British Arts Festivals Association Conference – January 2026

Arts festivals are an important part of our arts and culture customer base. We headed to Birmingham as a conference partner for British Arts Festival Association's #BAFA2026 alongside our Direct Publicity colleagues. This is not a large conference, but the gathered delegates are enthusiastic, thoughtful and dedicated to the creative ambitions of the sector, while embracing the conference theme of ‘resilience’.

The two days were spent listening to knowledgeable panellists covering topics such as diversity and representation, sustainability tools, accessibility and the purple pound, innovative funding, collecting and analysing data, encouraging activism while navigating political noise and collaborating effectively and fairly – even with those who are less agile. Other issues that resonated were being both courageous and sensible about digital transformation and considering a legacy strategy. We were particularly struck by the phrase “the alchemy of opportunity”.

We like to think arts festivals might consider our suite of products and services as a collaborative opportunity!

There was naturally also plenty of time to network (and a delicious group dinner!), plus roundtables and Q&As that allowed us to interact and listen to our arts festival customers, plus meet new BAFA members and share how we can become a trusted print and distribution supplier, particularly if a focus on environmentally friendly options is a priority.

Thank you to the STEAMhouse for being a brilliant host.

John Good is a proud BAFA Associate Member. Why not consider becoming a member yourself?

#JGartsandculture | #ResilientFestivals