UK: The former head of intellectual property at specialist technology development business Ilika, Dr James Green, has joined consumer and pro-sound developer Flare Audio in the same role. Green brings to Flare over 45 years’ experience in international technology commercialisation, having negotiated numerous agreements and licences with major corporations including US and Japanese multinationals. His new role includes managing and progressing Flare’s portfolio of patents, designs and trademarks, and advising management on competitive threats or potential patent infringements. Flare’s Davies Roberts commented: “Dr Green has an extraordinary wealth of experience and will play a key role in ensuring Flare’s proprietary…
Author: Festival Insights
UK: In one of the first real world applications of Blockchain technology, BitTicket aims to put an end to the large scale ticket touting scandal plaguing the live events industry. On launch it has partnered with TheTicketSellers, which will become the UK’s first large scale ticketing platform to implement blockchain technology. BitTicket hopes to revolutionise the ticketing market, using blockchain technology to make the ticketing industry a fairer place to operate. Its aim is not to disrupt the industry, rather to become part of the buyer’s journey, providing greater security that also tackles industrial touting and counterfeiting. After rigorous testing…
UK: Verve, the word-of-mouth software for live events, continues to expand into Europe following the roll out of the platform in six new languages and with local teams to support its growing European client base in Germany, France, Spain, Belgium and The Netherlands. Verve enables events to turn fans into advocates who sell tickets to friends in exchange for rewards such as free tickets and VIP experiences. This makes it possible for events to reach new audiences and sell more tickets while building fan loyalty and retention. “There’s a real appetite for word-of-mouth programs among fans in Europe,” said Verve…
UK: Field Day has announced that its 2018 edition – set to take place from June 1 – 2 – will move to south London’s Brockwell Park. The change in location follows on from Field Day’s most successful edition to date, which saw the addition of a massive new stage, The Barn, as well as a new food & drink offering selected by Street Feast and Venn Street Market. Its 2017 line-up was perfectly emblematic of the festival’s preeminence as a curator of innovative music, with Aphex Twin, Run the Jewels, Death Grips, Nicolas Jaar, Kode9, Flying Lotus, Forest Swords,…
UK: Sound City will return to Liverpool from May 5 – 6 for its 11th edition, promising to go ‘back to its roots’ as it showcases hundreds of emerging acts across the many intimate venues of the city’s historic Baltic Triangle. Artists scheduled to perform across the weekend include The DMA’s, Peace, Slow Readers Club, Picture This, Wye Oak, Black Honey, Sunset Sons, Yellow Days, Baxter Dury, Dermot Kennedy, Jade Bird, The Blinders, Gaffa Tape Sandy, Sorry, Sam Fender, Billie Marten, Matt Maltese, Saint Phnx and Stereohoney. For the first time, Sound City’s line-up will feature a contingent of hip-hop…
UK: Wakefield’s Long Division Festival has announced its return after a fallow year in 2017. After taking a year off to take stock and better understand what he wanted the festival to be, festival founder and director Dean Freeman, along with the newly expanded Long Division team, is bringing it back with an expanded line-up and broader programme, including a host of free entry and paid events taking place in venues all across the city. Leading the announcement is folk and roots icon Billy Bragg, Scottish troubadour King Creosote, ex-Ash guitarist Charlotte Hatherly, and Helen Marnie of lauded electronic outfit…
UK: Beat the Streets – an all-day music festival staged to help the homeless – has announced that it broke its fundraising target of £100,000. Taking place across venues in Nottingham on January 28, thousands turned out to watch sets from the likes of Sleaford Mods, Ferocious Dog, The Invisible Orchestra, Lawnmower Deth, Rolo Tomassi, Kagoule and Eyre Llew. Organisers DHP Family have now confirmed that the festival will become an annual event, with the next Beat the Streets scheduled for January 27 2019. As well as raising vital funds, the festival is also raising awareness of the growing homeless…
UK: Sheffield’s flagship inner-city music festival, Tramlines, will host its 10th anniversary edition at Hillsborough Park from July 20 – 22. The move marks the first time the festival will have been held on just one site. The new venue also means an increase in the festival’s licensed daily capacity, allowing for 40,000 attendees to enjoy its expanded entertainment offerings. These new additions include a comedy stage, pop-up cinema, a family area, a stage programmed by local institution The Leadmill in tandem with Reverend and The Makers’ John McClure, and more. Also brand new for the 10th year is the…
UK: The Event Services and Supplier Association (ESSA) has launched a talent and recruitment hub, acting as a permanent online repository of assets and collateral to provide support and promote the event industry as a viable career path for young people. Chris Criscione, ESSA Chair Events Industry Alliance (EIA) chair and managing director of Equinox Design, made the announcement, saying: “Now everyone will have the material they need to make a compelling case for careers in the event industry. ESSA has invested in this initiative to help companies campaign and spread the word about the breadth and variety of the…
NETHERLANDS: The international non-profit organisation A Greener Festival has announced the 34 winners of its 11th ‘Greener Festival Awards’, plus its first ‘Greener Event Awards’. Festivals and events from 12 countries participated in the award in 2017. Applicants undergo a rigorous assessment, site visit and post event analysis of their event’s sustainability actions. Events are assessed on 11 main areas including transportation, waste, power, water and local area impacts. Roskilde Festival’s spokeswoman, Christina Bilde, said: “Our ambition is to create a festival without negative environmental impact, and we already have many years of experience in creating sustainable initiatives. With the…