Steve Romer has been named as chief operating officer for Byron Bay Bluesfest, Australia’s premier contemporary blues and roots music festival. Bluesfest showcases music from around the world annually on the Easter-long weekend on 120 hectares at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, just north of Byron Bay, NSW. Bluesfest presents more than 200 performances with various stages over five 12-hour days, as well as camping for up to 6,000 people, five licensed bars, more than 100 food and market stalls, undercover food courts, beer gardens, and children’s entertainment.
From a modest crowd of 6,000 when it began in 1990, Bluesfest now attracts an audience of more than 100,000 and is regarded as the foremost destination festival in 
Australia and renowned for being a safe, fun, family-friendly event.
Romer holds the same role for associated companies including Bluesfest Touring.
Romer has worked in the live music, sport and entertainment industries for 30 years and was most recently the past Chair and CEO of the Venue Management Association (Asia Pacific). He has held a wide variety of senior management roles including stints at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney 2000 Olympics Satellite Stadiums, and with amusement park operators Macquarie Leisure Trust (now Ardent Leisure) and Village Roadshow Theme Parks.
“I am excited to be joining the team at the iconic Bluesfest Byron Bay, and look forward to working closely with Festival Director Peter Noble,” Romer said.
“We are proud to make the announcement that Steve is joining the Bluesfest group of companies, and will be overseeing operations across the annual festival in Byron Bay, Bluesfest Touring and the company’s land holdings,” Noble added. “Bluesfest has become a major player and I believe the recent additions to our dynamic team of Steve and Simone Twiss as chief financial officer will allow us to continue confidently into the future. I am also announcing that I am moving to the position of executive chairman and will continue to focus on booking talent as well as acquisitions that will take Bluesfest into an exciting new era.”
Romer officially begins in his new position on November 13
