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General News

General News from the Association of Festival Organisers.

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Get Your Hair Cut

Get Your Hair Cut

30th September 2023

Now here’s a great new idea.  A new trade unit has just been in touch and suggested his mobile barber’s shop would be a great addition to a festival site. Fully kitted out with his own electrics from solar power and ready and willing to travel to festivals around the country. Paul, trading as Trim Fadeys Mobile Barbers can be contacted as follows:   Paul Horry: paulangus...

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Sad Losses Recently

Sad Losses Recently

30th September 2023

It would be remiss of us here at the AFO office not to recognise the loss of three major contributors to the British acoustic folk roots music scene. We have recently lost Dr Tom Brown, singer, musician, collector, producer; the amazing musician Gareth Turner, band leader, Morris musician and melodeon master; and raconteur MC and Firework Master, Keith Rusby. I have no idea whether there is any k...

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Access All Areas Conference & Awards

Access All Areas Conference & Awards

29th September 2023

  AFO has worked with Access All Areas on its Conference & Awards event at London’s EartH (Evolutionary Arts Hackney) on 16 November to offer a 10% discount on tickets for members. The morning conference will include three panels involving speakers such as Continental Drifts director Chris ‘Tofu’ Macmeikan, Black Deer Festival co-founder Gill Tee, We Are The...

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A New Chapter For Outdoor Events

A New Chapter For Outdoor Events

28th September 2023

We’re at an exciting moment in time, with the impending addition of a new Sustainability Chapter for The Purple Guide. I have sat on the Vision: 2025 steering group alongside some very passionate, knowledgeable pioneers since 2015. They have progressively assembled a comprehensive data bank of free-to-access guidance and resources to help outdoor event organisers reduce and minimise their ...

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Vision 2025 Announces Line Up for SES 23

Vision 2025 Announces Line Up for SES 23

27th September 2023

  Event Professionals and Sustainability Leaders Confirmed as Speakers for SES 23, October 18th, 2023 including Steve Heap at 15:15. Vision 2025, supported by The Showman’s Show and Festival Republic, continues to shape climate action for the UK outdoor event industry by bringing event organisers, suppliers, climate organisations and green leaders together to share innovations, disc...

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Family Arts Conference now on sale!

Family Arts Conference now on sale!

26th September 2023

  The UK’s largest family arts and culture conference returns!More families are in need than ever before. It’s essential that the cultural sector can reframe, rethink and recharge to ensure families do not miss out on the benefits and joy that cultural and creative opportunities can bring. Join arts, community and family support professionals from across the UK, as we exp...

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General Secretary Writes – September 2023

General Secretary Writes – September 2023

26th September 2023

Hello Members and Friends. Since I last wrote to you all back in August, we had just a few days of summer sun and I am not quite sure what happened to the rest of summer, but the tail end of August wasn’t too bad. Maybe we are due for an Indian Summer in mid-October. It could happen. Meanwhile, we have had a busy few weeks in the office with BBC Food Programme from Radio4 contacting us to d...

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Events Industry Forum Invites Applications For Grants

Events Industry Forum Invites Applications For Grants

25th September 2023

  The Event Industry Forum invites applications for grants for projects that will benefit the outdoor events industry. The Forum, which brings together 33 trade bodies and similar organisations from across the outdoor event industry, has funding available to support projects that will be of general benefit to the outdoor sector. Since taking over publication of The Purple Guide from the ...

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Department of Business and Trade launch Consultation

Department of Business and Trade launch Consultation

22nd September 2023

DBT have launched consultation called Smarter Regulation which is to do with transparency of product information for consumers.  That will include the sale of tickets.  Gone are the days when you can put on sale a ticket for £120 and not tell the customer that there will be a booking fee, postal charges, insurance, venue sustainability charge and various other add-ons.  Ever...

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MLD Event Group

MLD Event Group

21st September 2023

MLD recently joined AFO as a supplier and I am pretty sure they are the first group of their kind to appear on the festival scene, having worked with such events as Wickham, The Long Road Festival, Junction 2, Love Supreme, The Big It, Brighten Fringe, Vegan Campout, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and the Vision Group. Richard Charidge, CEO, is quite sure that MLD is supplying a service to festival...

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Low Emissions at Festivals

Low Emissions at Festivals

21st September 2023

A Greener Future (previously Festival) is asking you to engage with their power project Low Emission Festivals which has been put together through LIVE Green earlier this year. See this webpage. Its purpose is to get the survey completed by as many UK festivals and power providers as possible and AFO is partnering in order to provide a most comprehensive survey. Take a few moments to complete yo...

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The Power of Events Announces App Launch Date and Tour

The Power of Events Announces App Launch Date and Tour

21st September 2023

The Power of Events will launch its Insight app on 28 September as it kicks off a ‘Four Nations’ tour featuring over 20 engagements throughout October. The app, which will be available to download from both the Apple Store and Google Play, is designed to help industry partners with data and research needs. The app will be promoted via The Power of Events’ Cross Four Nation To...

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A Manifesto for Music

A Manifesto for Music

20th September 2023

UK Music have launched a Manifesto for Music which outlines the key asks for all parties ahead of the forthcoming conference season and the very likely run up to the next election. The Manifesto urges the next government to develop a comprehensive, medium to long-term music strategy for growth.   To access the full manifesto click here and comment direct to Tom Kiehl, Tom.Kiehl@ukmus...

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Is the Next Generation Interested in Festivals?

Is the Next Generation Interested in Festivals?

19th September 2023

This was the title of an Access All Areas article written by Gus Agostini and in the main I do have to disagree with a lot of what he is suggesting. The teeny-bop rock and pop world may well have lost a good number of its potential customers during Covid, some of whom have yet to come back and some of whom have never actually accessed a festival. However, throughout the AFO there is very cl...

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National and International Government Commitments and Policies UK

National and International Government Commitments and Policies UK

18th September 2023

As a group of activists lead by Chris Johnson (Shambala Festival) are close to completing the Sustainability Chapter for the Events Industry Forum’s Purple Guide, some major editorial decisions have had to be made. In that the Chapter was beginning to get too long. It will be skilfully trimmed by Chris and the team without losing its main purpose to guide and inform. Julie's Bicycle&n...

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Sustainability

Sustainability

17th September 2023

Without Vision2025, of which AFO is a founder and Steering Group member, we would be somewhat floundering around trying to find best ways to help solve the climate crisis.  It is therefore fair to say that when Vision2025 updates the website Mission Statement we should support it.  Here it is, in their words. ‘Vision2025 is here to help the outdoor events industry take action on...

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The Events Summit is Less Than 2 Months Away

The Events Summit is Less Than 2 Months Away

16th September 2023

With less than two months to go till The Events Summit 2023, are you ready to socialise and network with the crème de le crème of the event industry? Taking place at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, on the 1st of November 2023, this is the industry’s exhibition of the year, so don’t miss out and take advantage of meeting the best event suppliers that the industry has...

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Outdoor Arts UK Roundup

Outdoor Arts UK Roundup

15th September 2023

There's a busy September ahead for Outdoor Arts UK and they're looking forward to seeing the Summer out with a bang! Angus is currently in Spain for FiraTàrrega so if you're lucky enough to be there, do say hello and Catch OAUK at Out There Festival, Fresh (Circostrada), Inside Out Dorset, Derby Festé, and Arts by the Sea Bournemouth later this month.   To rea...

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A Summer Well Spent...

A Summer Well Spent...

14th September 2023

Play Wild and Free - Just So 2023! It’s been a wonderful summer for the team at Wild Rumpus, kicking off the season with a beautiful celebration of the natural world at Timber Festival, then bounding into the immersive world of play at Just So Festival! Check out their latest news... We are riding high on this glowing review of Just So Festival by MEN...‘In its 13th year J...

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The South Coast Events Forum Joins EIF

The South Coast Events Forum Joins EIF

14th September 2023

The board of EIF are delighted to welcome the South Coast Events Forum to the ranks of EIF. They will add an additional voice to the debates from an events point of view to work alongside the many event suppliers associations that currently make up EIF. Craig Mathie (previous director of Bournemouth 7’s) with south coast colleagues formed the association to bring together the many and va...

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