Australian Festival Industry Conference

28/08/2026

The most recent and fourth AFIC to have been held happened last year and once again, we had a ball!

This time we moved to Brisvagas and aligned the timing with BigSound to make it a little more cost-effective for people to attend. Our venue was Rivershed as part of the Howard Smith Wharves precinct. Another waterfront location with the Story Bridge gracing us with its big and mighty (and purple - gotta love being 'on brand') presence.

We expanded the exhibition to include an outdoor element and brought out a keynote speaker allll the way from the UK! John Rostron enlightened audiences with all the happenings in the UK and how the Association for Independent Festivals (AIF) was spearheading radical industry change.
We also heard from Chris Breedlove from Burning Man who dialled in from the States to talk all things 'sustainability' and organic curation. An amazing talk all round!

We finished the event in style with some tasty margaritas and tapas, overlooking the Brisbane River. Another tremendous success!

28/08/2026

AFIC number three landed at Luna Park Sydney the following year!

We made some further refinements to the program, rejigged the event's layout to enhance the networking opportunities for all, including our exhibitors; and, pulled the program back to a jam packed full two days.

Our attendance increased slightly again, as did our exhibition. Our amazing strategic, major and function partners all returned for more fun :) We also secured our first sponsor from the UK: FestivalPro. In fact, Tushar, the CEO, came alllll the way to Australia for his very first Oz visit, at AFIC's invitation!

Year three went off like a bang! The room was so beautifully light-filled. It overlooked stunning Sydney harbour and because of the prime waterfront location, we decided a harbour cruise was an absolute 'must'! No-one complained about this and it was the perfect way to close out AFIC for a third year :)

27/08/2026

Continuing with our birthday celebrations this week.. Following the inaugural event in 2019, we finished on a complete high! The demand for an industry-focussed event was certainly there and so in January '20, we started thinking about the next follow-up event.

We put out an announcement that it was going to happen and before too long, calls from prospective sponsors came flooding in! was the first to call :) We also brought on board h2 Insurance Solutions, Aggreko and Oracle Liquid as strategic & major partners, plus, expanded the program from 1.5 to 2.5 days and expanded the trade exhibition!

Little did we (or the rest of the events industry know!) that 'Captain COVID' was about to come along and crush the global events industry! Anyone who works in events remembers 13 March all too well - a depressing time for all.

Between 2020 and August 2022 we faced three postponements. It was a familiar story for anyone planning their own event and it was comforting to know we weren't alone, but it still sucked nonetheless! I'm (Carlina) still grateful to this day that I had loyal speakers, sponsors, suppliers and ticket holders who all were completely understanding.

August 2022 finally rolled around and we made our way up to SeaWorld Resort on the Gold Coast. Our attendance increased and people came from as far as NZ and Fiji to attend! That aside, it was so great to FINALLY connect with so many people. The atmosphere was amazing. So humbling, warm and friendly. People who you didn't know became friends instantly; and, the chats that were had there were invaluable.

Year number two: FINALLY done and another success!

25/08/2026

Continuing with our AFIC birthday celebrations, check out some happy snaps from our inaugural event in 2019! What a blast!

Speakers of our 2019 event included:
- Phil Tripp - former SXSW AU and NZ rep
- Heather Croall - director and CEO, Adelaide Fringe
- Glenn Hardy - IER Pty Ltd
- Angus Abadee – A/director, policy & legislation, Liquor & Gaming NSW
- Jon (J.C.) Corbishley FSIA - director, The Safety Officer Pty Ltd
- Chris Spencer - director of Saltwater Freshwater Alliance
- Dan Heather - section leader, stadium and major events, Coffs Harbour City Council
- Mike Hammond – CEO & director, EMS Event Medical
- Elliot Williams – clinical lead, St Johns Ambulance
- Daniel Madeddu – director, alcohol and other drugs, NSW Ministry of Health
- Sam Wild - Create NSW
- Alana Hay - director, Milestone Creative
- Dane Hunnerup - Australia Council for the Arts

#2019

24/08/2026

Happy birthday to us! This week we are celebrating all things AFIC :)

While the first AFIC was officially held in October 2019, our subsequent conferences have traditionally been held during the final week of August, and so we're taking a trip down memory lane to commemorate all the wonderful people, places and memories we've made since starting the event.

Here's a collection of happy faces from our inaugural event in sunny Coffs Harbour, on the Mid-North Coast of NSW!

Thanks to all the delegates, presenters, sponsors, suppliers and volunteers who made our very first event a tremendous success!

18/04/2026

We are LIVE from ! Interviewing the lovely Bea from .artists to tell us all about why they got involved in Australia's first 100% battery powered festival!

Shout out to for being involved, too!

27/09/2025

Our founder & event director, Carlina Ericson, opening the 2025 event on Monday 8 September.

AFIC's fourth edition welcomed around 150 delegates from across Australia and overseas. Public, private and not-for-profit producers of all festival types came together to learn, share & grow.

It featured a two day conference program, trade exhibition & networking events.

The event was a great success!

Details of our next event are yet to be announced.

If you're interested in being kept up-to-date, head to our website and subscribe to our e-newsletter.

24/09/2025

Thanks to The Music for this piece on AFIC

Days after LPA's latest report showed record highs for Australian festivals, the Australian Festival Industry Conference has discussed the state of play at their latest gathering.

18/09/2025

Check out our key highlights reel from the fourth edition of the Australian Festival Industry Conference - held last week at Rivershed in Brisbane!

Delegates came from across Australia and overseas, including all tiers of Government.

Over two days we heard from a range of enlightening and empowering speakers via keynotes, presentations, panel discussions and a special Q&A. Our trade exhibitors kept people informed of the latest in media, tech and various operational advancements. Plus, everyone connected effortlessly at our two evening networking events.

The feedback from everyone has been nothing short of positive.

Thanks to all the incredible speakers and continued support of our values sponsors and exhibitors. Our volunteers were also a delight to work with, as was everyone who attended and made the event what it was: a tremendous success!

If you're interested in staying up to date with news of our next event, head to our website and subscribe to our e-news database: https://australianfestivalconference.com.au



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nV6i_GOWmUs

The fourth edition of the Australian Festival Industry Conference was held across 8-9 September at Rivershed, Brisbane. Delegates came from across Australia ...

17/09/2025

Day two opened with an amazing keynote speech from Christopher Breedlove of Burning Man, who live streamed from the USA!

Creative Australia then followed with an update of their latest national research into the arts, audiences and music festivals.

Major Events Business Group, Queensland (MEBG-Q) gave us an informative presentation about the work they are doing and key opportunities available to suppliers in the lead up to the Brisbane 32 Olympics and beyond.

Our expert panellists talked us through ticketing and sustainable energy production management.

The afternoon featured presentations on a variety of operational topics, including philanthropy, accessibility, and mental health & wellbeing.

We finished off the day with spectacular drinks and canapes underneath the Story Bridge and overlooking the Brisbane river, thanks to our friends at Aggreko

H2 Insurance Solutions EVENTelec Casual Hands JMC Academy Milestone Creative Australia