trusted suppliers and companies directly to festival organisers in everything from production to marketing, technology and merchandise.

AIF Board members

  • Rob da Bank (Bestival)
  • Stuart Galbraith (Kilimanjaro Live)
  • Alexander Bennett (Broadwick Live)
  • Becky Ayres (Liverpool Sound City)
  • Goc O’Callaghan (ArcTanGent)
  • Alex Trenchard (Standon Calling)
  • Oliver Jones (Deer Shed Festival)
  • Katherine Goodenough (Greenbelt)
  • Nick Morgan (The Fair)

Chairpersons

  • CHAIR: Jim Mawdsley (Generator)
  • VICE CHAIR: Goc O’Callaghan (ArcTanGent)