AIF announces full Festival Congress 2022 programme for February 15th in Bristol
Speakers from Black Lives In Music, Vision Nine, NME, The Mighty Hoopla, Boomtown Fair + more confirmed.
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The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) are delighted to reveal the full programme for our flagship Festival Congress event in Bristol on Feb 15th. 

Alongside the already announced headline conversation between The F-List For Music’s Brix Smith and Vick Bain with The Guardian’s Laura Snapes, confirmed sessions include an opening keynote from Black Lives in Music co-founder Roger Wilson.

A ‘State Of Independence’ panel will see leading festival organisers offer key insights and reflections on ongoing challenges heading into the 2022 festival season. The panel will consist of Jamie Tagg (Mighty Hoopla), Steven Campbell (Eskimo Dance), Lynsey Wollaston (Vision Nine – Boardmasters, NASS) and Emma Holling (Underneath The Stars), and will be moderated by Andrew Trendell (Senior News Reporter, NME). 

There will also be a series of ‘Status Check’ sessions consisting of 10-minute talks from experts on various key topics and crucial issues as festival organisers head into this season. 

These Include: 

• The Impact Of Brexit – David Martin (CEO, Featured Artists Coalition) 

• Festival Funding – Lucy Stone (No Stone Unturned) 

• Event Insurance And Reinsurance – Tim Thornhill and Tim Rudland (Tysers) 

• Working With Traders – Roxy Bentley (NCASS) 

• Covid And Safety Protocols – Jen Mackley (Mackley Projects and Events) and Emma Parkinson (Coventry University) 

• Staffing And Volunteering – Rob Wilkinson (My Cause) 

• Supply Chain Issues – Liz Madden (No Nonsense group)
  
  Additionally there will be a series of roundtable discussions on environmental impact in association with Vision 2025 and in-depth workshops on funding, crisis communications and digital marketing. 
  
  This year’s Festival Congress takes place at Bristol’s M Shed, followed by a festival themed party at Lost Horizon – an independent venue launched by the team behind Glastonbury’s legendary Shangri La area. The party will feature (meat and fish free) street food and Guilty Pleasures DJ and Dancers.

Over 50 festival companies are already signed up to attend. Attended by an average 74% of AIF members and 350+ attendees each year, Festival Congress is a fixture and must-attend event in the festival industry calendar.

Tickets are available at £100 to AIF members and friends, with general sale starting at £150. Tickets are exclusively available through our ticketing partner Gigantic. Please visit our new microsite for ticket links, full festival line-up, transport and accommodation deals.