CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
DISCUSSIONS
• Artist Mobility : the European meeting of festival administrators (postponed to Friday May 18th from 2pm to 4pm)
* European regions meeting : the example of the «Four Motors for Europe» cooperation
* Festival network meeting
* The parity of men/women in the music festival sector : a first European mapping!
THE CONFERENCES
CONFERENCE 1
Around the World ! A world tour of innovation and good practice in 10 festivals.
10 international festivals selected by the European Lab for festivals will present their universe and one specificity, meaning one strong point that distinguishes them from other festivals. A conference to highlight expertise, innovation and good practice in the festival sector.
Wednesday, May 16th / 5.00pm - 7.00pm / Hôtel de Ville
Stephan Velten presents MELT ! (GER)
Thomas Fleurquin presents DISTORTION (DK)
David Fontana presents BAD BONN KILBI (CH)
Fruzsina Szép presents SZIGET (HU)
Ivan Milivojev presents EXIT (RS)
Stacey Wilhelm presents SXSW (USA)
Evelyne Côté presents OSHEAGA (CA)
Malcolm Haynes presents GLASTONBURY (UK)
Nana Radenkovic presents KIDS PATCH (RS)
Joakim Haugland presents BY:LARM (NOR)
CONFERENCE 2
By breaking up with the usual unity of time and space, how can festivals keep their emblematic position as representatives of a certain territory or are they becoming loose trademarks ?
By definition, a festival is an event centered around a given space and time but it's been a few years now that many festivals have broken this vow and start to create replicas, they take place in different cities or they develop secondary editions or activities the rest of the year. What lies behind this tendency of ubiquity ? Is it a economical strategy, a pure act of generosity or the consequence of a world that recognizes only trademarks ? Is it a way to survive or are we simply looking for new challenges? This conference will try to outline the challenges of festivals replicating themselves. A replication that stands in contradiction with their "now and here" original vocation.
Thursday, May 17th / 12 pm - 4pm / Hôtel de Ville
Sergio Ricciardone (Head of festival / Club to Club / Italy)
Alberto Guijarro (Head of festival / Primavera Sound / Spain)
Guillaume Salançon (Head of festival / Gilles Peterson's Worldwide festival / France)
Robin Ebinger (Head of festival / Time Warp / Germany)
Moderation: David Brun-Lambert (author-journalist / France)
THE WORKSHOPS
WORKSHOP 1
Building up, growing, making business : festivals as cornerstones of a creative industry and local economic dynamism
The new economy of cities and regions has created a major evolution in the « creative industries ». Those are caught in the heart of a real competition where territories fight hard to attract projects that are economically performing, innovative, that bring new perspective and wealth in order to seduce populations and companies. Festivals are now considered a key element of local economic development, a true pertinent promotional and added value to the territory's identity. How can festivals be used positively in terms of image for a city and a region ? How do festivals participate to the economic strategy and the reputation of a territory ? The festival is a new element in the attraction capital of « creative cities » ?
Thursday, May 17th / 4.30pm - 6.30pm / Hôtel de Ville
Björn Döring (Head of project / Berlin Music Week / Germany)
Nana Radenkovic (Head of artistic programmation / Sinestezija / Montenegro)
Alexey Shcherbina (Head of festival / Migz festival / Russia)
Gunnar Madsen (Head of Board / Nomex / Denmark)
Moderation: Kevin Matz (Researcher for PRISME / Strasbourg University / France)
WORKSHOP 2
Web communication and new community strategies : the rise of festivals 2.0
Communication, advertisement and partnership has always been fundamental in the life of festivals. Internet and the Web 2.0 have multiplied the perspectives of promotion, most notably by communicating directly with the fans. Internet has also changed the deal with the medias. Classical opinion leaders have lost their influence: on-line medias, blogs, social networking now have their word to say... How do we adapt to this digital frenzy ? How to use the community potential of the web ? How can a festival build its own community in order take the best advantage of its fan base ?
Thursday, May 17th / 4.30pm- 6.30pm / Hôtel de Ville
Stephan Velten (Head of marketing & PR / Melt! festival / Germany)
Ed Williams (Head of partnerships / Resident Advisor / UK)
Joakim Haugland (Programmer / By:Larm / Norway)
Joost Heijthuijsen (Head of marketing / Incubate / Netherlands)
Patricia Meunier (Head of digital strategies / Uzik / France)
Moderation: Sylvain de Campou (Expert in web strategies / France)
WORKSHOP 3
The festival as a laboratory and a showroom for renewable energies and sustainable development
In order to keep perspectives of development, festivals must adopt a sustainable profile. The economical restraints due to investments and extra costs related to this transformation can be part of a long term strategy which will profit the festival in the long run. Beyond actions already initiated and the regulations, such events can impact the audience. Festivals can act as laboratories and be used to display initiatives related to these matters.
Thursday, May 17th / 4.30pm- 6.30pm / Hôtel de Ville
Chris Johnson (Head of festival / Shambala festival / UK)
Noélie Balez (Head of project / We love Green / France)
Malcolm Haynes (Programmer / Glastonbury / UK)
Moderation: Holger Jan Schmidt (Green Events Europe / Go Group / Germany)
in partnership with Compagnie Nationale du Rhône.
WORKSHOP 4
Security, accessibility and « crowd management » : new challenges for festivals
Some recent examples show that zero risk doesn't exist and taking care of security for the audience, the staff, the artists and the infrastructures is a major issue for every event organizer. On the one hand legal norms and rules are more and more strict. It's a fact everywhere in Europe. On the other hand competences and responsibility of the organizers are sometimes not well known or not very well defined. How to reinforce the formation and the competences of event organizers ? What is the role and the responsibility of the technical director ? Can we envision a European harmonization of the regulations ? How can we develop our skills in order to guarantee proper risk management ? What experience can we share among European festivals ?
Friday, May 18th / 2pm - 4pm / Hôtel de Ville
Ivan Milivojev (Head of festival / Exit / Serbia)
Nick Eade (Lecturer for Tourisme and Event Management / Bucks University / UK)
Andy Mestka (Head of security / Open Air St. Gall / Switzerland)
Morten Therkildsen (Head of security / Roskilde / Denmark)
Moderation: Pascal Viot (Head of security / Paléo / Switerland)
WORKSHOP 5
Festivals, are they the new cash cow of the music industry?
With the record industry crisis, live music has taken over in terms of income for the artists. Until then festivals were just a mandatory pit stop to be noticed and eventually signed. The shows, tours and festivals now represent indispensable sources of income. Festivals become key actors very solicited by the entire chain (managers, booking agents, labels...) in charge of the careers of the artists. In the meantime, the confirmed artists have considerably risen their fees for festivals, compared to other promoters or venues. How should festivals deal with the demands and needs of the music industry and keep their economic objectives and quality standards at the same time?
Friday, May 18th / 2pm - 4pm / Hôtel de Ville
Dro Kilndjian (Programmer / Marsatac / France)
Evelyne Côté (Programmer / Osheaga / Canada)
Pedro Winter (Head Ed Banger Records / France)
Ruth Daniel (Head of Convention / Unconvention / UK)
Claire Perrot (Booking / Super Mon Amour & Pitchfork France / France)
Modération: David Brun-Lambert (Author / journalist / France)
WORKSHOPS 6
Territories in political or economic crisis : festivals in resistance
Related to specific time and territory, festivals are part of a geographic, political and economic context. It can make it stronger, but it is also a threat. Recent events have shown festivals in resistance, surrounded by a hostile political atmosphere (Hungary or Italy), or affected by a violent economic crisis (Greece) or geopolitical mutations (North Africa, Middle- east). How do these festivals face these situations, how can they resist and how get over the crisis ?
Friday, May 18th / 2pm - 4pm / Hôtel de Ville
Anastasios Diolatzis (Head of festival / Reworks / Grèce)
Fruzsina Szép (Head of programmation / Sziget / Hongrie)
Afif Raihi (DHead of festival / FEST / Tunisie)
Alexey Shcherbina (Head of festival / Migz / Russie)
Moderation: Sophian Fanen (Journalist / Libération / France)
WORKSHOP 7
Share, cooperate, prospect : the role of festival networks
Festival networks are very strong, structuring organizations for the festival sector. Every regional, national or European Network has its own priorities. Nonetheless, they pursue similar goals with the objective of reinforcing and develop one another. This strategy implies a strong political aspect (acquire legitimacy in order to formulate credible demands), a practical aspect (sharing information, experiences, contacts and ideas) and an artistic aspect (collaborations, local scenes). Can these networks get together or collaborate in order to strengthen their role and reinforce their political lobbying? If yes, how can we possibly envision cross-network cooperation?
Friday, May 18th / 4.30pm - 6.30pm / Hôtel de Ville
Ralph Christoph (Head of festival / C/ o pop / Europareise / Germany)
Jean-Paul Roland (Head of festival / Eurockéennes de Belfort / De concert / France)
Bernard Batzen (Board member / Yourope / France)
Ruud Berends (Head of international promotion / Eurosonic / ETEP / Netherlands)
Audrey Powell (Reponsable for international projects / Mutek / ICAS / Canada-UK)
Moderation: Stéphane Noël (Journalist/ Germany - Switzerland)
WORKSHOP 8
Festival programmer : challenges, strategies and new references
The program making makes the identity strong, its the festival's reason to be and its also the most satisfactory part of the job – the most risky also. Right now, there is no guaranteed success, even the biggest festivals can fail ; the fidelity of the audience is an everyday fight. Internally, we must take care of make the programs readable and visible, feed the curiosity of the fans and constantly renew the audience ; externally and in a concurrency system, it is important to affirm the specificity of the festival and to step away from the crowd in order to exist and subset. Which are the strategies and new references in order to guarantee a successful artistic program ?
Friday, May 18th / 4.30pm - 6.30pm / Hôtel de Ville
David Fontana (Head of festival / Bad Bonn Kilbi / Switzerland)
George Hull (Head of festival / Bloc Weekend / UK)
Jean-Louis Brossard (Head of festival / Transmusicales / France)
Stacey Wilhelm (Programmer / SXSW / USA)
Moderation: Odile de Plas (Journalist / France)
WORKSHOP 9
The impact of new technologies : Which future for the high-tech festival?
New technologies came into the game through the back door. It started with online programs. Lately they've become largely used by both the audience, the artists and the organizers. Mobile apps change the way the ticket sales work but also how communication, stage design and transportation evolve. More and more interactive, these innovations are giving a new face to festivals and redefine the exchange station they usually represent. The impact of new technologies of information and the way festival goers become consumers is maybe changing the relation between the festival and the audience into a relation between a festival and a user.
Friday, May 18th / 4.30pm - 6.30pm / Hôtel de Ville
More infos coming soon !
