Our professional development programs are for emerging and current leaders who want to excel in the festivals and major events industry.
Since 2020, COFAME has united emerging and current leaders to solve critical problems, share insights, and forge strategic partnerships in festivals and major events.
COFAME is 100% promoter, producer, and brand agnostic, with representation from Live Nation, AEG Presents, and independent promoters, numerous production companies, and hundreds of brands.
In partnership with FestForums, National Independent Venue Foundation, and more to be announced soon
In partnership with SHIFT
In partnership with 20 leaders from 10 festivals
In 2026, COFAME is hosting a series of discussions for current leaders to share best practices for responding to the confluence of current issues affecting festivals and major events, including civil liberties, codes of conduct, contractual obligations, safety/security protocols, and more. To respect the sensitive nature of these discussions, participation is by invitation only.
March 27, 2026: Social Safety at Festivals
Kristin Flickinger (Flickinger Consulting)
Austin Whitney (Accessible Festivals)
In partnership with FestForums
September 17, 2026: TBA
Roundtable facilitators TBA
In partnership with National Independent Venue Foundation
In 2021, over 20 leaders from 10 festivals joined together for a virtual leadership summit led by SHIFT and COFAME. Over the course of four sessions, festival leaders joined together for a series of personal development workshops led by SHIFT paired with closed-door discussions led by COFAME.
1. Leveling up from Allyship
2. Challenging Implicit Bias & Microaggressions
3. Unpacking the Gender Binary
4. Building a Culture of Consent
These workshops examined how implicit, explicit, and structural problems show up in society, in our festivals, and in our own lives. The closed-door discussions led to the recognition of an urgent need for the festivals and major events industry to reimagine workforce development. As a result, the Coalition launched The Festivals and Major Events Training Program.
In May 2020 – in the wake of a global pandemic and the murder of George Floyd – a group of festival leaders began discussing the unique role of festivals in society and our unique responsibilities as festival leaders.
We deeply understood the cultural impact and influence of festivals. We acknowledged the privilege of organizing these transformational experiences. We also recognized the growing duty of addressing real-world ills and inequities within our own festivals.
We opened our discussions to include more leaders. All of us shared our hopes and concerns for how festivals returned. All of us also agreed on the urgent need for more community building, knowledge sharing, and critical training.
In 2021, over 20 leaders from 10 festivals joined forces to launch the Coalition of Festivals and Major Events (COFAME) under two pillars:
1. Be The Change: Professional development programs with current festival leaders.
2. Create Change: Workforce development programs for future festival leaders.
Jonathan Azu (Culture Collective)
Jonathan Baden (AEG Presents)
Kyle Casey (Day N Vegas + Second Sky)
Laura Day (Burning Man)
Charlie Dolman (Burning Man)
Mary Beth Elam (Old Soul Production Services)
Steve Feener (Superfly)
Cole Froelich (Coachella + Stagecoach)
Inez Lopez (Coachella + Stagecoach)
Kierrah Matthews (CAA)
Brandon McEachern (Broccoli City)
Stephanie Mezzano (Firefly)
Veline Mojarro (SHIFT Consulting)
Michael Sampliner (Electric Forest)
Katelyn Scott (Buku + Hangout)
Jen Stiles (Governors Ball)
Bryant Tan, (Burning Man)
Evan Tzeng (COFAME)
Katelyn Yount (Firefly)
Molly Zidow (Danny Wimmer Presents)
Ken Weinstein (Big Hassle)
Law Offices of Stephen Goldstein
Jasmine Carpentier
Frances Yang
Tristan Hunt, Greg Marshall & Ben Turner (Association for Electronic Music)
Noelle Scaggs & Tadia Taylor (Diversify The Stage)
Kerry Black & Rick Farman (Superfly)
Nancy Tarr & Christopher Dunn (Well Dunn Foundation)
Janine Small
Tiffany Yu
Laura Carter
Debbie Speer (Pollstar)
The Follow Through Starts NOW! The Industry Unites To Launch Coalition Of Festivals (Pollstar)
New Festivals Coalition Aims to Create a More Equitable Live Music Industry (Billboard)
Coalition of Festivals launches to promote an equitable and sustainable music festival industry (Hypebot)
The Coalition of Festivals Launches In North America (Celebrity Access)
Help build a stronger festivals and major events industry.