Australian Festival Association launches, aims to unify strategies and make events safer

The Australian Festival Association launched this morning as a new peak body representing this country’s festivals.

The founding board members are:

Jessica Ducrou (Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival, Download)

Matthew Lazarus-Hall (CMC Rocks QLD)

Rod Little (Groovin The Moo, The Plot)

Adelle Robinson (Listen Out, Listen In, Field Day, Harbourlife, Curve Ball)

Danny Rogers (St Jerome’s Laneway).

The board issued the following statement:

“The AFA was formed to represent the common interests and aspirations of the Australian festival industry.

“The AFA is committed to helping members deliver safe and well-run festivals around Australia, and establishing world leading operating standards for our industry.

“We are establishing this industry group so that our members can develop informed and unified strategies in response to a range of issues, including event liquor licensing, drug policy, harm minimisation practise, building code compliance, green initiatives, user pays policing, event medical guidelines, and third party ticket sites.

“Our aims are to make festivals safer for patrons, and reduce friction between festival promoters and regulatory bodies, by aligning evidence based practices and decades of combined industry experience with the requirements of government policy.

“We are also committed to ensuring the ongoing viability of festivals as thriving businesses, significant municipal events and sites of global cultural exchange in the interest of all Australian citizens.

“We support our members to continually improve their operational practices through access to our extensive resources, including festival best practice guides, liquor license application troubleshooting, AFA forums and conferences, industry contacts and legal advice.

“Where our interests conflict with those of regulatory bodies, we strive to find rational, evidence based solutions, by learning from the concerns of those parties, and sharing our views and experiences with all stakeholders.

“Annual AFA membership will cover administration, legal advice and media strategy designed to achieve the AFA’s mission as well as give members a cohesive and consistent voice.

“Membership options are open to festivals that have been operating for three years or more, are ticketed and licensed to sell alcohol, have a capacity of 2,000 patrons or more, and are prepared to operate their events within best practise guidelines.”

Industry memberships are also open to festival professionals such as site managers, production managers and bar operators, as well as venues and venue groups working alongside the festival industry.

The AFA also has membership plans for not-for-profit groups working in the festival landscape.

More information, head over to their website.