In this blog I will speak about the important factors in my
research in the production of music festivals. A festival is a gathering of a
community of people to enjoy food, art music and entertainment. It is a
dramatic, community-building event that may occur once a year. The festival
provides a positive experience, modern miracles in the world of arts,
entertainment, neighborhood revitalization, and economic development.
When planning a festival you have to figure out what kind of
vibe or the nature of the event you are trying to achieve. There are several
things to focus on when planning a festival to make it a success. However, I am
going to focus the four main things to start to begin the process, which are
the costs and budget, the venue and whether or not any permits are needed to
hold a festival, choosing the acts, and the marketing strategy to create a buzz
about your event.
1. FINANCIAL PLANNING: Figuring out the cost and budget of the event.
Before considering the act, when the festival takes
place, or how to structure it is important to work out the expenses. The
biggest cost comes in the production, which entails the physical aspects of the
show. In order to figure out the expenses for your event there are several factors
to take into account according to the Event Planning guide on Concert
ideas. These are:
- The
artist’s fee.
- The
middle agent’s fee.
- Production: sound and lights and rider
requirements.
- Catering.
- Advertising.
- Security.
- Ticket
Printing.
- Venue
rental.
It is
crucial to work on a budget. The best way to develop a good budget is taking
consideration the costs based on three categories bands,
novelties and administrative. The budget should include administration:
clerical, production staff, stage manager, stage crew. Logistics: sound,
security, insurance, festival supplies, canopies, chairs and tent, etc.
Program: talent, artistic director, MC’s. Publicity: printing program, printing
posters. Also the size of the event will determine how much you should need.
The budget can be determined based on goal and objectives. In order to raise a
budget you can do fundraising, apply for grants, sponsorship or capital funds.
The money must be raised in order to pay for the items in the budget and
break-even or you can have money left over for the following years event.
2. VENUE AND PERMITS: What makes a good festival site?
When
preparing a music festival the site you choose plays a key role in the event.
It is the basis upon of the audience and the culture the festival will
represent. When beginning a search ask yourself the following questions:
• What kind of event is it?
• Would it be better suited to an outdoor or indoor
environment?
• Who is the audience?
• Will there be children, seniors, the handicapped?
• If outdoors, how much space does it need?
• If indoors, what kind of building will work?
• What kind of events are planned? Does your festival need a
hill for the grand finale? A soccer field for games and sports? A lake for boat
races? A street for a parade?
• Will you need an entrance or can you just wander in?
• Is it easy to reach? Close to major streets or freeways?
• Are there parking fees or fees required to enter the park
or outdoor/indoor location?
The location
should have plenty of space for the amount of people expecting, the stages in a
variety of distances, food and drink booths, and any art and culture provided.
After the venue is established you’ll have to determine if there are any permits
and licensing that are required and contact the Department or agency for
the permit. Whether it is for food, alcohol, medical, water supply and so on.
According to an
interview with Jordan
Wolowitz, Founders Entertainment
partner, who plans the Governor’s
Ball Music Festival in New York City, the most important part of preparing
for a festival is the acts and getting them on board. Since it takes a while to
build a festival brand and get the big names to perform. Two techniques are
used in order to look for talent. One scout out for talent vendors using talent buyers that travel around the
world attending showcase festivals who are looking for unique artist and
headliners. And the second is by accepting artist/vendors applications by
advertising through social media and the festival website to give them the
opportunity to play. Ask for samples of talent and a possible portfolio.
4. PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MARKETING: Creating a Buzz
Having a good
marketing strategy will your event to create publicity in order to sell
tickets. Social networking sites are great to produce publicity. According to
Rhonda Abrams, author of the Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies,
it is not enough to have a great idea or new invention as the basis of your
business; you must also have a market that is sufficiently large, accessible,
and responsive. There are several items to
think about when developing a strategy
- List of festival target
market(s)
- Festival sponsor's
financial information
- Media list with
placement information
- Calendar
- List of organization's
staff and/or volunteers
- Data on completed
festival
Festivals can be a great opportunity to
market your products and services to local residents and other event-goers.
Therefore, marketing is
important to create successful event. If you’re new to event marketing, you’ll
probably want to start at the smaller end of the spectrum.
Having done some research on the different sources linked in this
blog I have learned the different steps it takes in order to create a good
festival. The information will help me to determine if I want to start off my
own festival or work in a specific department.
