The 2nd European Festival Conference
22nd – 25th November 2017
Farris Bad, Larvik (Norway)
“The Future Of Festivals”
The European Festival Conference returns, November 22-25, for the second edition of inspiring keynotes, insightful discussions, and hands-on workshops, put on by some of the best minds in live entertainment and set in an exceptional venue.
Mind over Matter CEO Professor Chris Kemp will be attending.
The stunning Farris Bad Hotel in Larvik, Norway, will host some 100 live professionals at the second EFC, which has the title “The Future of Festivals” as its main theme.
Health & safety, weather, terrorism, mobile technology, secondary ticketing, audience and artist expectations are just a few of the topics that are going to be addressed in various formats.
The conference is managed by Christof Huber, General Secretary of Yourope, Europe’s main festival association.
Yourope members developed the conference agenda in close consultation with the wider industry to end up
with a program that is custom-made for the festival business. The curators of the conference program are the same people working on site every festival season to make sure the audience, the bands, and the crews are happy and safe.
This year’s line-up includes speakers from MusicAlly with their vast knowledge of the technology space, Ben Challis (Glastonbury Festival), Andras Berta (Sziget Festival), Holger Jan Schmidt (GreenEvents), Henrik Bondo Nielsen (Roskilde Festival), Pascal Viot (Paléo Festival),
Manfred Tari (Pop 100), Fruzsina Szép (Lollapalooza Berlin) and many more.
Participating organizations include the Green Operations Group(GOGroup), Yourope Event Safety Group (YES Group) and the European Marketing and Communications Group (EMAC), which was actually formed at the first EFC.
Music Support Group will address Work-Life-Balance in the music industry, something all involved – from the audience, to the artist, to the professionals working behind the scenes – sometimes don’t get right.
Another idea born at the first EFC was the Mission Statement of Yourope which was followed by “Take A Stand”, a campaign encouraging social cohesion in a divided world, headed by Yourope and supported by over 50 festivals, associations, clubs, companies and partners all over Europe.
In the same spirit that helped shape “Take a Stand”, a panel at this year’s edition will ask the questions whether festivals are getting their message across to the audience. Are they still speaking the same language? If not, how do they get back in touch?
The first EFC garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendants for its interactive and participatory nature. It was therefore important to Huber to maintain that particular aspect:
“The European Festival Conference is different from other conferences and seminars. All the participants are very much involved in all the workshops, create and give inputs. The first conference was the starting point of many projects and initiatives for European Festivals and I am convinced will continue in that same positive energy and spirit.”
Another outstanding feature of the premiere was the location: an eco-hotel, nestled in the Austrian Alps. This year’s choice is completely different, as far as the physical appearance and setting are concerned, yet very similar in terms of feel-good factor: Farris Bad is located right on the North Sea coast, its exceptional cuisine and a selection of spa treatments will allow delegates to unwind after a day of talking business.
Registrations for EFC 2017 are now open. The package includes three nights at Farris Bad, including breakfast, dinner and wellness from November 22-25, 2017.
During the two main conference days on November 23/24, coffee, lunch and wifi are included as well.
What: 2nd European Festival Conference
Where: Farris Bad, Larvik, Norway
When: November 22-25, 2017
Price: €800 (single room),
€700 (if sharing a double room)
Yourope members receive a discount of €100 for up to 2 two people.
Airport transfers, special activities and other beverages aren’t included.
Registration Link: europeanfestivalconference.com
Contact: yourope@yourope.org