The Course

The Festival and Event Management Masterclass is an intensive 2 day programme designed to inform and inspire anyone involved in the business of creating, managing and developing festivals and events. It is a highly practical course full of ideas and examples that participants can put into practice immediately to improve their events. It festures sessions on key tasks and challenges for those involved in festivals both large and small including Marketing, Press, Programming, Evaluation, Sponsorship and Fundraising.

The Masterclass has run successfully in 20 countries worldwide including Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, USA, Ireland and Finland.

The Tutor

Paul Gudgin has over 20 years experience in the management of festivals and events including the Aldeburgh Festival, City of London Festival and 8 years as the Director of the world’s largest arts festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringeduring an exciting period that saw the event double in scale selling over 1.5 million tickets. Paul has become widely regarded internationally as a presenter and lecturer in the field of Festival and Event Management. He was the Visiting Professor of Festivals and Events at Leeds Metropolitan University. He has also been a key-note speaker at leading event conferences in Ireland, Canada, Australia, South Korea, New Zealand, The US and China.

Who Should Attend

• Festival and event management professionals
• Arts and events consultants
• Managers from festival and event funding and support agencies
• Festival and Event Board members
• Tourism and Economic Development Executives

What Is Included

• 2 Days Tuition
• Tea and Coffee
• Course Handbook

Here are some comments from participants at previous masterclasses. They are taken from the post course survey.

Stockholm
"The course was a vitamin injection in how to manage a festival and also how to evolve it. In short: The ultimate Crash Course in festival management!" - City of Sodertalje

Göteborg
"This Masterclass gave me a lot of high energy and fabulous new friends. Thanks Paul for sharing your knowledge and the guidance you gave! Now I know how to increase my festival!" - Kulturnatta Göteborg

"All we talked about I can apply to my own way of thinking when it comes to our event, and I got so many new ideas and also confirmation that what we do is right, which leads me to believe that our dance festival will be even more successful this time around. Thank you Paul for two packed, and inspiring days!" - Abundance International Dance Festival

Utrecht

"The two days masterclass really stirred things up in a positive way. And we look
forward to showing our audience what we got for them." - Festival Mooie Woorden

"Great story’s, enormous amount of useful information and I met a lot of interesting
people. But above all it has given me a much wider view on (my) events." - Smartlappenfestival, Oktoberfest

Copenhagen

"I’m happy I participated this class. It gave me new energy and inspired me to think about my own events and projects from another perspective - because sometimes you can get stuck in your own way of doing things and then it’s good to get new input." - bazART, Center for Arts & Interculture.

"Thank you for a lot of important information and a lovely opportunity to rethink my own Salaam Film festivals challenges and possibilities in Denmark. I’ll recommend the course to everyone - high and low in the business." - Salaam Filmfestival

Oslo

"The sky is the limit! The course confirmed in many ways that our little festival is on the right track, and that gives us so much renewed energy. You can’t put a price in that!" - Sirkusfestivalen, Sarpsborg.

"The masterclass on festivals gave food for thought, presented in an inspiring and refreshing way." CODA Oslo International Dance Festival

Helsinki
"Paul has the amazing ability to coach event management professionals participating in his Masterclass without them even knowing it! He inspires participants to think and connect the dots in a creative way in order to create stronger programmes, partnerships and networks for their festival and events. His passion is contagious. " - Culture Export Management and PR Lounge

Overijssel

"The masterclass on festivals gave me lots of new insights and ideas. It also gave me the possibility to evaluate the current approach. Furthermore it gave great energy to our group and will lead to a better cooperation in (near) future. A must to for everyone involved with the programming and (collective) promotion of festivals!" - Festivalbureau Overijsse

Rocky Harbour
"The Festival & Event Management Masterclass was one of the most useful courses I’ve ever attended, with tons of practical advice and the chance to collaborate with festival organizers throughout the region. Paul led us through multiple exercises that produced some truly inspiring and innovative ideas." Go Western Newfoundland

Stavanger
"I found the workshop both interesting, inspiring and helpful. I have gained new ideas for my own festival and also important confirmation of things we have done that seems to be the right thing to do. In short: I loved it!" - Nordlysfestivalen, Tromsø

Here are just a few of the festivals and organisations that have attended the Masterclass:

• Aarhus Festival
• Abu Dhabi Tourism Development Co
• Adelaide Festival
• Adelaide Fringe
• Alice Springs Town Council
• Amnesty International
• Amsterdam Fringe
• Baltic Jazz Festival
• British Council
• Calgary Arts Development.
• City of Sodertalje
• CODA Oslo International Dance Festival
• Community Relations Commission (NSW)
• Cork Choral Festival
• Creative Manitoba
• Dublin Soul City Festival
• Edmonton Tourism Marketing and Development
• Emirates International Literature Festival
• Festival International de Films de Fribourg
• Festivalbureau Overijssel
• Harare Jazz Festival
• Helsinki Festival
• Holland Animation Film Festival
• Invest Victoria
• Moreton Bay Regional Council
• National Folk Festival (Canberra)
• Nordlysfestivalen Tromsø
• Ontario Arts Council
• Pori Jazz Festival
• Pride Winnipeg
• Push Festival
• Raleigh International Festival
• Rotterdam Festivals
• Saskatchewan Festival of Words
• Surrey Children’s Festival
• Svenska Kulturfonden
• The Arts House – Singapore
• Toerisme Oostende
• Tourism Queensland
• Universiteit Antwerpen
• Uppsala International Guitar Festival
• Vancouver International Wine Festival
• Visit Tromso
• Vives University
• Waterford Festival of Food
• Yo! Opera Festival