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Conference 2010
Food Festivals: The Next Generation
Friday 17 September 2010
Venue: St Mary's Priory Centre, Monk St, Abergavenny, NP7 5ND
Registration: from 9.00am
Start: 9.45am
Finish 4.00pm
Book tickets on-line or reserve places and request an invoice now
A fully detailed itinerary will be sent out after registration.
All delegates will receive complimentary weekend Stroller Tickets for the Abergavenny Food Festival
- Food Festivals have become an established part of the UK’s cultural calendar.
- Food festivals are a win/win. They are popular and appeal across age groups. They fulfil a dual role of place-marketing and economic regeneration.
- Nonetheless a food festival – like any other festival – takes organisation and costs money. Some will be strictly local, volunteer-run affairs. But many others are supported at some level by public funding. And that funding is predicated on festivals achieving real, quantifiable results.
- As the recession tightens its grip on public funds, funders will be asking harder questions. Who does come to your festival? How much do they spend? Will they come back?
This year’s keynote speakers, all leading experts in their fields, will focus on the tools that organisers will need to take their festival to the next level:
Workshop / Discussion Sessions
Growing Food Festivals – a Third Way?
Philip Lowery looks at the challenge of delivering larger-scale festivals in urban communities that retain a social purpose. Steering a way between purely commercial “big brand” shows and smaller local events, he has developed the Real Food Festival into one of key events in the food calendar.
Philip Lowery is Director of the Real Food Festival and is gradually growing a portfolio of high profile events in London and Bristol. Real Food aims to deliver large, high quality events that support local and regional producers and which have a strong social and educational element.
"Food Theatre" – the Role of Food Culture in Place Making
Andy Spracklen explores the mechanisms for building distinct, thriving town centres and communities based around a strong food culture. He looks at ways of communicating and at some of the challenges of using food as a focus for development, drawing on national and international best practice.
Andy Spracklen is Director of Urban8, a Manchester-based consultancy which uniquely bridges urban planning practice and food culture, through close links to its sister company – Ning restaurant and cookery school.
Measuring Success – What Makes a Festival a Winner?
Wynfford James and Nick Miller discuss the approach the Welsh Assembly Government is taking to measure the effectiveness of support for Food Festivals.
Wynfford James is Head of Food and Market Development Division of the Welsh Assembly Government. He is a long standing activist and animateur in the promotion of Welsh food and drink and has been credited with being the major single voice in establishing the presence of Welsh food on the world stage.
Nick Miller is Director of Miller Research, a sustainable regeneration consultancy currently reviewing 54 food festivals across Wales for the Welsh Assembly Government.
Social Media and Food Festivals
Ellie Kaye enlightens us to the weird and wonderful world of social media (Facebook / Twitter / Blogs and email) and how it can transform your event or festival with dynamism and persistence. Love it or hate it, the game has changed as to how you promote, educate and communicate.
Ellie is a full time member of agency land, currently working with VCCP Voice, the masterminds behind the UK's biggest social media success story in 2009, Compare the Market. Ellie plans and implements social media strategies for some of the UK's biggest brands. She also trains marketing teams in implementation and community management.
If you have any additional queries relating to the Conference please contact Claire Harris at Miller Research: claire@miller-research.co.uk – tel: 01873 851880.
Book tickets on-line or reserve places and request an invoice now
