Driving Creative Communications and Marketing for the World's Most Innovative Festivals and Leading Music Brands

Roles included:

Head of Marketing and Communications - Angel Music Group
Head of Communications - MAMA Group
Interim Marketing Director - Secret Productions (partner)

ESTATE OVERVIEW

Festivals included: Wilderness Festival, Lovebox Festival, The Great Escape Festival, Vintage by Hemmingway Festival, GlobalGathering UK and International, High Voltage, White Air Extreme Sports festival, Escape Into the Park, Electric Carnival, Glade, and High Voltage.

GlobalGathering International: Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, South Korea, Australia, UK, Turkey,

Godskitchen Boombox tour: London UK, Poznan, Poland; Island of Pag, Croatia; Moscow, Russia; Belarus, Minsk; Istanbul Turkey; Taipei, Taiwan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Cape Town, South Africa; Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne- Australia; Montreal, Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico; Mexico City, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Other events and tours: Godskitchen, Bang the Box, Eclectricity, and Snoop Dogg Tour

Venues included: Hammersmith Apollo, Kentish Town Forum, Barfly, Heaven, The Borderline, The Garage, Jazz Cafe, Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, The Institute (Birmingham), Air (Birmingham), The Ritz (Manchester), The Picture House (Edinburgh), East Village Arts Club (Liverpool), GAY, Air (Birmingham)

Other: The Fly Magazine

KEY TAKEOUTS

Managed budgets of up to £1.2 million and led a high-performing team to amplify awareness and drive ticket sales across a vast events portfolio.

Cultivated and managed critical relationships with major partners including Live Nation (AMG), HMV, MAMA (AMG), and key stakeholders such as arena partners, the Police (AMG), Council (AMG), and charities. Successfully delivered sponsor obligations for high-profile brands like Pepsi (AMG), Tuborg (AMG), Vodafone (AMG), and JTI (AMG).

Oversaw comprehensive PR strategies for The Fly Magazine, along with all consumer, corporate, and trade PR efforts. Spearheaded street promotions, media and brand partnerships, onsite festival planning, and asset delivery for 100+ global events annually. Led database management, eMarketing, SEO, paid media campaigns, event media management, photography, content production, and social media for AMG. Pioneered a content strategy and introduced an asset management system, this supported in securing a multi-million-pound, three-year renewal of the JTI partnership.

As a founding member of Wilderness Festival, achieved 100% positive press in its inaugural year, generating 319 pieces of coverage and a 40:1 ROI. The festival won Best New Festival at the UK Festival Awards, with successful partnerships brokered with War Child, Nordoff Robbins, Wired, Psychologies, and Huffington Post, and key collaborations secured with Headspace, Last Tuesday Society, and Old Vic Tunnels.

Orchestrated a high-impact PR campaign for Vintage by Hemingway Festival, paired with Sir Peter Blake’s 80th birthday, to recreate the iconic Beatles Sgt Pepper’s artwork. This campaign achieved 400 pieces of coverage across 11 countries, was the 8th most read on BBC.com, and featured as the 'and finally' piece on News at 10, delivering an ROI of 83:1.

Secured The Guardian and Observer media partnership for The Great Escape Festival, elevating the event's profile and driving a sellout of both general and delegate tickets.

Led PR efforts for 11 prominent UK venues, including Hammersmith Apollo, The Forum in Kentish Town, The Garage, Jazz Café, Edinburgh Picture House, Digbeth Institute in Birmingham, Heaven, G-A-Y Bar, G-A-Y Late, and The Borderline, while supporting Mean Fiddler promoters on multiple tours.

Lovebox Festival is a dynamic London music and arts event, founded by Groove Armada in 2002, known for its diverse lineup and vibrant, inclusive atmosphere.

I successfully managed the PR strategy and execution for Lovebox Festival by crafting a comprehensive plan that enhanced the festival's brand visibility and audience engagement. I developed a targeted media outreach campaign, securing coverage in top-tier publications and influential online platforms, which significantly boosted pre-event buzz. I also leveraged social media channels, creating engaging content that resonated with the festival's diverse audience, driving ticket sales and fostering a vibrant online community. On the ground, I coordinated press activities, managed interviews with artists, and ensured seamless communication between media partners and the festival team, resulting in positive, widespread coverage that solidified Lovebox's reputation as a premier music and arts festival in London.

LOVEBOX COVERAGE EXAMPLES

**WILDERNESS** FESTIVAL

**ROI 40:1, 319 pieces of coverage in total,** 265 national & online pieces of coverage, 49 regional pieces of coverage

Wilderness Festival is a multi-disciplinary event in Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, celebrating music, arts, wellness, and nature with a focus on creativity and sustainability.

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As a founding member of Wilderness Festival, I played a pivotal role in shaping its creative and operational foundations. My contributions spanned across various domains, with a particular emphasis on public relations, content development, and strategic partnerships. I was instrumental in the roll-out and adaptation of the festival's unique identity, ensuring that our messaging resonated with diverse audiences while fostering strong relationships with key partners. Successful partnerships were brokered with War Child, Nordoff Robbins, Wired, Psychologies, and Huffington Post, and key collaborations secured with Headspace, Last Tuesday Society, and Old Vic Tunnels. My efforts helped establish Wilderness as a celebrated and innovative event, blending music, arts, and wellness in a way that has continued to captivate and grow its community, in addition to winning Best New Festival at the UK Festival Awards.

Year 1 launch saw 100% positive press reviews.
319 pieces of coverage in total
265 national & online pieces of coverage
49 regional pieces of coverage
28 pieces of main national coverage - £132,350 AVE
Coverage = in region £400,000 AVE
ROI 40:1

WILDERNESS COVERAGE EXAMPLES

WINNER: BEST NEW FESTIVAL AT THE UK FESTIVAL AWARDS

**VINTAGE**
Festival

**ROI 83:1,** 400 pieces of coverage across 11 countries

The Vintage Festival, conceived by Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway, celebrated British culture from the 1920s to the 1980s through music, fashion, and design, becoming a powerful example of cultural nostalgia in marketing.

Faced with the challenge of launching the Vintage Festival without headliners, I developed a creative solution centred around Sir Peter Blake's 80th birthday and the 45th anniversary of The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." We recreated the album cover with Blake, Wayne Hemingway, festival partners, and British cultural icons from various decades. This image was amplified through extensive media coverage, social campaigns, and on-site activities, including a live band performance and a photo competition.

RESULTS

This achieved 400 pieces of coverage across 11 countries, was the 8th most read on BBC.com, and we were the ‘and finally’ piece on the News at 10. ROI 83:1.

The Great Escape Festival in Brighton, launched in 2006, showcases emerging global talent across genres and offers industry panels, workshops, and networking opportunities.

While working on The Great Escape, I brokered a partnership with The Guardian that included editorial exclusives, behind-the-scenes access, and podcast recording opportunities. The Guardian benefited from logo placement, ticket giveaways, a full-page ad in the festival program, venue branding, suggested speakers, and on-site newspaper sales. In return, we received full-page ads in The Guardian and its Guide, a half-page ad in the Festival Guide, extensive editorial coverage, ticket competitions, social media posts, e-newsletter placements, and inclusion in the Music Weekly Podcast. This successful collaboration marked the festival's first partnership with The Guardian and continued for four years.

**GLOBAL GATHERING**
UK and International Festivals

GlobalGathering: Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, South Korea, Australia, UK, Turkey.

Launched in 2001 by Godskitchen, GlobalGathering became a major electronic music festival, known for its top-tier DJs and influential role in the EDM scene.

As the Head of Marketing and Communications for GlobalGathering UK and International, I led the successful rollout of a comprehensive brand redesign, revitalising the festival's image across multiple markets. I spearheaded the transition to in-house content creation, enhancing our ability to produce high-quality, authentic promotional materials that resonated with our global audience. Additionally, I strategically shifted our PR efforts by selecting a new agency, which resulted in stronger media relationships and increased visibility for the festival on an international scale.

I was responsible for overseeing all online and offline media output for various events, ensuring that media and PR activities were not only of high quality and effectiveness but also aligned with the company’s objectives and targets. This included managing where advertising was displayed to ensure that events were presented in the best possible light and medium. Additionally, I managed the promotions budget, oversaw customer databases, and optimised eMarketing and SEO strategies. A key part of my role was developing integrated communications and influencing strategies for major global events such as GlobalGathering, but also including Godskitchen Worldwide, White Air Festival, Electric Carnival, and Escape Into The Park.

Beyond strategy development, I was heavily involved in onsite festival planning, managing press conferences with artists and organisers, and handling filming and photography permissions across 50 annual events worldwide. I implemented various management systems, including online asset and project management systems, to streamline operations. My role also involved managing relationships with key partners such as Live Nation, HMV, MAMA, and sponsors like Pepsi, Tuborg, Vodafone, and JTI. Additionally, I sourced and maintained media and brand partnerships while leading the training and development of PR, marketing, and promotions staff. My responsibilities also extended to crisis management, where I identified opportunities, arranged spokespeople appearances, and drafted accurate press statements and brand profiles.

Godskitchen Boombox tour: London, UK; Poznan, Poland; Island of Pag, Croatia; Moscow, Russia; Belarus, Minsk; Istanbul, Turkey; Taipei, Taiwan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; Johannesburg, Cape Town - South Africa; Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Perth, Melbourne - Australia; Montreal, Canada; Guadalajara, Mexico City - Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Godskitchen revolutionised dance music events with innovations like the Boombox, a futuristic DJ setup that set new standards for immersive audio-visual experiences.

Other events included: The Great Escape festival, Snoop Dogg Tour, White Air Extreme Sports festival, Escape Into the Park, Electric Carnival, Eclectricity., High Voltage, Godskitchen.

Venues included: Hammersmith Apollo, Kentish Town Forum, Barfly, Heaven, The Borderline, The Garage, Jazz Cafe, Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, The Institute (Birmingham), Air (Birmingham), The Ritz (Manchester), The Picture House (Edinburgh), East Village Arts Club (Liverpool), GAY, Air (Birmingham)

OTHER COVERAGE EXAMPLES

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