The festival industry is huge these days — the number of emails I get about festivals every week from the music and food and wine sectors alone is mind-blowing — and FestForums focuses its attention on this trend during a three-day conference that’s being held in Santa Barbara February 12-14. Headquartered at the Mar Monte Hotel, conveniently right across the street from East Beach, this is a B2B live gathering for festival producers, organizers, and industry leaders to learn and network all in one place. With representatives from the major power players and household names taking part — think Sundance, Goldenvoice, Live Nation, Food Network New York Food & Wine Festival, and Burning Man, for example — the conference includes various panels, exhibitors, awards, concerts, and parties galore, all designed to cultivate networking in a relaxed, casual, uniquely Santa Barbara style.
There’s also a fair amount of star power at FestForums, with featured speakers including actor Matthew Modine, musician Sophie B. Hawkins, world champion surfer Shaun Tomson, and Festival Promoter of the Year winner John Giddings, who has run the British Isle of Wight Festival since its revival in 2002. Originally dubbed the “Woodstock of Europe,” in the ‘60s, with Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors, the festival was banned by an act of parliament for the last 32 years as it drew 600,000 music fans and brought the island to a standstill. Under Giddings, it has featured artists like David Bowie, REM, The Who, and the Rolling Stones — this year’s festival features Sting and Justin Timberlake, among others.
How is it that such a star-studded conference has gone mostly under-the-radar locally in its previous seven iterations? “FestForums annual event is one of the most exciting events we have each year in Santa Barbara,” wrote musician and board member Michael McDonald. “It recognizes and honors those who infuse our community with enthusiasm for artistic endeavor and cultural awareness. The conference shines a light on our diverse cultures and artistic achievements and in doing so succeeds in illuminating the vibrant fabric that is America.”