Opposite are the live music festival industry leaders who will be lending their knowledge and insights to the IFF 2025 conference sessions.
ATC Live
ATC Live
After 10 years touring internationally as an artist, Alex started work as an agent at Reprise Agency in London. Alex founded ATC Live agency in partnership with ATC in 2011, and the company now represents 580 artists and books tours worldwide. Alex’s roster includes Fontaines D.C. Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, The Lumineers, Metronomy, Black Pumas, Amyl & The Sniffers, Julia Jacklin and Sleaford Mods. Alex was voted Agent Of The Year at the 2018 European Festival Awards and at the 2023 Arthur Awards.
WME
WME
Chris Payne joined WME in 2019 after 9 years at ITB. Based in London, he works with artists such as Olivia Rodrigo, Loyle Carner, Lola Young, Max Richter, Mahalia, Dean Lewis and many more.
Mad Cool Festival
Mad Cool Festival
Cindy has over 20 years of experience in the music industry as a manager, agent, and booker. She has played a pivotal role in shaping artists’ careers and has been instrumental in guiding the festival’s evolution and growth from the very beginning.
EXIT Festival
EXIT Festival
Dušan Kovačević is the founder of the EXIT Festival group, which has developed into one of the leading independent event organizations in the world.
Over the past two years, the EXIT team has organized over 50 events in 12 countries, attended by nearly a million people.
Major global media outlets regularly report on EXIT as one of the most prestigious festivals in the world. EXIT has brought the biggest music stars to Serbia, including Robbie Williams, The Cure, Madonna, Depeche Mode, The Killers, Calvin Harris, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Prodigy, David Guetta, and many others.
In addition to conventional music events, EXIT has also entered the Metaverse and introduced the first VR festival experience at Expo Dubai 2020.
In 2021, the renowned American magazine Pollstar named Dušan one of the twenty most influential individuals in the European live music domain, recognizing him among leaders who have “led, inspired, and advanced the live music industry”.
Kovačević is also the founder of EXIT Foundation, a leader in Southeasastern Europe when it comes to youth development, peace promotion, creative industries, environmental protection, and destination branding.
It has partnered with some of the biggest global organizations such as the EU, UNICEF, UNWTO, USAID, and has established a special partnership with the largest humanitarian organization – United Nations World Food Programme on the Life Stream project.
EXIT Festival
EXIT Festival
Ivan Milivojev is a lifelong honorary member and former board member of YOUROPE – The European Festival Association, which represents over 130 of Europe’s most prominent music festivals. He served on the board for more than a decade, contributing to the growth and collaboration of the European live music scene.
He is the Co-Founder of EXIT Festival, one of Europe’s leading music events held at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad, Serbia. Over the past 25 years, Ivan has co-founded several other influential festivals, including Sea Dance, Sea Star, Warriors Dance, DEV9T, and R:EVOL:UTION.
He has also helped establish key industry organizations such as AAA Production, SMMF – Serbian Music Manager Forum, and Direct Booking Agency, all based in Serbia.
In 2025, Ivan was appointed Exchange Ambassador for Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS), where he works to strengthen the international presence of European talent through expanded festival cooperation.
He currently collaborates with leading regional artists including Gibonni, Urban & 4, and Space Motion.
IQ Magazine
IQ Magazine
A journalist for over 20 years, James has spent more than 12 years covering the live music industry.
James is IQ magazine’s Special Projects Editor, in charge of publications such as the European Festival Report, Global Promoters Report, International Ticketing Report and others.
He is the editor of the Barbican’s monthly Guide magazine, and writes on culture for a variety of publications. As a regular presenter James has appeared at conferences such as the ILMC, Canadian Music Week, MIDEM and The Great Escape, and appeared on the BBC, France 24, ITV and more.
He is former Managing Director of the UK and European Festival Awards.
EXIT Festival
EXIT Festival
Jenni is CEO & Co-Founder of mental health and wellbeing non-profit Getahead, and Founder & CEO of wellbeing consultancy business Work Inspired.
Jenni launched Getahead in 2018 while still working her full time job as Director of Culture & Partnerships at AEI Group. Prior to starting her journey in well-being, Jenni worked in the live sector, starting her career in Ibiza at age 17 she worked on the island every season throughout university where she graduated with Honours in Textiles & Fashion Design Management. After university, Music and Events overtook as Jenni’s real passions and a career in this sector was the one she pursued, going onto organise events and festivals all over the world for some the industries biggest brands and organisations, including Renaissance, Ministry of Sound, Hed Kandi, Pacha, UKF and more. After 20+ years of globetrotting and burning the candle at both ends in the music industry, Jenni found her purpose when she co-founded Getahead, which has an ambition to positively impact a billion people in the next 25 years.
Getahead launched initially as a 24 hour mental health and wellbeing festival in London in partnership with London Tech Week, and supported by charity Help Musicians. The festival itself offered a platform to also launch a Record label and Podcast series.
Jenni also has a wellbeing consultancy business WorkInspired, which works with and supports organisations with their people and communities mental health and well-being needs. Tailoring bespoke content to each client's individual requirements, programmes are curated across the brand pillars Training, Health, Development and Fun. Work Inspired delivers programs both in the workplace and online, or as hybrid events.
Jenni still consults for major music organisations including the Exit Festival Group, where she is a senior talent booker and is also leading on a new music and tech conference called Bridge, taking place in May 2025 in Croatia. With MDLBEAST, Jenni is a senior talent booker and programmer lead on XP Music Futures.
AEG Europe
AEG Europe
Jim King is Chief Executive Officer for AEG Europe’s festival division, responsible for the company’s award-winning and internationally renowned roster of festivals. From American Express Presents BST Hyde Park and Uber One Presents All Points East in London to Rock en Seine in Paris, or the more recently launched Forwards Festival in Bristol, Jim and his team entertain over one million festival goers each and every year.
Jim joined AEG in 2008, where he originated, produced, and led the creation of flagship festivals BST Hyde Park and All Points East. Prior to his time with AEG, Jim held senior roles at Cream where he produced Creamfields festival, before founding his own company LoudSound, for which he sits on the Board of Directors today.
Jim graduated from Liverpool John Moores University with Honours in Business, Management and Marketing.
When he’s not in London or touring, Jim spends his time in Liverpool, where he lives with his son and dog.
WME
WME
Joining WME as partner and co-head of the London office in 2023, Josh has been an international booking agent for over 20 years and represents and guides the careers of a diverse range of artists, including Coldplay, Eminem, Queens Of The Stone Age, Phoebe Bridgers, Modest Mouse and Snow Patrol.
With a roster ranging from new and emerging artists to stadium and festival headliners, Josh also works with artists such as Alice In Chains, Boygenius, Jimmy Eat World, Cigarettes After Sex, Belle & Sebastian, Afghan Whigs, Beth Orton, Foy Vance, The Charlatans, Kodaline, The Hold Steady, Echo & the Bunnymen, Jenny Lewis, Lightning Seeds, Nathaniel Rateliff, The Breeders, Refused, Touche Amore, City & Colour, Bright Eyes, Maximo Park, Alkaline Trio, The Amazons, Thrice and Taking Back Sunday.
MOJO Concerts
MOJO Concerts
Kim Bloem is head promoter and managing director at MOJO Concerts, celebrating her 25th anniversary in the business in this coming year. Starting as an intern and working her way up the business, it’s almost the American Dream.
Rock in Rio Lisboa
Rock in Rio Lisboa
Luís Soares is the Marketing Director of Rock in Rio, the world’s largest music and entertainment festival.
With a background in Tourism and a Master's in Events Marketing from London, he began his career leading one of the most profitable editions of Queima das Fitas.
He has worked at Sony Europe, China Business Network, and The Agency Group (now UTA), and today drives the strategic growth and international positioning of Rock in Rio.
CAA
CAA
Maria May is a Music Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
Based in the London office, May and her team represent many of the world’s leading musicians, including David Guetta, Black Eyed Peas, Roisin Murphy, Paul Kalkbrenner, The Chainsmokers, Robin Schulz, Oliver Heldens, Lee Burridge, Jonas Blue, Meduza, Purple Disco Machine, Guy Gerber, Monolink, Cloonee, Eli Brown, Layla Benitez, Sara Landry, Lanna, Abel and Who Made Who.
May’s roots in dance and electronic music run deep, with 30 years representing many of the most innovative artists in the electronic music scene. In 2012, she was tapped by CAA to help lead the agency’s expansion into dance music. She was inducted into the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour.
She has also been featured on Billboard’s International Power Players list multiple times.
May sits on the board of Lady of the House, an active female-led collective, which amplifies women’s contributions to the dance music industry and uplift and educate the community. She sits on the board of Beatport and the advisory board for the Frankie Knuckles Foundation.
The ROSTR Group
The ROSTR Group
Mark Williamson is the Co-Founder and CEO of The ROSTR Group, a music technology and media company based in Los Angeles, California.
The group's flagship product, ROSTR, has become a must-have resource for organizing the music industry, serving tens of thousands of music professionals. Building on this success, The ROSTR Group has expanded its offerings to include several other products.
Jobs by ROSTR, a job site, attracted a quarter of a million users in its first year. Stack by ROSTR is the largest online directory of music industry resources.
The group also launched ROSTR Insider, a dedicated news site for the industry. Prior to ROSTR, Mark spent almost a decade leading Spotify's artist relations teams. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.
Primary Talent International
Primary Talent International
Martje Kremers, born in The Netherlands but based in London, is an agent at Primary Talent International, representing a roster of artists including Justice, Boys Noize, Vitalic, Basement Jaxx, Dave Clarke, Erol Alkan, NTO LIVE and many more.
Roster: primarytalent.com/martje-kremers
CAA
CAA
Paul Wilson is a senior Music Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Wilson is based in the London office and represents many of the world’s leading musicians including Angus & Julia Stone, Ben Howard, Dermot Kennedy, Kae Tempest, Leon Bridges, Lianne La Havas, Lucy Dacus, The Pretenders, Sam Fender, Tracy Chapman, among many others.
Sziget Festival
Sziget Festival
Virag works as the head of international booking of Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary.
For the past thirteen years she has been a member of the organizing team responsible for the programs of Hungary's leading music festivals, and has contributed to the company’s success at the 2017 European Festival Awards and 2018 UK Festival Awards where SZIGET won awards for ‘Line-Up Of The Year’ and 'Best Overseas Festival'.
In 2024, she took part in the planning and organization of over 200 music performances at the festivals. These include the first Hungarian appearances of Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Lana Del Rey and Kendrick Lamar.