Australian Festival Industry Conference 2025

John Rostron is the Chief Executive of the Association of Independent Festivals, the UK's festival representative body. AIF membership has grown rapidly in recent years and now supports around 150 of the leading independent music festivals in the UK. Amongst other things John also Chairs the LIVE Expert Group for festivals and sits on the Advisory Board for Vision For Sustainable events supporting a more sustainable outdoor events sector. 

In 2023 John was appointed to the Board of Creative Wales - the Welsh Govt department for the Creative Industries. He advises on the Music Sector in Wales.

Jason Holmes is a specialist in insurance for festivals, major events, entertainment, film, conference and exhibition industries. He began his insurance career with an international broker back in 1995, and over the last 27 years, has looked after insurance for all facets of the entertainment industry. In 2007, he founded H2 Insurance Solutions.

With a portfolio of national and international clients, including TEG, Frontier Touring, Regional Touring, Zaccaria Concerts & Touring, The Untitled Group, Chugg Entertainment, Bluesfest, Live Nation, Nitro Circus and many more, Jason has all the tools and experience to best represent his clients to insurers.

Jason is always looking for areas of improvement and prides himself on understanding the unique needs of his clients, to ensure their specifications are met and expectations are exceeded. Whether it be a local community event or a large festival or national/international tour, a local TV production or an international feature film, H2 Insurance Solutions have an experienced team throughout Australia and New Zealand and across the globe who are ready to provide insurance advice and solutions with service and integrity.

Alana Hay is the Founder and Managing Director of Milestone Creative Australia - a multi award-winning event marketing, digital, social and creative agency. Alana is an experienced marketing professional with 20+ years’ experience in operations and marketing for major events and festivals, business events, venues, hospitality, music, entertainment and tourism. She has previously served as a director of Meetings & Events Australia.

Alana has led hundreds of national and global event marketing campaigns and strategies for festivals and major events. Examples include SailGP, Bondi Festival, Very Short Film Festival, Naidoc Week celebrations, Pride and Joy Sydney, Cheeky Food Events, Park Sounds, and many more!

Badi, along with his sister Shabnam, founded Casual Hands with the ambition to support the community, workforce and to drive change for good in the industry. Badi is a recognised expert in the field, having been involved in projects across all of Australia and across the globe. Badi has developed a proprietary owned staff management and reporting software – a recognised game changer within the events industry. He has also developed an integrated network of companies that provide a one-stop, full-service solution to meet all his client’s needs and objectives.

Badi’s focus is to work with his clients to develop innovative solutions that benefit their business and providing them with the most experienced, friendly and dedicated staff. His passion for sustainability has also seen him build a team whose focus is to work with clients to find ways that helps them meet their sustainability targets and reduce their carbon footprint without the need for significant capital injection.

Casual Hands is a nationally recognised event staffing and labour hire solutions provider, which services both private and public sector clients. It provides clients with staff in the areas of hospitality, events, cleaning, security, customer service, as well as kitchen and culinary support. The company manages the recruitment, training and onboarding of all staff. Some of Casual Hands’ most prominent clients include AGB Events, Vivid Sydney, City of Sydney and SXSW to name just a few.

Travis is a highly experienced technical strategist with over 23 years of expertise in the music, entertainment and event industries. In his role at Aggreko, Travis specializes in crafting innovative strategies to help brands optimize their energy solutions at events.

He began his career in Darwin as a local sound engineer and rigger, before joining core production teams for major events such as Soundwave, Stereosonic, and Splendour in the Grass. His career then expanded globally as a technical production specialist.

Since 2018, Travis has focused on event electrical delivery, contributing to high-profile events like the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the 2020/21 Tokyo Olympics, and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

His mission is to inspire others and support companies in embracing the energy transition for a more sustainable future.

Badi, along with his sister Shabnam, founded Casual Hands with the ambition to support the community, workforce and to drive change for good in the industry. Badi is a recognised expert in the field, having been involved in projects across all of Australia and across the globe. Badi has developed a proprietary owned staff management and reporting software – a recognised game changer within the events industry. He has also developed an integrated network of companies that provide a one-stop, full-service solution to meet all his client’s needs and objectives.

Badi’s focus is to work with his clients to develop innovative solutions that benefit their business and providing them with the most experienced, friendly and dedicated staff. His passion for sustainability has also seen him build a team whose focus is to work with clients to find ways that helps them meet their sustainability targets and reduce their carbon footprint without the need for significant capital injection.

Casual Hands is a nationally recognised event staffing and labour hire solutions provider, which services both private and public sector clients. It provides clients with staff in the areas of hospitality, events, cleaning, security, customer service, as well as kitchen and culinary support. The company manages the recruitment, training and onboarding of all staff. Some of Casual Hands’ most prominent clients include AGB Events, Vivid Sydney, City of Sydney and SXSW to name just a few.