We round up the latest movements from the ticketing sector and associated industries…
The Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has announced at its annual general meeting that John Rostron (pictured left) has become its new chief executive.
Rostron is co-founder of Cardiff’s Sŵn Festival and the Association of Independent Promoters (AIP). He will begin his tenure on November 18 following a two-week handover period with current CEO Paul Reed.
Rostron co-founded AIF member Sŵn Festival in Cardiff in 2007 and completed an exit strategy sale in 2018. He will also step down from his role with AIP.
Rostron said: “It’s a great honour to take on this role at a time when AIF feels more important than ever. My thanks to outgoing CEO Paul Reed for all he has done for the organisation in raising its profile, value and relevance.
“Festivals are facing numerous challenges as they grapple with pricing alongside growing costs across the supply chain, all while music fans themselves face a cost-of-living crisis. Add to that a vital renewed focus on climate action, audience welfare and diversity, equity and inclusion, and there are plenty of ways that AIF can and will make a meaningful difference for its members.”
Four new members have also been rotated onto the AIF board of directors. Eskimo Dance CEO Steven Campbell; Suze Bayliss, festivals and marketing director, Vision Nine (which organises Boardmasters and NASS festivals); Stefan Poelman, co-founder and director, Zenfest and Joe Barnett, managing director, New Bohemia Music, organisers of We out Here, Outlook and Dimensions Festival.
Data-powered premium experiences company Legends has appointed Joaquin Martinez (pictured right) as chief revenue officer, Iberia.
Martinez has more than 15 years of experience in sport and event commercialisation, focused on stadia commercial maximisation, match and non-match day events and experiences, and fan engagement.
In his new role, Martinez will oversee the generation of traditional and non-traditional revenues of sports stadia.
Jesus Bueno, managing director of Iberia, Legends International said: “At Legends, our best-in-class talent helps us drive transformational change for our partners to achieve their goals. Joaquin brings strong expertise in commercialisation across traditional and non-traditional stadia events and experiences to help Legends grow our client base in Spain and Portugal and deliver world-class results for our partners.”