Features
IFF Returns With New Venue & New Presenting Partner
The UK’s International Festival Forum (IFF) returns to London’s Camden district, setting up shop in a new host venue, the Holiday Inn, Sept. 27-29.
The new space will offer a central area for all meetings and networking, as well as a late-night bar.
IFF is an invitation-only event tailored towards festivals above 10,000 capacity on the one hand, and booking agencies on the other. Many of the agencies showcase up-and-coming artists at one of Camden’s historic grassroots venues during IFF.
Q’s With Greg Parmley & Ruud Berends: Why The Business Needs IFF
IFF Agency partners this year include CAA, WME, Wasserman, Primary Talent, UTA, X-ray, Solo, One Fiinix Live, Pure, ATC Live and Earth Agency. Artists scheduled to perform include Flowerovlove, Gigi Moss, Dead Pony, The Native, Panic Shack, and more.
Meanwhile, Mad Cool Festival and The Spanish Wave have announced a country-wide competition to bring the best new Spanish music to IFF on the Wednesday, Sept. 28. The project launched shortly after Mad Cool took place in July, and the finalists have been selected by the festival and emerging talent showcase platform and export specialist The Spanish Wave.
Roskilde Festival will be hosting a party to celebrate their 50th edition. The legendary Danish event will also the subject of a keynote conversation.
Other IFF sessions include The Festival Season 2022, featuring DEAG executive Detlef Kornett, Bluesfest Byron Bay COO Nadja Konietzko, and Primary Talent International agent Sally Dunstone, IQ Magazine’s James Drury, and UTA’s Obi Asika.
The New Kids on the Block invites the most notable new events and companies to introduce themselves at IFF, including Mother Artists, co-founded by Pollstar Impact International Honoree Natasha Gregory. Meanwhile IQ’s Gordon Masson, Nikolaj Thorenfeld (Smash!Bang!Pow!), WME’s Chris Payne and Adele Slater (Wasserman Music) for will be joined by Fullsteam Agency founder and head promoter Rauha Kyyrö for Festivals & Agents: Happier than ever?.
Music Venue Trust will be hosting IFF’s closing party and showcase as the finale of their Revive Live tour this year.
ILMC head and IFF co-founder Greg Parmley said, “With the festival summer having finally gone ahead this year, there’s going to be a lot to reflect on at IFF in a few weeks time, as well as enthusiasm for the 2023 season. We’re seeing that excitement reflected in the number of delegates, partners and showcases in this year’s schedule, which is bursting at the seams!”
Parmley told Pollstar he’s expecting around 800 delegates, which would exceed pre-pandemic attendance numbers and set a new attendance record. A quick browse through the delegates list shows that most live markets of mainland Europe will be represented. Delegates coming from as far as South Africa (Breakout Management) or Saudi Arabia (MDLBeast) have registered, as well.
This year’s event is presented in association with TicketSwap, which has been signed on as title sponsor. Other partners on the event include platinum associate partner Ticketmaster, and associate partners Vatom and Tysers.