International Federation of Festival and Event Managers

International Federation of Festival and Event Managers
Name	International Federation of Festival and Event Managers
Abbreviation	IFFEM
Formation	1998
Type	Non-profit federation
Headquarters	Geneva
Region served	Global
Membership	National associations, professional bodies, festival producers
Leader title	President

Contents

International Federation of Festival and Event Managers is an international federation that represents professional associations, producers, and managers involved in festivals, cultural events, and large-scale public spectacles. Founded in the late 1990s, the federation serves as a forum for exchange among organizations responsible for festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Cannes Film Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Oktoberfest, and La Tomatina, and institutions including UNESCO, European Commission, World Tourism Organization, and United Nations Development Programme. Its networks connect bodies like International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies, International Council of Museums, International Theatre Institute, Sundance Institute, South by Southwest, Berlin International Film Festival, and Montreux Jazz Festival.

History

The federation traces origins to collaborative meetings involving representatives from Edinburgh International Festival, Venice Biennale, Sydney Festival, Festival d'Avignon, and Hay Festival during the 1990s, alongside trade organisations such as International Live Events Association, International Association of Venue Managers, European Festivals Association, and World Events Organization. Founding conferences saw participation from national ministries like French Ministry of Culture, UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, and city authorities from Barcelona, Berlin, New York City, and Toronto. Early growth involved partnerships with academic centres including Columbia University, Goldsmiths, University of London, University of Amsterdam, and Berklee College of Music and drew on policy work by OECD, Council of Europe, and UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

The federation's stated aims align with cultural diplomacy practised by entities such as British Council, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Japan Foundation, and Smithsonian Institution: promoting professional standards, cross-border collaboration, and the value of festivals to urban regeneration, tourism, and creative industries. Objectives reference frameworks from Sustainable Development Goals, European Green Deal, and guidance from International Organization for Standardization while engaging stakeholders like World Economic Forum, International Labour Organization, European Commission Directorate-General for Education and Culture, and philanthropic organizations such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Arts Council England.

Membership comprises national associations similar to Association Française des Festivals, provincial bodies resembling Ontario Arts Council, municipal organisers like those in Melbourne, Vienna, and Buenos Aires, and corporate partners including production firms akin to Live Nation, AEG Presents, and Feld Entertainment. Governance structures echo models used by International Olympic Committee, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, World Federation of Festivals, and International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, featuring an executive board, regional committees, and advisory councils populated by representatives from UNESCO, European Festivals Association, Americas Festivals Network, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, and legal advisors from firms in Geneva and Brussels.

Programs include annual congresses similar to World Travel Market, sector-specific summits modeled on International Live Music Conference, residency exchanges with institutions like Theatre Communications Group, and research collaborations with University of Oxford, Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, and University of Cape Town. Activities range from emergency response coordination in partnership with International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and World Health Organization to capacity building inspired by United Cities and Local Governments and market development tied to UNWTO. The federation also curates prize schemes analogous to Pulitzer Prize, Turner Prize, and Praemium Imperiale and runs data initiatives comparable to work by Eurostat and UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Standards frameworks draw on models established by ISO, British Standards Institution, and sector protocols used by Event Safety Alliance, International Association of Exhibitions and Events, and National Fire Protection Association. Professional development offerings mirror programs at Berklee Online, Juilliard School, Royal College of Music, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama and include certification tracks influenced by Prince2, Project Management Institute, and continuing education schemes like those of American Management Association. Training modules address issues highlighted by cases such as Hillsborough disaster responses, crowd management studies used by FIFA World Cup organisers, and sustainability practices adopted by COP26 delegates.

The federation maintains partnerships with cultural funders like European Cultural Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and regional development banks such as European Investment Bank and Inter-American Development Bank. Advocacy campaigns engage with policy platforms including UN General Assembly, World Health Assembly, Council of the European Union, and city networks such as C40 Cities. It lobbies for policy measures seen in initiatives by Creative Europe, Culture 21: Actions, and urban strategies exemplified by Bilbao Guggenheim effect proponents, coordinating with rights organisations like Amnesty International and International Trade Union Confederation on labor standards.

Proponents cite economic and social impacts similar to analyses of South by Southwest and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, with reported benefits in tourism linked to data from UNWTO, job creation comparable to studies by ILO, and cultural exchange aligned with UNESCO mandates. Criticism mirrors controversies surrounding Glastonbury commercialisation, Venice Biennale accessibility debates, and mass-event externalities observed at Oktoberfest and Running of the Bulls: concerns include gentrification noted in Barcelona and Amsterdam, environmental footprint issues raised after COP21, and labour disputes akin to those involving Live Nation crews. Academic critiques reference work from Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, Goldsmiths, and policy analysis from Brookings Institution and Chatham House.

Category:International cultural organizations