Laurie Kirby is the President and Founder of FestForums, North America’s premiere conference for the festival industry.
Each year in Santa Barbara festival producers from the music, film, and food and wine industries gather to swap ideas and network at FestForums, which Laurie founded in 2015.
Laurie herself has plenty of firsthand experience in the festival industry, having played a key role in establishing The Newport International Film Festival, as well as serving as the President and Chief Creative Officer of the International Film Festival Summit.
Her career to date has been colorful and multi-faceted, having worked as an attorney for over 20 years, as well as managing and consulting for dozens of film festivals and filmmakers and serving as a producer and consultant on many independent films.
A large part of her focus now, though, is FestForums, and throughout this interview we talk about Laurie’s approach to running a successful conference, as well as the festival trends that emerged at the most recent FestForums.
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