Norman Hamilton to chair FIDOF assembly in Cannes

Malta will be among 60 countries participating in the 37th Annual General Conference of the FIDOF (International Federation of Festival Organisers) which will convene on Wednesday at the Palais de Festivals in Cannes, France.

Norman Hamilton, current vice-president of FIDOF, who has been active in FIDOF for the last 20 years, will represent Malta and also chair this year's meeting of this prestigious assembly. Mr Hamilton is also expected to address the assembly on the newly formed Malta Song Board.

The president and founder of FIDOF, Professor Armando Moreno, will inaugurate the conference.

The assembly will discuss information on the ongoing Festival 2003, which will be submitted by the attending members and deal with the FIDOF Festival of the Year 2002, the Transitional Golden Ring of Friendship Award 2002 and the nomination of FIDOF's Person of the Year.

FIDOF has dedicated this assembly to children's festivals. "This is based on the decision to lay the foundation of FIDOF's International Professional Child Artists Section at the meeting in Cannes at MIDEM 2000. We want to encourage children - professional artists - to express themselves, exchange experiences on international levels and protect them from exploitation of any kind," Mr Hamilton said before leaving Malta for Cannes.

FIDOF co-ordinates information about festivals and cultural events and stimulates organisers to continue being an integral part of the world's communication between people by providing stages for professionals and amateurs.

Major festivals from around the world are FIDOF members as well as record companies, broadcasting companies, press agencies, agents and freelancers.

FIDOF has contacts with over 1,600 festival and events taking place in 102 countries and is the world's link between festival organisers, corporate sponsors, record and television companies, classical and light music and other events and their management, as well as impresarios, publishers, artists, songwriters and other professionals involved in festivals and events. FIDOF is the only official organisation of its kind.

FIDOF organises the Distant Accords Awards gala ceremonies. The awards are the world's festival's equivalent of the Oscars.

FIDOF holds its annual assemblies, since its foundation in 1966, at MIDEM (International Music and Video Market) held every January in Cannes.