CODE OF BEST PRACTICE FOR FESTIVALS, EVENTS, SUPPLIERS & INDIVIDUALS 

The Association of Festival Organisers (AFO) is open to any festival or event organiser, supplier or individual who wishes to share their knowledge and experiences, learn, teach, and strive for good standards in festival and event work. 

This Code of Best Practice is reviewed and amended from time to time by the membership. 

Association of Festival Organisers members agree to: 

1. Be honest and law abiding in all dealings with public, performers, staff, suppliers, fellow members, and the authorities. 

2. Conduct themselves in a professional manner maintaining the highest possible standards in their planning, promotion and staging of their festival or event. 

3. Ensure that they have adequate, appropriate, and full insurance cover. 

4. Ensure adequate finance to support their actions in booking artists, equipment, and services, ensuring that payments due are paid in a timely manner. 

5. Maintain a proper bank account in the name of the member organisation and account honestly and legally for monies in and out. 

6. Issue all performers, staff, and suppliers with approved forms of agreements/contracts and honour all details contained within them. 

7. Ensure that venues and sites used are safe, suitable for purpose, fully and correctly licensed and managed. 

8. Adopt the highest possible standards of health and safety so as not to endanger any person by their actions or inaction. 

9. Treat all performers, staff and the public with respect and consideration. 

10. Take advice and put into action policies of equality, discrimination and inclusivity in all areas of their work.  For further guidance see Inc Arts Unlock. 

11. Strive to provide an appropriate level of training for all staff to ensure their competency to carry out the tasks required. 

12. Conduct negotiations, engaging and employing of staff, contractors, and artists in accordance with UK equality law. 

13. Commit to providing online access information for customers, disability equality training for staff, and making events as accessible as possible, using guidance from Attitude is Everything. Attitude is Everything - Charter of Best Practice. 

14. Engage with information and guidance from sustainability organisations like Vision 2025, Julie's Bicycle, Powerful Thinking, Ecolibrium and others. To make their events more sustainable and contribute to climate change challenges. 

15. Produce accurate and truthful information on the content and style of their event. 

16. Apply any other relevant Codes of Practice and Conduct established by other professional bodies like NCASS, NOEA, TESA, PSA, the Events Industry Forum (EIF), and LIVE. 

17. Uphold the image of the AFO in the conduct of all their activities. 

18. Assist in the spread of the association by using the ‘Member of AFO’ logo on all publicity material. 

First published 01/03. Revised 06/07; 08/09; 11/12; 06/16; 01/18; 03/19; 3/2; 9/22.