THE EAST ANGLIAN FESTIVAL NETWORK (EAFN) SHOW 2022

Thank you to BoMoJo for producing this excellent video of the EAFN Show 2022:

Thank you to our Headline Sponsor Gofer

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT ATTENDED in 2022

The EAFN Show is an annual one day event that brings together Event organisers, venues and suppliers from across East Anglia to share expertise, network and identify a new supply chain of opportunities which can benefit the environment, the audience, the event industry and the regional economy….and a chance to meet lovely people and have fun in the process!

• The EAFN Show is FREE to attend for East Anglian Event Organisers, Venue Owners/Managers, Event Suppliers and Event Professionals working in our region’s event sector (Pre-registration required).
• The EAFN Show was held in the prestigious Grand Hall of Ipswich Corn Exchange.  Thank you to Ipswich Borough Council for hosting the Show at this amazing venue.

EAFN Show 2022 Timetable:

• 09.30 Show Opens – The Exhibition Stands and Bar/Refreshments area open for business
• 0930-1000 Networking in the Hall/Entertainment (Jan Pulsford on the stage)
• 1000-1030 Conference Session 1 – Beyond Marketing: Truly engaging with diverse audiences (Elma Glasgow)
• 10.30-1130 Networking in the Hall/Entertainment (Jan Pulsford on the stage)
• 11.30-1200 Conference Session 2 – Sustainability (Abbie Panks/Peter Frost/Ben Street/John Marshall-Potter)
• 1200-1330 Lunchtime – Networking in the Hall/Refreshments (from the Bar)/Food (from the Bagel or Beigel Stand in the Refreshments area) plus Lunchtime Showcase on the Stage.
  Lunchtime Showcase Performance Times:
  12.05-12.25 Adam Thomas
  12.25-12.45 Grace Calver
  12.45-13.05 Kevin Pearce
  13.05-13.25 Belinda Gillett
• 1330-1400 Conference Session 3 – Gender Balanced Programming (Eddie Barcan/Laura Locke)
• 1400-1500 Networking/Entertainment (Jan Pulsford on the stage)
• 1500-1530 Conference Session 4 – PR/Selling Events (Helen Oldfield + Ben Street and Elma Glasgow)
• 16.00 Show Close

The Conference and Q&A Sessions with all these Excellent Speakers on the Grand Hall stage.

Entertainment provided for you from five excellent Performers from our region provided a chilled musical backdrop to the Show.

Twenty Exhibition Stands to meet up with all the excellent East Anglian Businesses and Organisations exhibiting their goods and services on the day in the Grand Hall of Ipswich Corn Exchange.  See list of Exhibitors

PLUS:

Networking with festival organisers, venues and suppliers from across East Anglia throughout the day.

Presentations to past winners of the EAFN East Anglian Favourite Festivals of the Year Survey

Refreshments and Bar available.

Tasty handmade/homemade Lunchtime Food  from the Bagel or Beigel and more Stand.

Silhouette Portraits produced by Master Scissor Artist John Thurman

A huge thankyou to Grapevine for sponsoring the free Show Programme of the day and to Tony Bell from Grapevine and SixtyTwoThings – our official photographer for the Show.

‘Coming Back Brighter – Resetting East Anglia’s Events for 2023’.

at Ipswich Town Hall and Corn Exchange

Wednesday 5th October 2022 – 9.30am until 4pm

FREE Entry

For more information on the show and The EAFN

please contact Mike Wilson (EAFN) on:
office@eafn.co.uk

Exhibitors

Here’s the list of excellent local businesses and organisations exhibiting at the EAFN Show 2022 in the Grand Hall of Ipswich Corn Exchange:

Aspire Black Suffolk (Stand 3) – We are a dynamic social enterprise offering consultancy and training in diversity and inclusion; diversity and decolonisation in the arts and heritage; Black history education; and policing, race and justice.
https://www.aspireblacksuffolk.org.uk/

Bagel or Beigel and more (Stand 20) will be at the EAFN Show providing lunch for you with their delicious Handmade Homemade Bagels or Beigels, Homemade Salt Beef, Vegan Bagels and more…..
https://www.bagelorbeigel.co.uk/

BoMoJo (Stand 5) delivers fresh ideas and quality digital media for every conceivable type of client, industry and purpose for businesses and organisations of all sizes. With local, national and international clients, digital media in the form of film, video and audio for TV or the web is within the reach of even the most modest budget.  We love what we do and are dedicated to providing a personal service tailored to meet the individual requirements.  To discuss your specific needs, please give us a call 0774 615 2244 or contact BoMoJo to help your business succeed.
https://www.bomojo.com/

Breeze Events (Stand 11) are based in Suffolk, England and are able to work throughout the UK, bringing their professional and knowledgable help and support to your event. Our team has a wide and varied range of event experience, from small to large scale events, and we pride ourselves on being able to expertly tailor our experience to your needs.
Our services include sound, lighting, power distribution,  radio communications, traffic management, event stewards, event control equipment and staff.  Our team are more than happy to help and assist whereever you need us.
https://www.breezeevents.co.uk/

DCRS Ltd (Stand 2) was established in 1987 and have become one of the UK’s market leaders in the hire, sales and service of voice and data two-way radio communication products and applications to clients throughout the UK and Europe.
We supply equipment from standard back-to-back to complex systems from leading manufacturers such as Motorola Solutions, Hytera, Icom and Kenwood.  To experience how we really do go that extra mile, contact us to discuss any requirements you may have.
http://www.dcrs.co.uk/

Event Stuff Ltd (Designs on Print and Photo Cut Outs) (Stands 9 & 10)  Designs on Print are large format print specialists. We offer a wide range of print solutions: from signage and display boards, surface graphics and exhibition displays to custom-designed photo cutout boards for visitor engagement. Whether you are looking to build brand awareness, inform or educate customers or advertise a promotion, we offer high-quality print products to meet your needs. Our design services team will help you to produce creative print solutions that grab the attention of your target audience.
http://www.designsonprint.com/ https://www.photocutouts.co.uk/

Falcon Fire & Rescue (Stand 17) Event fire, rescue, medical cover, fire risk assessments, fire extinguishers and safety service.
http://www.falconfire.co.uk/

Get on the Soapbox (Stand 4) getonthesoapbox is an independent events producer and artist based in Ipswich. We’ve been creating funny, fearless and unique events since 2006 at venues and festivals across the East, most notably the much lauded SoapBox Festival stage in Suffolk. SoapBox is known for finding & supporting new poets & musicians from the local area, championing them, and gathering wonderful audiences together to share & celebrate their art. Passionate about creating supportive and friendly events, we work hard to make magical spaces for artists to perform in, and communities to gather & grow. We make beautiful art installations from recycled fabrics that flutter in the breeze; having decorated more than one woodland with hundreds of colourful SoapBox jellyfish: we ‘make magic happen’. Our recycled fabric jellyfish have inspired songs, stories, poems, and even a short film. By popular demand, we launched our own unique SoapBox DIY Jellyfish kit for sale in 2020, and have been making (and selling-out) of kits ever since. Follow us on all platforms @getonthesoapbox for poetry, music, events, festivals, comedy, politics, feminism, equality, environmentalism, and intersectionality.
http://www.getonthesoapbox.co.uk/

Gofer (Stand 8) The complete power management service (EAFN Show 2022 Headline Sponsor) – Whatever your requirement, regardless of scale; Gofer ensures that your power hire runs smoothly, providing a professional service and supplying reliable power. Gofer offer a complete power management service and if required their team of qualified engineers are available to assist with technical set-up and on-site support.
https://gofer.co.uk/

Grapevine Live (Stand 7)  Since 1991 Grapevine Magazine has been listing, reviewing and reporting on LIVE entertainment in the region.   Today over 17,000 copies of Grapevine Magazine are distributed to over 500 locations throughout East Anglia.  The magazine regularly lists over 1,000 events per month.  Performers and venues can add their events to the listings for FREE by registering online at GrapevineLIVE.co.uk  “The Grapevine” as it was first known, was first published in 1991.  It came about because three musicians felt it would be useful to have all of their local events listed in one place.  Two of those three musicians are still involved with the magazine today.  Live Music is at the core of what we do: gigs, concerts, fesitvals – but these days we also cover theatre, dance and comedy too.
http://www.grapevinelive.co.uk/

John Thurman (Stand 6) Master Scissor Artist
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-thurman-b7353035

Link Radio Services (Stand 12)  Sales, hire and service of all forms of radio communication products and services
http://www.linkradioservices.co.uk

Noise of Art (Stand 16) is a cross platform collective that celebrates the convergence of music and other artistic disciplines brought about by the digital age.
https://noiseofart.org/

Out Loud Music (Stand 15) In 2019 Arts Council England approached Out Loud Music after identifying Ipswich as an area of need for live music. ACE NPO Sound City Liverpool invited us to organise the inaugural Sound City Ipswich multi-venue festival and conference. The sold out, one-day festival aimed to shine a spotlight on Ipswich, utilising under-used performance spaces and proving audiences exist to sustain new music venues that the town has long called for. In 2021 we returned with a two day festival and conference, this time having secured the use of 300 capacity The Baths, as well as St Stephens Church, which is due to be refurbished through a major capital project thanks to a £300k grant from SIGIF and support from Ipswich Borough Council. Out Loud Music, who also run the 88 cap venue The Smokehouse, will be relaunching the festival under a new name in summer 2023 as an independently run festival.
https://www.thesmokehouse.org/

Phoenix Events East (Stand 13) bring you a simple, effective and professional service.  We are your reliable partner for all your car parking, traffic management and other event support needs.  As well as Security Guarding, CCTV Monitoring and Mobile Patrols.  We also understand that most events may require a bespoke service and would be delighted to discuss your individual needs during an onsite consultation.  http://www.phoenixeventseastltd.co.uk

Stage Event Security (Stand 18) is a leading local provider in event security and venue safety involving crowd management. We have ensured the security and well-being of countless thousands of people at public and ticketed events – everything from open-air cinemas and ‘music in the park’, to air shows, carnivals, operas and cultural festivals throughout the UK.  Throughout the year we also manage event calendars for theatres such as the Ipswich Regent, the Corn Exchange and the Apex in Bury St Edmunds.  For all clients, we offer a complete event security UK package, one that’s based on years of expertise in crowd management and event planning. Every proposal is the result of careful deliberation and the application of industry best practices.  In preparation for any given event, we will visit the venue to carry out a full event security survey. Public safety is our highest priority, and we work closely with organisers, local authorities and other agencies to compile an event security plan that addresses a host of potential risks.  More information at https://eafn.co.uk/business-directory/stage-event-security/ and
http://www.stagesecurity.co.uk/

Support Medical Group CIC  (Stand 19) is a Norfolk based soical enterprise providing event medical cover across the East of England.  We have a wide range of expertise covering different types of events, from small village fetes to larger festivals, along with everything in between.  By working with us you are also benefiting people who are the most vulnerable in the community through our project Street Clinic.
http://supportmedicalgroup.co.uk

The Carbon Charter (Stand 14) supports low carbon business practices across Norfolk, Suffolk and beyond. Our logo tells your customers that you have been independently assessed on sustainability, while our website offers a host of free resources to all. We have worked with festivals including Folk East (Carbon Charter Gold) and the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival (Pathfinder Partners) to reduce impacts and promote their green credentials.
Call 01473 350 370 to discuss how we can help – including free and impartial advice for all Suffolk businesses – or check out the free resources at www.carboncharter.org.
http://www.carboncharter.org/

We are Blueshed (Stand 1) Based in the centre of East Anglia we are passionate about offering excellent equipment available for hire and the very best in technical support, whether it be a full scale theatre show or just a simple acoustic gig at your local we are here to help. With our extensive experience we understand what makes a brilliant event and use the latest equipment to provide stunning results. Our team works with you from start to finish and provide unparalleled levels of support to ensure you stick to budget and find a way of creating a great final result.  We have a large and always growing in house stock holding covering Sound, Lighting, Power, Stage, Drape and video to suit all needs.
https://www.weareblueshed.co.uk/

Woodbridge Festival of Art and Music (Stand 16) is a community-run internal eco event that showcases ambitious, diverse and quality international line-ups, encouraging local talent and allowing emerging artists to share a platform with established national and international acts.
https://www.woodbridgefestival.com/

Performers

Jan Pulsford will be on stage providing a chilled musical backdrop to the Show in between the Conference sessions  and the lunchtime showcase of up and coming performers from our region features Kevin Pearce, Belinda Gillett (NMG Awards 2022 Folk Winner), Ipswich based Singer/Songwiter Adam Thomas and Grace Calver (NMG Awards 2022 Female Solo Winner).

Performance Times:

0930-1000  and  10.30-1130 Jan Pulsford

12.05-12.25 Adam Thomas

12.25-12.45 Grace Calver

12.45-13.05 Kevin Pearce

13.05-13.25 Belinda Gillett

1400-1500 Jan Pulsford

Jan Pulsford is presenting the Woodbridge Ambient Music Festival from 23-25 Sep 2022 and on Wed 5 Oct she will be on stage in the Grand Hall of Ipswich Corn Exchange providing a chilled background to the EAFN Show with ambient music.  Her ambient music world streams daily on Radio Mothership, an indie station she runs for the local music community in Woodbridge, birthplace of the father of ambient music, Brian Eno.

Home (janpulsford.com)

The lunch time Showcase this year between Midday and 1.30pm has four excellent up and coming singer/songwriters from our region:

Grace Calver is an 18 year old singer/songwriter from the Suffolk/Essex border.  She has been playing her live set of original songs for almost 2 years including the Inbetweeners Stage at Latitude Festival, Into The Wild Festival, Ipswich Music Day, WAMFest and supporting Thomas Nicholas (who played Kevin Myers in the American Pie movies) on their UK tour. She has performed widely across East Anglia, London, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire. She also made a guest appearance singing with Tom Lumley and The Brave Liaison at 110 Above Festival.  She was very honoured to have been included in the East Anglian Daily Times list of 30 inspiring people under 30 in Suffolk for 2022 and has just won the Female Solo category at this year’s NMG Awards (New Music Generator) covering East Anglia, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Grace has released 3 singles in 2022 with an EP planned for the end of the year.
Grace Calver (@gracecalverofficial) • Instagram photos and videos
Grace Calver | Facebook

Belinda Gillett is a popular Indie-Folk singer/songwriter from the flats of Suffolk. Belinda is often compared  to Sandy Denny and Joan Baez. She creates atmospheric landscapes with her honest songs of love, nature and life. She has played venues up and down the country and has just released  a new album entitled ‘Fight The Good Fight’. Influences include Nick Drake, Radiohead, The Sundays and Frightened Rabbit.

https://belindagillett.bandcamp.com

Kevin Pearce hails from Colchester. Three years ago, Kevin suffered a heart attack (on a golf course). As well as having to redress some lifestyle habits, his rehabilitation involved writing and recording the Sun Cutter project. It is an album of beautiful driving, harmony-drenched indie-soul and folk-rock that looks to the light for reflection. Co-produced with Dean Honer (The Moonlandingz, Eccentronic Research Council), it is at time reminiscent of some purveyors of classic songwriting, such as Tim Buckley, John Lennon, Cat Stevens, albeit with a modern do over. He was also the vocalist and guitarist on I Monster’s “Daydream in Blue”, recently resurrected to advertise Magnum ice creams on the telly.

Instagram : kevinpearcemusic
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrSA76lQRRg

Adam Thomas Adam Thomas is an acoustic solo act from Suffolk who has gained popularity over the last four years with his live show and percussive style of playing.  Adam decided in 2018 that he wanted to to pursue his career, go full time and put all of his efforts into becoming a successful musician.  In his first year alone he performed at just over 260 gigs in each corner of the UK which helped gain recognition and being booked to perform for big festivals and shows in the UK and Europe.  Often compared to Suffolk’s own superstar ‘Ed Sheeran’, Adam invested in his craft by setting up his own studio where he produced, recorded and mastered his debut EP and album ‘Love on earth and spirit’ and ‘Fourteen’ (which you can find on all major streaming platforms) to show to the world and fans his own style of being Adam Thomas.

www.facebook.com/adamthomasofficialmusic

www.instagram.com/adam.thomas.official

https://youtube.com/c/ADAMTHOMASOFFICIAL

Tiktok: @adamthomasofficialmusic

Speakers

All Conference Sessions are free to attend

in the Grand Hall of Ipswich Corn Exchange on Wed 5 Oct 2022.

There are four Conference sessions this year covering Sustainability, Diversity and Inclusion, and Selling Events.   The Speakers will also focus on the overall theme of the show ‘Coming Back Brighter – Resetting East Anglia’s Events’.   There will be Q&A’s and plenty of time for networking, visiting exhibition stands, refreshments and entertainment in the breaks in between the sessions

1000-1030 Conference Session 1 – Beyond Marketing: Truly engaging with diverse audiences (Elma Glasgow)

11.30-1200 Conference Session 2 – Sustainability (Abbie Panks/Peter Frost/Ben Street/John Marshall-Potter)

1330-1400 Conference Session 3 – Gender Balanced Programming (Eddie Barcan/Laura Locke)

1500-1530 Conference Session 4 – PR/Selling Events (Helen Oldfield + Ben Street)

We have some excellent speakers lined up for you this year at the EAFN Show: Photo by John Ferguson

Eddie Barcan of Splendid Events has 30 years’ experience of delivering prestigious outdoor events and working with leading international artists.  Eddie ran and programmed Cambridge Folk Festival for 23 consecutive sell-outs. His current clients include Kate Rusby (agent), Glastonbury Festival (Avalon Stage Programmer), Underneath the Stars Festival (Asst Event Manager & Programmer), HebCelt and Folk by the Oak (Headliner Booker), Cambridge University (Eddington Events), Anglesey Abbey/National Trust (Creative Producer, Winter Lights) and Mill Road Winter Fair (Event Management). https://www.splendidevents.org.uk/ Photo Credit: Mikaela Rackham

After a career in travel and tourism and having a family Laura Locke BA, PGCE, MA went back to education with her first degree in media and literary studies. She became interested in gender and identity when undertaking her dissertation. Following working in the media and returning to education to work in an e-learning research centre, she ultimately became course leader and senior lecturer in event and tourism management at the University of Suffolk. Her MA is in Arts Management.  Whilst working with students on a range of events including women’s conferences and networking events she noted how there was a great shortage in the leadership of arts and events organisations and her MA thesis was focused on the lack of women leaders in the arts and performance areas. There was also a marked difference in confidence between male and female students that she supported and the mature women that worked so worked so hard to juggle their lives with degree, children, elderly parents etc still achieved high standards but found the job market is so tough. On leaving full time work at the University she remained a Visiting Fellow, became a Felixstowe radio presenter and is a director on the board. She is also currently a trustee on the Eastern Angles Theatre Company board. Laura started running women’s events on marking a distinct lack of them in her home-town. These evolved after a few setbacks due to Covid to be WAMfest Felixstowe, a two day celebration of women’s creativity, which gained third place in Suffolk last year in the EAFN poll for favourite festivals. www.felixstoweradio.org.uk WAMfest Photo by John Ferguson

Elma Glasgow has 25 years’ experience working in communications for a diversity of brands ranging from world-class businesses to grassroots organisations across all sectors. Elma started her career in journalism and TV, but she found direction at the UK’s first ever digital PR agency focusing on major film and music campaigns. She then moved into the charity sector, delivering campaigns for organisations including the British Red Cross and Comic Relief.  Now, a PR consultant, Elma has delivered coverage, consultancy and coaching for ethical, cultural and innovation brands. She has secured stories in national titles including The Guardian, The Observer, The Mirror, Woman & Home, The Sunday Times, The Voice, Red Magazine, Prima, Coast Magazine, ITV and BBC News, as well as in the local, international and trade press.  Locally, Elma has secured national press for Suffolk Archives, Head East, the Power of Stories, Beach Street Felixstowe, photography by John Ferguson, First Light Festival, Primadonna Festival, and for her new social enterprise, Aspire Black Suffolk CIC.  Elma talks frequently on panels and at conferences about her work in engaging with diverse audiences. Drawing on her expertise and lived experience, she consults developing productive and balanced relationships with people of African heritage. She also facilitates workshops and offers consultancy on decolonisation in the arts, which is highly sensitive and nuanced work.  Elma is the founder and a co-director of Aspire Black Suffolk which offers training in diversity and inclusion, and anti-racism communications, and is currently working on the Power of Stories tour with local museums and Marvel Studios, among other exciting projects.  Elma is also a board member of Ipswich Central.

www.aspireblacksuffolk.org.uk
www.elmaglasgowconsulting.com

John Marshall-Potter has spent almost his whole life in the event industry.  After leaving art school in the late seventies he cut his teeth at the Knebworth festivals in 1979 and 1980. Since then he has worked in most areas of the sector (including film and TV work) but has mainly focused on live events.  Since the early nineties he has worked mainly as a freelance production manager and has been involved in getting many festivals off the ground including the Out There festival in Yarmouth and more recently the First Light festival in Lowestoft.  Alongside his professional work John managed Gig in the Park in Halesworth, a three day community event which ran from 2001 to 2012 and in 2012 started the FolkEast festival, which has just celebrated it’s tenth year and from the outset was planned to be as sustainable as possible.  Since 2014 Folkeast has held a Suffolk Carbon Charter and continues to work year on year to further reduce its carbon footprint.

Home

Helen Oldfield is a self-employed and Suffolk-based PR, media and communications specialist.  Founder of Affinity PR and Affinity PR Coaching, Helen’s consultancy focuses on clients in creative and performance industries, charities, tourism and travel.  Her PR career began as Assistant to the Head of Press at Edinburgh International Festival.   Prior to that she was Marketing Assistant at Northern Stage Company and Tyne Theatre & Opera House. Other culture clients have included Primadonna Festival, SPILL Festival of Performance, Think Tank Live Events, Rambert School of Ballet & Contemporary Dance, New Wolsey Theatre, Julia Cheng (founder of House of Absolute and the 2022 Olivier Award nominated Choreographer of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Klub starring Jessie Buckley and Eddie Redmayne), MediaXchange (the international TV Drama and Film Accelerator consultancy), Living Spit Theatre Company, Hannah Aria’s Creative Change Workshops and the tour of  Neurodelicious Launch Pad.  Helen has also worked as Artist Liaison at many festivals, including First Light, Books East,  Ip-Art, and twice at FlipSide Festival.  Prior to being a self-employed PR,  Helen worked in senior leadership roles at charities. She was CEO of Citizens Advice in Mid-Suffolk, Volunteer Development Manager at RNIB, and a Learning and Development Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support.   It was this UK-wide work serving such diverse communities at points of crisis in their lives, that has informed the pragmatic and inclusive ways that Helen runs her own business (don’t get her started on unpaid internships!).  As a member of Suffolk Soul Singers, Helen particularly enjoyed performing at Folk East and Maui Waui.  The bar is set high on her Most Memorable Festival experience overall while off-duty;  it was Live Aid in 1985.   www.affinityprcoaching.co.uk

Peter Frost (Carbon Charter) is the Environment Strategy Officer for Suffolk County Council and is part of the Carbon Charter project. This enables Small and Medium Enterprises all over Norfolk and Suffolk to access advice and accreditation, as well as grant funding towards cutting their carbon footprint and boosting their business through improved efficiency. He is keen to spread the word about how companies can be at the forefront of the new paradigm of transport and how society will change in the near future.  As part of that he has been a key instigator of the ‘Plug in Suffolk’ programme to accelerate the rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the county. https://carboncharter.org/

Abbie Panks (Creative Orchard Events) has been an event manager for over 20 years and is involved with a number of long-running festivals including; Festival Too, one of the biggest free outdoor festivals in Europe, for which she has been chair since 2019; Folk in a Field Festival; she is a Board Member of the Fairyland Trust that present the renowned Fairy Fair and Real Halloween,which engage children and their families in nature through events.  As well as supporting clients, including local authorises with designing and delivering their own events, she is also Head of Events and Marketing at Raynham, a 5000-acre estate in Norfolk. Specialising in sustainable events.  Abbie is a member of the Sustainable Event Alliance and is passionate about creating events sustainably and importantly, in using their powerful platform for good.  Abbie also has a strong background in event promotion, PR, community engagement and health and safety and works as a consultant across all elements. creativeorchard.co.uk abbie@creativeorchard.co.uk

Ben  Street is the Festival Director of Wild Paths/Wild Fields in Norwich.  Ben spent a large portion of his formative years touring the world with Warner-signed, alt-indie band Coasts. Having played prestigious events such as Coachella, Glastonbury and Reading and with a top 20 album and a live-lounge performance under their belts the band split in October 2018 and Ben moved into the world of event management, promotions and festivals. He began managing live bookings at a new venue in his hometown of Norwich and soon found there was a wealth of musical talent and a hunger for more platforms to present it. In 2019 Ben organised and directed the first Wild Paths Festival.  Wild Paths is a 23-venue, musical event spread across the city of Norwich, featuring over 230 live acts, a host of conference speakers,visual artists, DJs, food pop-ups and much more. Unfortunately (due to the pandemic) 2020’s edition of the new city festival had to be postponed. However Ben, his team and their partners (Summertime Social) managed to organise and deliver a pioneering ‘socially-distanced’ version of the festival; Wild Fields. Wild Fields was an outdoor event featuring ‘festival pods’, 3 stages, food pop-ups and 30 live acts & DJs. The weekend event was planned, curated and executed in just over 6 weeks.   In 2021 Ben and his team delivered another edition of Wild Paths Festival, featuring over 20 venues and spaces around the city (including reinvigorating an old shoe factory, a church and a number of other DIY spaces). The festival included two days of conferences featuring Gilles Peterson and a host of other established figures from across the industry. The Wild Paths team have a number of new projects in the pipeline including the return of their signature city festival – www.wildpaths.co.ukben@wildpaths.co.uk

YOUR COMPERE FOR THE DAY – Nick Pandolfi

Nick Pandolfi has run his own media business for more than twenty years.  As a broadcaster he has twice been named BBC local presenter of the year – he is the UK correspondent for MAGIC talk in New Zealand and his digital marketing experience is called upon by SMEs across East through his work with MENTA Business Support.  Nick has also been a freelancer for BBC network radio for the past ten years. www.linkedin.com/in/nicholaspandolfi

Feedback

Thank you for taking the time to let us know how you thought the EAFN Show 2022 went.  We are very glad you liked it and that all the effort by everyone involved was worthwhile.  Here’s the comments we received.

• ‘Enjoyed it. Was a pleasure to play in that space and met some nice folks.’
• ‘Lovely to see people face-to-face and indoors’
• ‘The day went smoothly and was well received’
• ‘It was really wonderful to see so many lovely people in real life’
• ‘Great to be among so many likeminded people’
• ‘Insightful session on how to engage with diverse audiences.’
• ‘Great event at Cornhill Ipswich. #Sustainability is a hot topic for future festivals. Well done @EAFN’
• ‘Good to chat to events & suppliers from all over the region.’
• ‘Great event. Plenty of networking opportunities and good speakers’
• ‘Great event and really vital for the collaboration and sharing of learning across festivals in the region.  We found the talks really interesting and thought provoking, especially regarding Gender Balance Programming.  It was great to be able to speak to some of our suppliers face-to-face, but also to meet and learn about new suppliers. We bumped into 3 different suppliers (who attended in 2019 where we first met them) and we have worked with since.  Thank you!’
• ‘Thanks to the EAFN for the amazing work you are doing to help all our festivals survive and thrive’

If anyone else who attended would like to add their feedback, please email us on office@eafn.co.uk.  You can also leave a review of the EAFN on our Google business page