Australian Festival Industry Conference 2023

About AFIC

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.

The next event will be held across Wednesday 30 and Thursday 31 August 2023 at Luna Park, Sydney. It will feature a conference program, trade exhibition and networking events.

AFIC was launched in 2019 and a follow up event was held in 2022 after a three year absence due to COVID-19. Delegates include festival producers/directors/managers from festivals that are public (all tiers), private, and not-for-profit run festivals from across Australia. Read more about who should attend.

It’s a chance for organisers to learn, share and network with industry colleagues, whilst meeting and connecting with industry suppliers, grant providers and educational institutions.

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Why attend AFIC?

AFIC is Australia's leading marketplace for the festival industry. It's a rare and vital opportunity to - 

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

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

PARTNER OR EXHIBIT

• Get your brand in front of 100+ highly targeted industry professionals through our various partnership opportunities

• Connect in-person with key decision makers from across the country

• Allow delegates to interact with your physical products, learn about your services and/or discover new technological advancements

Get social with us and connect with your fellow colleagues

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn.

Chat your colleagues by joining our Facebook Group or LinkedIn Group - or just search for 'Australian Festival Industry Professionals'.

Testimonials

What previous delegates and speakers say about AFIC..

     "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)