Tom HallThe Association of Independent Festivals has added three new Board members at its 2019 AGM.
Rewind Festival’s Katt Lingard, Boardmasters’ Kevin Moore and Nozstock’s Rob Nosworthy join eight existing Board members.
Rewind Festival’s Katt Lingard, Kevin Moore at Vision Nine (Boardmasters and NASS) and Nozstock’s Rob Nosworthy were all added to the trade body’s Board, increasing its capacity to 11 from eight.
They join representatives on the board from AIF members Deer Shed, ArcTanGent, Kilimanjaro Live, Broadwick Live, Greenbelt, Standon Calling, Liverpool Sound City and The Fair.
The AGM was AIF’s first since it became a fully autonomous body, having separated from AIM in April 2018. The event welcomed guest speaker Ellie Giles from Step Music Management who spoke about independent approaches to management, and the importance of the live sector and festivals to artist development.
AIF CEO Paul Reed said: “We’re delighted to welcome Katt, Rob and Kevin to the AIF board, all of whom bring a range of skills and unique perspectives to the table. With a membership of 65 festivals from 500-60,000 capacity, it is important that the complete range is represented. These are excellent appointments and it feels like we’re in a strong place going into 2019/2020.”
Reed delivered an overview of the Association’s first year as an independent company at the AGM. In the year since becoming independent from AIM, AIF celebrated a hard-fought victory for its members in May 2018, after PRS for Music announced a new Tariff LP with reduced rates for festivals – a crucial change that AIF had championed and made the case for over a three-year period.
AIF then went on to spearhead the Drastic on Plastic campaign in 2019, which achieved global coverage and support, and saw AIF members commit to eliminate single use plastic at their events by 2021.
AIF also published an ownership map of UK festivals last summer, making renewed calls for a competition investigation into Live Nation’s dominant market position and alleged damaging effects on competition.
AIF now has over 65 members, with recent additions including Love Saves the Day, Mutations, Walthamstow Garden Party and We Are FSTVL.