First speakers announced for 2025 Australian Festival Industry Conference

The Australian Festival Industry Conference (AFIC) has advised of the first round of confirmed speakers who will appear at its 2025 event in Brisbane.

John Rostron, Chief Executive of the UK’s Association for Independent Festivals (AIF), Chair of the LIVE Expert Group for festivals and a member of the advisory board for Vision for Sustainable Events, is the first confirmed keynote.

In his presentation he will discuss the current challenges being faced in the UK and how the industry body is working with government and its members to overcome these in order to keep the industry alive.

Additional speakers on the program are:

• Greg Cavanagh, Chief Executive, Gympie Music Muster
• Charlie Cush, Chief Executive, Brisbane Festival
• Vicky Lowry, General Manager, Deni Ute Muster
• Chris Woods, Head of Partnerships, APAC, Flicket
• Sylvie Maclean, Head of Commercial, Tixel
• Louise Bezzina, Artistic Director, Brisbane Festival
• Heidi Lenffer, Founder and Director, Feat.
• Alana Hay, Founder and Managing Director, Milestone Creative
• Jason Holmes, Managing Director of H2 Insurance Solutions
• Badi Noble, Founder and Director of Casual Hands

Excited to bring AFIC to Brisbane for the very first time, AFIC founder and Event Director, Carlina Ericson commented “I’m proud to announce this year’s first round of speakers - they each represent a pocket of the industry, ranging from festival producers, to expert event marketers, to human resource specialists and more,” she said.

With the full conference program to be formally revealed in the coming weeks, speakers are drawn from vital pockets of the industry, ranging from festival direction, to event marketing, to volunteer management and ticketing.

Ericson added “this year we're excited to be bringing you another jam-packed event, full of rare learning opportunities.”

Presentation will see some of Australia's leading festival management personnel address topics such as:

• The challenges being faced in the United Kingdom and how industry is working together and with Government to resolve key issues
• Philanthropy management
• Sustainable energy management
• Best-practice volunteer management systems and processes
• Ticketing trends, challenges and opportunities 
• Marketing tips and tricks
• Insurance guidance
Plus, a unique and rare opportunity to ask industry-leading experts for their advice on some of the challenges you're facing.

AFIC will be held on 8th and 9th September at Rivershed in Brisbane.

Early bird tickets go on sale on 5th March.

Click here for more information on AFIC 2025 in the Australasian Leisure Management calendar.

Image: John Rostron of the Association for Independent Festivals (UK).