U.K. FESTIVAL ORG CEO TO EXIT

Paul Reed will step down as CEO of the Association of Independent Festivals in November, making him the third U.K. trade-body boss to announce his exit in recent days.

Reed has spent nine years at AIF, during which time the organization’s membership has grown more than 137%. The association now reps just under half of all U.K. festivals with a capacity of more than 5,000.

“With the first full festival season since the pandemic began drawing to a close, it feels like the right time for me to seek new challenges and an opportune time for AIF to appoint new leadership," Reed said. "Despite the challenges independent festivals continue to face, doing this job has been an enormous privilege and hugely enjoyable.”

There has been a lot of shuffling at the helm of British trade bodies this month. Earlier in August, Geoff Taylor announced that he’s exiting as chief executive of the BPI in 2023, while Paul Pacifico, CEO of the Association of Independent Music, will leave at the end of this year. (Rumors suggest Pacifico is set to replace Taylor.)