A ‘robot’ will be meeting and greeting hundreds of festival organisers set to converge on Bury St Edmunds in the autumn.
Festival organisers from across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk are expected to take part in the East Anglian Festival Network (EAFN) Show at the Apex in October.
Delegates will get to view latest products and services on offer from the region's festival suppliers and venues, see a showcase of local performers and hear from a lineup of speakers - including Phillip Ainsworth, chief executive of Suffolk Agricultural Association and Pete Waters, executive director of Visit East of England - in the conference sessions.
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"I'm involved with several regional festivals and have been attending national event and festival exhibitions and conferences for years," he said.
"I noticed there wasn't anything at a regional level to bring our event community together so I started the East Anglian Festival Network last year and it's proved extremely popular.
"I bumped into Cyber-Tech at Olympia. It turned out he's from East Anglia - his real name is Rob Clapperton and he is based in Wisbech.
"I thought his Robotic characters would be an ideal addition to our annual EAFN show. He will meet and greet our delegates on arrival and then transform into a robotic waiter to assist caterers Sodexo with the lunchtime buffet."
EAFN links festival organisers, venues and suppliers from East Anglia. It provides networking opportunities, opens up new supply chains, shares expertise and aims to have a positive economic effect on the local festival scene while improving the experience for festival goers, the environment and the regional economy.
The show, sponsored by EAFN members Ipswich-based generator hire firm Gofer Ltd and PAC Wristbands of Eye and takes place on Wednesday, October 2, from 9.30am to 4pm.
The event is free to attend for the region's events community but registration is required. Visit www.eafn.co.uk for information.
EAFN was launched last October and now has more than 50 members.
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