THE AIF TEAM

Chief Executive Officer

John leads the Association of Independent Festivals’ lobbying and advocacy work, representing the interests of the UK’s independent festival sector at national level. He oversees all AIF campaigns, communications, partnerships, events and strategic development, ensuring the organisation supports its members in a rapidly changing landscape.

He is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AIF and curates the programme for Festival Congress, AIF’s annual flagship conference for the festival sector.

Before joining AIF, John co-founded the Association of Independent Promoters, serving as its Chair. His background spans several years as a freelance bid writer for music and arts organisations, as well as a career as an independent concert and festival promoter, developing artists from grassroots venues through to arena stages. He also co-founded the Welsh Music Prize, established to celebrate and champion outstanding new music from Wales.

Campaigns & Resources

Sophie is a project manager with extensive experience delivering large-scale music and arts events across the UK. She joins the AIF to manage campaigns and resources, bringing a deep-rooted understanding of the independent festival sector and a commitment to championing member needs.

Her background includes a long tenure as Event Producer at Standon Calling, alongside work in production and as a freelance bid writer. Having secured funding for the Multi-Venue Festival Development Programme in 2024, she has now launched the Fallow Festival Fund 2026 and will lead our new LIVE Trust-funded Micro & Very Small Festival Development Programme.

Beyond festivals, she’s an occasional runner and wannabe yoga-person, but mainly enjoys spending time with her daughter. She looks forward to connecting with the AIF community to deliver meaningful work.

Support to CEO

Eleri has been wrangling spreadsheets and event plans for over a decade and thrives on keeping things organised and running smoothly. A self-proclaimed office geek, she is passionate about creating efficient systems and helping exciting projects come to life, because when the admin is sorted, the magic can happen!

Eleri provides administration, accounts, and marketing support. Whether it’s balancing budgets, managing mailing lists, or crafting newsletters, she is all about supporting the team and ensuring the behind-the-scenes work runs seamlessly.

On the side, Eleri manages a team of 3 small people and runs a catering business, hosting seasonal supper clubs, cheffing at retreats, and sharing her passion for local, seasonal, and nourishing food that tastes amazing.