Festival Marketing Should Be Impossible:

5 Reasons No One Should Want to Come to Your Event… but Do

WJQBACKSTAGEPASS

“I need you to be able to come on this specific date, at this specific time, and you are going to have to wear this.  And it is only going to last 4 hours. And you have to pay $50 to get here and park a mile away.  And you have to pay for food and beer. And it’s going to be super crowded, and hot, and sticky.  And you wont be able to

use a bathroom.  And there is nowhere to sit. And it will be super loud.  And you will have terrible cell phone reception.  And you wont be able to find your friends.”

Sounds like a great time!...

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Festivals should be awful.  Based on all conventions of comfort, there is no reason people should go to a festival and still walk out having had a

fantastic time.  However people still love them.  They love the experience of getting together with thousands of their closest friends, rocking out to

sometimes not so great bands and spending six to seven times more money on a beer than they would have if they just bought a 6 pack and

sat in their yard. 

Let’s take a look at 5 major reasons why people should HATE going to festivals, but don’t. 

1)  Pricing.

Between ticket prices, food & drinks, and a bunch of other expenses, festivals can run you nearly $300 for one day of fun –often time much more.  

2)   Time. You so much time, sometimes as much as a few days, just to be surrounded by a bunch of people.

3)   Comfort. With thousands of people standing elbow to elbow under the blazing sun – things tend to get a bit uncomfortable.  You lose out on standard amenities like indoor plumbing, air conditioning, a please to take a seat, etc… 

4)  Safety. It can't be safe!

5)   Lines..Lines..Lines. Lines are so long.  A 20-minute wait for a hot dog seems ridiculous.

Regardless of these negatives – we still see thousands of people shell out for tickets that sell out year after year.

 

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Festivals are incredible social event that people want to be a part of.  Missing out on an event like Lollapalooza or Coachella or SXSW means that you are missing out on an experience like none other.  Sure, there are people who will steer clear of festivals for the reasons listed above, but on the whole, festival attendance is up and continues drive huge crowds throughout the world. 

Why It Doesn’t Matter

What You As a Festival Marketer Need to Focus On

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Knowing that your attendees are looking for an experience, there are a few things you should focus on so your audience knows it is an experience not to be missed. 

The utmost important factor is that your festival is safe.  Event professionals make sure that safety is at the forefront of their planning process.  From site inspections to permits to security and emergency plans, most festivals take steps to make their event are as safe as possible.  While it may not be glamorous to advertise your safety measures, finding clever ways to promote safety is a great way to build confidence among your audience.

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The entertainment is key.  Hiring bands or acts that have huge influence in your market, you can see a dramatic difference in the number of tickets sold.

Regardless of how the outside perspective of the event may seem, Festival Planners spend their careers finding innovative ways to make the festival experience as fun, comfortable, and engaging as possible for every attendee.  

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If you are planning a new festival – it may be an uphill battle to break into the market and prove that it is a great event.  By

focusing on the details above and finding ways to distract your guests from those 5 reasons they should HATE your festival,

you should be on your way to a successful show.  

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What festival have you recently attended? Or planned? l Tell us your best story/festival

experience that came from a situation you normally hate (i.e. Crowd Surfing/long lines)! 

QUESTIONS?For more info on best practices & event marketing

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