AOIFE - the Association of Irish Festival Events - is an all-island voluntary network organisation that brings together organisers of festivals and events in Ireland, suppliers to the festival and event sector and policy-makers and funders: 1. to act as a forum for the sharing of ideas and 2. to resolve common areas of concern and seeks to influence government policies in relation to the sector. Founded in March 1993, today there are over 400 festivals and events and in excess of 100 corporate, associate and individual members. Member Festivals range from prestigious international events to a host of smaller town and village festivals throughout the island of Ireland. AOIFE operates a central office (Ballinasloe, Co. Galway) with a part-time Administrator, supplemented by third level students and international interns on work placement programmes, together with a range of consultants specialising in the operations, information technology, risk assessment, legal and communications fields.