LONDON (CelebrityAccess) — The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) announced plans to break away from its parent company, the Association of Independent Music, and operate as a separate company in April.
AIF’s current General Manager Paul Reed is announced as Chief Executive of the new company. Assisting Reed will be AIF Chair Jim Mawdsley, Vice Chair Goc O’Callaghan (ArcTanGent) and a board of directors that includes executives from festivals and companies such as Standon Calling, Broadwick Live, Kilimanjaro Live, Greenbelt, Liverpool Sound City, Deershed, Bestival and The Fair.
The company will also move into new digs at The Handbag Factory in Vauxhall, London.
“Following 10 successful years, it feels like AIF has grown up and is ready to leave home. I’d like to thank all at AIM for supporting and nurturing AIF, enabling us to grow from a handful of promoters around a table to an invaluable support network for our 65 members. I’m incredibly excited about the future. We’re working on a number of initiatives and campaigns for this year and, with a new team in place, we’re in a strong position to move on to the next phase of our development,” Reed said in a press statement announcing the spinoff.
The move comes as AIF marks its 10th year of representing independent festivals in the UK. The organization was founded in 2008 by Bestival’s Rob da Bank and Ben Turner, with help from former AIM Chief Executive Alison Wenham, and over the last decade, the organization has grown from just 12 member festivals to 65.
Over the last decade, AIF has led a number of high profile campaigns supporting its member festivals and their concerns, including a wide range of issues related to police at events. They have also led campaigns to reinforce zero-tolerance policies and promote safety messages alongside signing a charter of best practice.
n 2014, the association launched its annual Festival Congress – a conference and awards event that now attracts 450 festival industry delegates every year and will take place in Sheffield for the first time in 2018 following four sold out years in Cardiff.
