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FestivalNet

If you think all you have to do is gather a few exhibits, buy some entertainment, advertise what is going to happen... and the folks will bang down your door!

WRONG! It's not that easy!

First off, today's leisure-time market has more options with entertainment than "Carter has liver pills." There are virtually dozens of events every weekend in Anytown, USA, tugging at your customer's jacket. You have to fight sports on TV, Sunday shopping hours, the kids' soccer games, and discount movies.

You need to razzle-dazzle them and promise 'em the silver cup or else you're just another ho-hum event. The only foreseeable problem is: If you don't deliver the glitz and the silver cup, you might as well pack up and become "another thing of the past."

Have you been reading the trades lately? I'm sure you'll agree, events are changing. More commercialism. Festivals are now after the 30+ demographics, and motion picture producers are going for the 14- to 26-year-old.

Do you remember when we had the video boom? Record sales went bonkers. All those 45's our children used to buy were put on the back burner; the new priority was to be a video jockey. Now here we are with records, cassettes, and almost CD's a thing of the past. You can't even buy a record player anymore. Music is now downloaded straight to our iPods.

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Ari Herstand

I've played over 500 shows in 40 states and have booked nearly every show myself (I'm still DIY). I started, though, in my (former) hometown of Minneapolis. Before ever leaving the state (of Minnesota for those struggling with geography) I had chalked up about 30 local shows.

From the moment I made the decision that a performing songwriting career was to be my life (mid-freshman-year of college after giving my dad a near heart attack) I began playing out as much as possible. I made a local goal: sell out the Varsity Theater.

The Varsity Theater is a 700 person capacity venue in Minneapolis just off the University of Minnesota campus. Nearly every band that has toured through Minneapolis has played it at some point. I lived a block from it when I decided to make music my life. I'd walk by it every day from the sub shop I worked at and salivated as I passed the 40 foot tall marquee with a hot touring act's name in lights.

In one year, I not only played the Varsity Theater, but filled it. And two years later I sold it out.

Before even thinking of touring you need to figure out how to conquer your local market. It sounds a little aggressive to say conquer, I suppose. Hipsters would say "simultaneously satiate the collective consciousness of the city." But I say conquer (because it's a true battle � and hipsters are assholes)

You have to figure out early on what your niche is going to be. Everyone has one. I started with the University of Minnesota (of 40,000 students). Hardly a small niche, but a niche nonetheless. I was part of that community so I understood the hot coffee shops, Greek houses, dorms, the grassy mall, the union, had friends at the newspaper and on the ultimate frisbee team and so forth. I took a blanket approach and plastered the campus with posters for every show � just to get my name out there and begin the conversation. I also started playing every possible venue on campus (in coffee shops, dorm lounges, bars, open mics, music venues, sorority lounges�yup, frat houses�bro, and�elevators (that's another story). Eventually everyone started to take notice.

One person seeing a poster or a Facebook ad or a YouTube video won't get them out to your show. They have to be hit from multiple angles and from multiple people.

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Many people starting a food concession business are unaware of the variety of business opportunities that are available to them. They have a vague notion there is money to be made but cannot imagine exactly how. The business becomes a little clearer knowing most concession businesses fall into one of two categories; stationary and temporary.

A stationary food stand is essentially a conventional "storefront" operating full-time from a single location. Storefront carts, drive thru coffee trailers, indoor food kiosks, and street side food stands - to name only a few - are all considered stationary food stands. A temporary food booth, on the other hand, sells food at a different location on a daily or weekly basis. These concessionaires set up their booths at a variety of temporary events, such as fairs, festivals, sporting events, auctions, concerts, open-air markets, and special-interest events - nearly any place that a large group of people is temporarily gathered. A stationary food stand, like any business, stays in one location and waits for customers to come to it, whereas a temporary food booth takes its business to the customers. It is this mobility, or lack of mobility, that makes them very different. In order to better understand the unique nature of the concession business, and to imagine the variety of opportunities the business has to offer, it is helpful to explore the differences between the two.

Do not let my biases influence you. Although some people may hate certain aspects of a stationary food stand or a temporary booth, others may find these same characteristics are just what they seek in their businesses.

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GET THERE EARLY!!!

There are some vendors who get to the shows very early and some who get there just minutes before the event starts. Since it takes us a long time to set up, we are one of the early birds. As time goes on, things can become more hectic by the minute. It's nice to get there, unload, park the vehicle and set up. Whatever works for you.

The squeeze. In a lot of events, a 10x10 space is exactly what you get. Your canopy is 10x10 and have you ever found yourself getting to an event where canopies are set up on each side of you and they have 'squeezed' you out. Like, you are short several inches which makes propping up your canopy difficult. One time in Clovis I arrived there somewhat late (coming from the Bay Area in the wee hours of the morning) and found that I only had about 4 feet for my space. Each space was supposedly 10x10, but a number of vendors used a 'few extra inches' and I ended up with that. They had to push their canopies over to allow me to get in. I must say that was not very easy to do.

Get to your event early. It's hell waiting at the end of a street for cars/vans/trucks to unload. Plus as time goes on, people do get stressed out. Also, if there are any problems with your space, etc., you can get things worked out a lot easier (if possible).

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Heather McDonald of about.com

In general, the end of year holiday season is a difficult time for indie labels and bands to compete with the majors and all of their holiday, best of and greatest hits releases. That doesn't mean you can't live it up during the season with a little fun of your own. These ideas may not be big money makers, but they can be a great way to give your fans something special for the holiday season. There are ideas here for bands and labels alike, so everyone can get into the holiday cheer.

Here's How:

Plan a Holiday Gig:

A holiday show in your hometown is a great way to show your fans a good time during the season (and give them a break from visiting family and office holiday parties). Go for a small venue and deck it out in seasonal glory to give the show a personal feel - your gift to your fans. Other ideas to bring the holiday spirit to your show:

• Free entry for everyone OR
• Donate all of the door money to a favorite band charity (and remember, no guest lists at charity gigs!)

1. Release a Special Single:

It may be hard to release a new album for a small indie label or band after October, when the roost is being ruled by major label, "big bang" releases, but that doesn't mean it isn't a good time to bring something special to your die hard fans. Release an unreleased version of a fan favorite, a remix, a cover song, or a b-side you have sitting around. You can release this single as a download through your website to keep your costs down, but you could also release it as a CD (or even CD-R with special artwork). The idea here is to do a limited run. Want to make it really special? Think 7".

2. Release a Holiday Themed Album:

This one follows a little bit from the previous suggestion, but whereas the idea there is to release a special, limited edition song that is in keeping with the music you usually make, this one is all about singing holiday songs. Put your own spin on holiday favorites or create a few new holiday classics of your own.

3. Holiday Newsletters:

You know those annoying "what we've been up to this year" newsletters you get from distant relatives? Well, you can take this idea and run with it for your band or label (of course, you will want to be slightly less annoying and way more interesting). Give everybody a reminder of the highlights of the past year and sneak peak of what you planned for the next one. This is a good way to remind people about releases you have that might make great holiday gifts and get the word out about upcoming tours. Send the newsletter to your fans and your press contacts.

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The economic impact that festivals & events have upon local communities can be profound. In the industry, the focus is often on "Direct Economic Spending" or "Economic Impact Assessment" in reference to the figure that represents the amount of money produced by the festival or event. In this article, we will explore attendee spending & economic impact assessments to highlight the processes & benefits of conducting this type of research. Oftentimes, the terms "Direct Economic Spending" and "Economic Impact Assessment" are used improperly. The difference between these two measurements is subtle in text but monumental in meaning. Direct Economic Spending refers to the total amount of money spent in a city or county as a result of a festival or event. The total amount spent per person for different types of attendees (most often residents and non-residents) is calculated and extrapolated for the total attendance. An Economic Impact Assessment is far more detailed. Essentially, it starts with Direct Economic Spending numbers and traces how money flows through & impacts the community as it is spent and re-spent.

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The trailer food business is, by nature, a fusion business. It blends the best efforts of gourmet chefs with the street food medium. Yet some food trailers have taken the fusion concept a step further and created their menu with a blend of two or more culinary cultures. Here is a sampling of fusion food you can find in the mobile food scene in Austin:

The Peached Tortilla: Asian + Southern Comfort

Web:thepeachedtortilla.com

Suggested dish:Pad Thai Taco ($3) - Chicken or tofu sauted in a traditional pad Thai sauce, bean sprouts, peanuts, lime wedge.

Story:Former attorney Eric Silverstein was born in Japan. Having traveled throughout Asia to China, Bali and Singapore, he has been exposed to different cultures and foods from an early age. At ten, he moved to Atlanta where he learned about the sultry influences of southern cuisine. When he started his food truck concept, it made sense to mingle the best of both worlds and utilize both Southern and Asian cuisine with the tortilla as his pallet. Thus, the Peached Tortilla was born.

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Blake Guthrie

As a working musician who is also a working music journalist I've made friends in both fields of the music industry, so I feel I have something to offer to this topic outside the traditional methods.

The number-one thing to consider when approaching a journalist is first-contact. Do you want to make first-contact via e-mail or snail-mail (which still works, by the way) or in person?

If you choose e-mail, be concise, professional and personal. A professional music critic receives so many e-mails a day that he or she can't keep up with them. A short personal note up front just might be the trick to being remembered, because then they will feel the need to respond.

If you choose snail-mail show them your handwriting somewhere, like a note in the margin of your press release, to grab their attention away from what they are used to seeing in the typical press release.

If you choose to make first-contact in person, congratulations. Actually meeting a music journalist in person for the first time is like a trifecta when it comes to scoring good press. It becomes much harder for someone to ignore you when they have actually met you face-to-face and shaken your hand.

The thing to remember upon meeting the music critic is that the critic is a music geek, just like you. State your name and what you do but then proceed to talk about OTHER music besides yours. They will remember you then. After that FOLLOW UP. The follow-up is the key to getting press. They don't care about you, but you do care about them, so FOLLOW UP (this tenet involves exchanging contact info, which should go without saying).

Outside of meeting the writer in person, do your research. The first major press I ever received as an artist came from researching the tastes of the three music writers in my local paper. I realized after doing the research that only one of these writers would be into my music. I sent a personal e-mail inviting him to my show, opening for another act he had written about in the past. Upon meeting the writer after the show the first thing he said to me was "I never would've come out early to see you if you didn't send me that e-mail."

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In today's festival & event industry, the need for strategic sponsor partnerships is greater than ever. In order for festival organizers to obtain these high-value partnerships, sponsors are constantly requesting to see research data that demonstrates a quality match between festival and event attendees and their product or service. Survey research is one of the most effective ways to obtain that needed data.

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As heat waves continue to roll across the nation, planners who have upcoming outdoor events may tend to panic. How in the world are you going to keep your guests cool and comfortable if the weather turns blistering?

Of course, there are always portable air conditioners and fans, but if that stretches the budget or exceeds the power supply, you have some other options.

A Cool Damp Towel

Nothing feels more refreshing than a cool, damp cloth when the temperature is feverish. You can offer your guests that sensation with individualized, 100 percent cotton, pre-moistened towels. Patterned after the traditional oshibori nakins offered before a meal at restaurants in Japan, they can be used on hands, faces or even feet. It's a snap to chill down the packages in a refrigerator or freezer before the event.

These napkins come in different sizes and scents including lemon, lavender and peach mango. They are also available unscented. A nice added touch is that you can customize the packaging to include your branding or sponsor information. One source: www.wtowel.com.

Drink a Watermelon

Guests will appreciate a nice cold drink, and it's even better spiked with a little jolt. Here's a fantastic summer drink from our friends at Feastivities Events (www.feastivitiescatering.com) in Philadelphia. It's easy to make in large batches, and is a luscious thirst-quencher.

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• VOA (Voice of America) Featured "Green Crafter" 2010
• Best of American Jewelry Artists (book) 2010
• Midwest Home's "Greenest Artist" American Craft Council (St. Paul, MN) 2010

I think every food concessionaire remembers his or her first event. Mine was with a stick joint made of scrap barn boards, screwed together on sight by my dad and me. It took all day and lots of hand tools to have it standing straight enough to throw a tarp over it and call it a food booth. Inside I had a folding table, folding chair, stack of napkins, cash box, and, a tall stack of coolers full of my one and only menu item: sliced loaves of banana bread. I knew it wasn't the perfect menu for a five-day Fourth of July event, but, since I was already baking loaves to sell to restaurants, it was easy to bake extra. Besides, what's not to like about banana bread?

In anticipation of sales, for a week prior to the event, I stayed up late each night baking bread in my home kitchen. By fair time I was ready with two freezers full of bread. I mistakenly believed I would sell every one of them. It's amazing now to recall how, back then, the health department was much more lenient in their food service licensing than it is today. By just answering a few questions, such as: "Is your dog an indoor or outdoor dog?" I was able to get a license to cook commercially at home.

I wanted a classy looking booth so an artist friend hand lettered wooden signs for me. On the front counter I plunked down a nice bouquet of flowers. I was set to make my mark in the concession business.

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Today, this has been a topic of conversation between my good friend and fellow artist, Shanna Kunz and me. Shanna and I are exhibited together in an all women art show, Broad Brush Stokes.

Shanna and I love to talk ‘shop’ when we are together. Today, we have been discussing the importance of producing a cohesive body of paintings for each of our upcoming winter exhibitions.

I was really impressed with Shanna’s clear 10 step approach to developing a series of exhibition paintings. Shanna is a landscape painter, but these steps could be applied toward any painting subject.

One

The first step is to decided upon a theme.

For example: For a landscape painter, the theme might be a regional location, or a season, or you might choose to focus on abstraction, or paint quality.

Two

Next, it is important to plan the shape and sizes of your paintings. There is an emotional connotation attached to different formats.

• Horizontal = peaceful
• Vertical = majestic, active
• Square = risky, contemporary
• Standard = traditional

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Sheena Metal

The absolute, number-one, most important thing to remember when playing live music in front of an audience is this:

You can't throw a rock in any metropolis on Earth without hitting someone claiming to be a manager. Where musicians go, managers follow. It's as accepted and expected in the entertainment industry as an out-of-control cocaine habit or a failure to pay taxes. When you tell people you're a musician, one of the first things they're going to ask you is: Do you have a manager? However, those in the throws of the music business know to ask an even more accurate question: Do you have a good manager?

"What's the difference?" you may ask. Isn't any manager better than no manager at all? While it would seem that the answer to that question is unequivocally, "Yes," in reality it's a bit like asking, "Isn't having a herpes-ridden prostitute for a girlfriend better than being single?" In truth, bad representation is far worse than a lack of representation. While, it's a fact, that there are things your band will probably never achieve without the aid of a manager, agent, entertainment attorney, etc., bad representation can stagnate a career..stop it dead in its hurling climb to the ranks of superstardom or even worse..undo some of the hard work the band has already done.

Sad but true, a bad manager can take a perfectly good band and turn them into a thing so foul that old gypsy women covering their faces with rags will spit and give your band the evil eye as you pass. Ok, that may be a bit dramatic, but seriously..all your band really has is its name and its reputation, so why would take a chance on either of those by putting the whole of your band into the hands of someone that you're not 100% sure has your best interests at stake?

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Moving people and stuff around in a festival environment can be a challenge, and the larger the land area the event occupies the bigger this problem becomes.

An effective solution for dealing with the on-site festival logistics is the use of golf and utility vehicles. Since most festivals are an annual event, renting make more sense than ownership, especially where many units will be needed.

Let's start with a definition of the types of units that are normally available for event rental. The most obvious is the traditional golf cart. This is a 2 passenger, bench seat vehicle with a small storage area in rear. They may or may not have a top. They may be powered by a small gasoline engine or by a rechargeable battery pack. The electric powered units have the advantage of being very quiet and they do not produce any exhaust fumes. These units are best suited for indoor use, or perhaps around animals. However, the gasoline powered units have a much great operation range than the electrics. Typical gas golf carts can run 150-200 miles on a tank full of gas, and can be filled up and used again immediately. The electric units will only run 10-15 miles on a charge, and at that point they require a 6-10 hour charge, which also means a 110 volt electrical source must be available, one for each unit. Gasoline powered units are the most commonly used type in festivals. Uses for this unit include Parking lot patrols, security, management, and very light hauling.

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