Top Ten Festival Challenges (Part One)

 Over the years, we have visited over 200 Ontario festivals and events. Although I have found them have been interesting and enjoyable to visit, I have also seen many challenges.  In this article I will describe 5 of the Top Ten Challenges I have experienced.

1. SIGNAGE – The number one complaint that I have with festivals and events is their lack of adequate and informative signage! This includes both directional and informational signage. Having little or no signage for local residents may be okay, but if an event wants to attract out-of-town visitors, sufficient signage is a must! As I have written in the past, having great signage can be a real opportunity! No only is it pleasing and helpful to your visitors, it can also help your festival’s bottom line! Selling sponsors space on your signs should be simple if approached in a professional manner. Sponsors like value and want to be noticed. Signs provide a perfect way to accomplish this. The Winona Peach Festival provides wonderful directional signage. They have event exit signs on the highway, a very smart and courageous thing to do. Smart because the signs draw visitors off the highway to their event and courageous because the ministry does not appreciate unauthorized highway signs! The Cobourg Waterfront Festival has large informational signs posted at several entry points. These signs also include the names of their sponsors.

(To be continued)

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)

 4. WILL IT MEET THE NEEDS OF…? – When planning a festival or event you have to consider whether or not your event “meets the needs” in several areas. Here are some of the areas that need “consideration”.

Volunteers – Most volunteers work on a project for a specific reason. It could be that they are a member of a service organization that is either organizing the event or helping run the event. Or, it could be that the volunteer is interested in the theme or content of the event. Whatever their reason, the event must meet their needs to keep them interested and involved. Having a well-defined plan, that is followed closely, should resolve this challenge.

Participants – Whatever type of festival or event you want to hold, you are likely going to have “participants”. The participants could be anything from performers to vendors to suppliers. Each of these needs should be considered. Performers will want to know that their performance area will meet their need, equipment, sound system, dressing area, etc. Vendors will want to know where they are going to be located and who is beside them. Most importantly, they will want to know that you have planned the event so that they can sell their produces and make money! Suppliers will want to know when you need their supplies and if you need them to deliver them to you. They will also want to know when and how you are going to pay them. With considering and satisfying these needs, your event will have a rocking time.

Visitors – Finally, visitors will want to know how your event is going to meet their needs: cost versus quality of event, type of events and activities, times, location, etc. The more clearly you know who your audience is and what will attract them, the more successful your event will be! (To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)

4. WILL IT MEET THE NEEDS OF…? – When planning a festival or event you have to consider whether or not your event “meets the needs” in several areas. Here are some of the areas that need “consideration”.

Volunteers – Most volunteers work on a project for a specific reason. It could be that they are a member of a service organization that is either organizing the event or helping run the event. Or, it could be that the volunteer is interested in the theme or content of the event. Whatever their reason, the event must meet their needs to keep them interested and involved. Having a well defined plan, that is followed closely, should resolve this challenge.

Community – Each community has its own set of needs. This includes community residents, businesses and the town and its council. You have to satisfy the needs of each of these “stakeholders”. For example, if you want to hold a “rock concert” in the town park and you haven’t satisfied the needs of the local residents, you will probably get a lot of opposition. If this happens, the event will likely not get off the ground. The type of considerations for residents could include sound levels, crowd control, traffic and parking. With local businesses, especially downtown merchants, you will want to consider their special concerns. Things like road closures, street traffic and drawing people away from the downtown shopping area on event day. If you don’t address these concerns, the businesses will become very vocal and your event will be in trouble. Finally, there is the town and the town council. You will need their blessings and okay to proceed. They will want to know that you have considered such things as policing, road closures, garbage, use of town property, etc. If you haven’t given careful consideration to these areas, your event likely won’t even get started! Like with the volunteers, having a strong detailed plan will go a long way in helping your event get off the ground and then succeed!

(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

 

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)

3. WILL IT ATTRACT PEOPLE? – Developing and holding a festival or event is one thing, but if it doesn’t attract people to it, that’s another thing! It’s like the philosophical riddle “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” In this case, “If you hold an event that no one comes to, will anyone care?” The answer, of course is “yes”! You and your organizing committee will care! Your community will care! And, your vendors, supplies and sponsors will care! That’s why it is so important plan and execute an event that will attract people! The number people you will want to attract will depend on what your expectations and needs are. In a previous section I talked about the need for research. In it I said that “you needed to know who your audience was and what they wanted”. Knowing this is the key to attracting visitors to your event. As I mentioned, this is where networking comes into play. There is no reason to “re-invent the wheel”. Your town administrators and other event organizers will, from experience, be able to tell you what works and what doesn’t. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a chance or experiment. It does mean that you should have a pretty good feeling of what will work for you and your audience. Good solid research should allow you to have that “feeling”! However, whatever you eventually decide to offer, it has to be the “best” that you can do! To go just halfway is a recipe for disaster and you will not only cheat yourselves but also all your stakeholders! You are much better to offer fewer high-quality activities and events, then a lot of poor-quality ones! Too many organizers feel that they have to offer too much to justify their existence. This “feeling” will only come back to haunt them! The other consideration in attracting visitors is cost versus value! Charging too much for the type of audience you are trying to attract is a sure way to fail! A better alternative than charging too much to balance your budget is find sponsors to help offset your costs. A word of caution, however, make sure that you also offer your sponsors value for their investment. If you do, it’s likely that that sponsor will stick with your event for many years. Make sure when you do approach a sponsor that tell them honestly what they can expect for their support.

(To be continued)

 

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

 

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)

2. HOW MUCH TO CHARGE? – There are two conflicting questions to consider when determining how much to charge. The first is “How do I make my festival or event profitable or, at least break even?” The second is “What will people pay to visit my festival or event?” The first question will really be determined by how well you plan and manage your event. If you “research” your event thoroughly and then “plan” it properly, the question should take care of itself. To answer the second question, you need to know the demographics of the people you are trying to attract. If you are trying to attract young families with small children, you are not going to be able to charge as much as if you are attracting older established families. Another contributing factor to the amount you can charge is geographic area. Some areas are more influential than others. What you are offering is another factor. The more you offer visitors, the more you should be able to charge. This factor is, of course, tempered by the first two considerations. Finding the proper balance is always a challenge. One way of offering more but charging less is through sponsorships. If you can find companies or individuals to sponsor some or all of your events/attractions, you should be able to minimize or eliminate your entrance fees. This could go a long way to attracting more visitors. However, if this is a new event, I would caution you to go easy. More new events fail because they become overly optimistic. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in “thinking big”. It’s just that I think you should be aware of what the “downsides” are and be willing and “able” to accept any negative consequences should the worst happen. My biggest concern with any event, new or established, is that they give value for dollars charged. Someone once told me that you should always “promise less but give more”. I believe that this is the key to holding a successful festival or event. 

(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)

1. TYPE OF EVENT (Continued) – Unique themes or event niches could be another way to choose the type of event you want to hold. However, committees should consider how their community and its residents will receive the event. Here is what I mean by this.
Canadian Redneck Games – The Canadian Redneck Games, held in the Town of Minto (Harriston) are wildly successful. They are successful here because the residents of the town have embraced them. Another community’s residents might not be as enthusiastic about the theme and the event would likely not get off the ground.

Beaches Jazz Festival – The Beaches area in Toronto is a very trendy area with a lot of younger middleclass residents. Most love good music and don’t mind crowds. Most weekends in the Beaches the streets and parks are jammed with both residents and visitors. It’s all very exciting. That’s one of the reasons that the Beaches Jazz Festival is so successful! The Festival has become a giant party with great music and the area is perfect for this type of event.
Collingwood Elvis Festival – The original festival committee must have realized popularity of Elvis Presley when they decided to hold the Elvis Festival in Collingwood. Elvis has bridged the generation gap and so has the Elvis Festival. With Collingwood being a tourist destination, mainly in the winter months for skiing, it has plenty of bars, restaurants and accommodations. The town needed a great summer event. The Elvis tribute artists were a perfect way to attract people to the area and to compliment local businesses. The Festival attracts thousands of Elvis enthusiasts all wanting to be entertained, feed and in some cases, housed.

(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

Preliminary Planning - Considerations

 Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest – There is a large German population located here and holding an Oktoberfest celebration just made sense. Now thousands of people from all over the world enjoy this wonderful event. The area and its people held the “key” to the type of event that would be held and would be successful.

Kleinburg Binder Twine Festival – The original celebrations “began in the late 1800’s when farmers came to the community to buy twine to bind their sheaves of wheat together”. Somewhere along the way the tradition became lost. Then in 1967, Canada’s centennial year, the centennial committee revived the idea of the festival. It has now become one of central Ontario’s best fall events.

Smiths Falls Canal, Railway and Chocolate Festival – Until recently Hershey Chocolate played a big part in the lives of the citizens of Smiths Falls. So much so that they developed a festival featuring “chocolate”, the Chocolate and Railway Festival. Unfortunately, Hershey’s decided to leave the area and left the festival committee with some hard choices to make. Rather than give the festival up, the committee looked to see what other attractions were in the area. The obvious choice was the Rideau Canal. They started last year by renaming the event, the Canal, Railway and Chocolate Festival and placing a greater emphasis on events near and on the canal. This year the transition will continue. My point with this example is to show that even when one attraction disappears another will arise to take its place. Smiths Falls continues to attract people from all over eastern Ontario.

(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning - Considerations

TYPE OF EVENT – When you’re considering the type of event you want to hold, or its theme, consideration should not only be given to the surrounding area but to the actual area itself. You need to hold an event that is going to have the greatest appeal possible and your area just might hold the “key”. I believe that most communities have some outstanding feature or fact that would be of interest to others. Here are some examples of what I mean:

Event Development (continued)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development” The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)

8. EVENTS LISTINGS – One of the elements you should definitely research is what other festivals and events are being held in your region. Too many similar events can saturate a market and lessen the chance of success. The same is true for too many events happening in the same region during the same time frame. When starting a new event, you want to have as much on your side as possible! Here are a few event directories that you can search, Ontario Travel, FEO and Ontario Event Directory (App and Website). 

9. LOCAL SUPPLIERS – This is an area that needs careful attention. Local suppliers, if approached in a professional way, can make or break an event. Local suppliers and businesses carry a great deal of weight in their community. Many are members of a service club or two and the local Chamber of Commerce. If you can get a number on your side, they can influence other business and local politicians. They can also be a great source of information about the pulse of the community. This is important when deciding what type of event you want hold. Many suppliers are not only willing to give their advice, but will be willing to become involved. Here are a few examples of what I mean. I know of one committee that wanted to build booths for their vendors. The cost of the building materials was going to be too expensive, so they approached a local building materials supplier who donated the use of lumber and sheeting. Without this generous supplier the event might not have been successful. This company also donated money. All they wanted in return was some recognition for their contribution. There are many such examples, so make sure you contact your local businesses and get them on your side!

(To be continued)

 

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development” The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued) 

7. LOCAL EVENTS – Another great research source is other local and regional event organizers. They have already gone through the development and thought process, so they can tell you where the pitfalls lie and where the help is. Remember, however, that their experience is related to their own event, so you have to take their information and put it into the context of your own event. Depending on the type of event you are holding, other organizers can tell you their experiences with suppliers, trades and services that they have used (or not used). They can also tell you about activities that they have tried and what their success was. I think most event organizers would be willing to share information with others. In this regard, I would strongly recommend membership in the industry’s voice, Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO). This is an excellent resource organization plus they have an informative annual conference that is usually held at the end of February.

Event Development (continued)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)

5. LOCAL MEDIA – Most communities have local newspapers. Some have radio stations and a few have television stations. Whatever media there is in your town, you should make contact with them early in your planning stages. Local media is a wonderful source of information! It’s the news Media’s business to keep informed of all that is happening in its coverage area. If you form a close relationship with all media, they can help you not only with both local event information but with any research you might need.  Most media outlets know all the regional demographics. They need this information to offer their customers the best programming/content possible.  This information can be very helpful in your audience planning. You might even be able to persuade them to help you prepare and implement an information survey using their listeners or readers as survey participants. The results of any survey would be very helpful when planning your event!

6.  GOVERNMENTS – All levels of government appreciate the value of festivals and events. They know how much they help local communities and their residents. That’s why federal and provincial governments have developed so many festival and event programs and grants. Although local governments don’t usually have the same cash capabilities as the senior governments, they definitely have a strong interest and desire to promote their communities through festivals and events. Their methods of helping events sometime include funds, but more often then not they only offer “help”. This “help” can come in several forms but generally is in either community services (garbage pick-up, policing, electrical, etc.) or location use. All levels of government, however, must spend wisely. Festivals and events that just ask for funding without a well thought out plan of action will likely not receive consideration. Most governments put an application process in place to help them determine who will receive funds. This forces festival and event organizers to prove that their event is both financially viable and beneficial to their community. Since there is only a limited amount of money available, monies are generally awarded to festivals and events that show they will have a major positive impact on their community. That is why it is important for the people preparing funding requests understand the process and follow its guidelines faithfully. There are plenty of places to find out more about government funding. Here are a few suggestions: government internet websites, federal and provincial members of parliament, local tourism offices, local Chambers of Commerce, the Federal and Provincial Ministries of Tourism and in Ontario, Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO). 

(To be continued)

 

Event Development (continued)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Some time ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)

3. D.B.I.A. (Downtown Business Improvement Association) – Many towns have D.B.I.A.s. These associations are made up of local downtown business owners. Most are interested in promoting the downtown area and its businesses and hold or support events that are held in the downtown area. If you are hoping to hold your event in the downtown area, contacting and consulting the local D.B.I.A. is a must! They may object to your event or they may think its needed, but either way, without their support your event is doomed for failure. The key to obtaining the support of the D.B.I.A. is knowing what their promotional needs are and then planning your event accordingly. If you can obtain the full backing of D.B.I.A. members, your event has a much greater chance of success. Also, many D.B.I.A.s have promotional funds available and may agree to use some of them to help promote your event.

4.CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – Like the D.B.I.A.s shown above, many areas have local or regional Chambers of Commerce. While each Chamber of Commerce has different objectives, all exist to promote local and regional businesses. Promotion comes in various forms depending on the Chamber, but most support local events in one way or another. Meeting with the local Chamber manager is always a wise thing to do. The manager can fill you in on their activities and how they or their members might help you and your committee. They might even be able to help you identify local businesses or business owners as potential sponsors and donors.

(To be continued)

 

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several years ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)

All of the above and more will have to be considered and researched! But, where do you obtain this information? Here are a few suggestions on places where you can find answers to your questions.

1. INTERNET – The internet is one of the best research tools ever developed. You can obtain information about every imaginable topic! The key to a successful search is how you use the available search engines. There are hundreds search engines, but the three main ones are Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN). Yahoo and Bing will be combined next year (2010), but for now they are separate. Personally I prefer Google, but they all work. The best way of using a search engine is to be specific about your request. For example, if you are going to hold an art festival and want to find out more, be specific about the information you want. If you just type in “Art Festivals” you get millions of possibilities. You may think that this is positive except that it’s only giving you very general information. If you are going to have a nature art festival, you might search for “Wildlife” or “Nature” art festivals. Now you will get far fewer site possibilities, but most will be about the type of event you are holding. Similarly, if you search for “Wildlife Art Festivals, Your region” the search will become much more specific. Words are the key to a good and successful internet search. Pre-determine what information you want to research and then try different “words or phrases” until you find the information you want. You can even try various other search engines with these words and phrases for different responses.
2. TOWN HALL – Approaching your town’s administrator is a must. They can tell you the things you will need to know before you start any planning! They can tell you such things as the rules and regulations that pertain to local festivals and events. They will have information on what licenses you might need. They can tell you if the town council might help your event financially or with town manpower and services. Your town will be the best source of information for any local festival or event. Some towns and municipalities have event coordinators. These people are a wonderful resource to any organizing committee! They know what is happening, where it is happening and who is organizing what! They also know the “do’s and don’t” of holding local events. Most also know where the grant money is located and can advise how to apply for it.

Event Development (continued)

 “The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)

1. What will our costs be?
2. When will we hold our event?
3. What will the theme of our event be and will it be relevant to our area?
4. What can we expect in revenue?
5. Will we be able to find donors and sponsors in our area to support the event?
6. Where can we hold the event?
7. Will the location accommodate all we want to do?
8. What type of people will come to our event and from where?
9. Can we count on any government assistance and what form will it take if it is available?
10. How much manpower will we need during the event and where will they come from?
11. Are there enough core volunteers to plan and execute the event?
12. Will there be community support for the event?
13. What materials do we need to rent, borrow or purchase to make our event happen?
14. Where will the materials come from – locally or out of region?
15. What special requirements will we need to consider – licenses, road closures, fencing, washrooms, electricity, security, garbage disposal, etc?

Event Development (continued)

 Event Development (continued)

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago, I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research

Have you researched your event thoroughly? Just like the Boy Scout’s motto says, “Be Prepared”! Before you develop a working plan and budget, you need to know exactly what you are in for! To do this you should investigate all aspects of what is necessary to hold a successful event. This is the “Research Phase” of the “Event Development” process.
To begin the research process you need to ask yourselves a number of probing questions. Questions such as: (To be continued...)

Promoting Your Sponsors! (Part 2)

 Here are a few simple ideas:

• Find ways to use sponsor’s products. For example, if it’s a soft drink company, insist that all food vendors sell the sponsor’s products.
• If you are being interviewed by television or radio, make sure that you mention as many sponsors as possible.
• If you have a key sponsor, try to wear a shirt or cap with their logo. Especially when you are being interviewed.
• During the event ask sponsors to set up product displays. Make the space part of their sponsorship package.
• A comprehensive promotion plan should be put into place and all team members should be fully aware of the plan and should carry it out throughout the festival/event.

The better you promote your sponsors, the more likely they will return next year, even in a poor economy!

Promoting Your Sponsors! (Part 1)

 Some time ago, we visited the Fall Fair in Kingston. One of their sponsors was “Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)”.  Almost every farm participant we saw was eating a KFC box lunch! What a great promotion! When I saw it, it started me thinking about how festivals and events do or don’t promote their sponsors! If sponsors “make or break” events, why don’t festival/event organizers go all out to promote their sponsors? Some do, but many don’t! Perhaps the best example of an organization that takes full advantage of promoting their sponsors is NASCAR.  Every time you see a driver or crew chief (or for that matter any NASCAR employee), being interviewed, they are continually promoting their sponsors! They eat, drink, wear and talk about their sponsors! You might think that this is over kill, but you are wrong. When sponsors hand over buckets of money, they want to know that those they are sponsoring are doing everything possible to promote them. They want value (over value) for money spent! It’s no wonder, that in these economic times the good NASCAR promoters are able to keep their key sponsors! This brings me back to festivals and events. Festival and event organizers should take a serious look at how NASCAR promotes its sponsors and then look to see how they can promote their own sponsors.

(To be continued in Part 2)

Curb Appeal… (Part 2)

 3. Clean Up – Prior to the event taking place, the location committee should prevue the facility to make sure it is clean and tidy. If it is not, arrangements will need to be made to have it cleaned up. Any contracts with facility owners should have a clean-up clause. Make sure that everything that can be done to improve the facility is done prior to set-up!

4. Visitor Friendly – When you are making your improvement plans, you should make sure that you include ideas to beautify the facility and to make it “visitor friendly”. This could include flowers, plants, informative signs (professionally created) and other items that enhance the theme of the festival or event.

5. Site Plan – During the planning stages, a comprehensive site plan should be prepared. This would include the best use and layout of the venue for both participants and visitors.

6. Attractions – Make sure when you are planning where to place your attractions that their placement makes sense and that they are visually pleasing.

7. Visualize – The best suggestion I can make is that you and your committee walk the location and visualize what it is going to look like on event day(s). The more clearly you can see the final set-up in your mind, the better the “Curb Appeal” will be!

Curb Appeal… (Part 1)

 A while ago, Gary and I attended an event that had very little “Curb Appeal”! It’s too bad because it really took away from what could be a great event. As Judi pointed out, if we had just been passing by, we’d likely not have gone in. That being said, we did go in and as a result, I am writing this article.

The main problem with this event was their venue. It was older and not in very good repair. It was also too small for the type of event being held! To be honest, the best solution to the problem would be to move locations, but this is probably not a viable solution. So here are a few suggestions for organizers to help them improve the Curb Appeal of their festival or event:

1. Preliminary Inspection – Once you have decided on a location, make a thorough preliminary inspection of it. Be very critical of everything, especially how it will look to festival visitors on event day. After completing your inspection make a list of both the positives and negatives. Strike a location committee to determine what can be done to minimize the negative aspects of the location and then prepare an action plan.

2. Work with Location Owner – After you have completed your inspection list, you might want to contact the owner of the property to see if he/she will remedy some of the problems. If the owner is not willing to help or there are problems the owner can’t or won’t fix, the location committee will have to see what improvements they can make.

(To be continued in Part 2)

The Importance of a Festival/Event Name… (Part 2)

As you can see, all these names connect with the main festival plus they suggest what the sub-events are all about. Choosing your name carefully is not only important for event identification, but it is additionally important for event marketing and promotion! This is especially true for internet promotion on your website. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts agree that one of the quickest ways to gain page ranking on one of the main search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing/MSN) is to have keywords (your event name) that potential visitors, on the internet, will use to “search” for events like yours. This is why your name is so important. The internet has now become one of the most powerful and least expensive marketing tools available. Let’s say you live in a town called “Acme” and you are holding an art festival. You’d likely want to name your event the “Acme Art Festival”. Then when people make their event search, they will likely type in the words “Acme festivals” or “Acme Art”. If they do, your events name should be listed on the first search page. Of course, there are other things you need to do to “optimize” your website, but a “smart” name is one of the main keys! 

The Importance of a Festival/Event Name… (Part 1)

 One of the most important decisions any new festival or event committee must make is the naming of their event! Your festival/event name should tell potential visitors exactly what the event is all about. Before choosing the name, organizers have to decide the main purpose of the event. That is, is it a sporting event, an art show, wine festival, music festival, etc? Once a theme has been agreed upon, you need to decide if including your geographical location in the name is necessary. Depending on the type of event or area, adding your location may be positive or negative. Sometimes if you have a broad-based event, you might want to have a general name and then a number of sub-names. A good example of a broad-based event is the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. The main name tells where the event is being held and what the theme is, Oktoberfest. Within this great event they have a number of events. These include such events as their Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Miss Oktoberfest Gala Ball, Oktoberfest Idol and the Onkel Hans Food Drive! In fact, they have over 40 different events!

(To be continued in Part 2)

What’s In an Article?

 Over the past 14+ years, we have written articles about each of the 350 plus communities and their attractions and events Gary and I have visited. We try to keep each article fresh and interesting. When you visit and write about as many events as we have, it can be a daunting task! We enjoy it, though. Not only because of the challenge, but because it gives us the opportunity to think carefully about the uniqueness each of the festivals and events we visit. Sometime when we write, we are able to use my own experiences to tell the story, while other times we just describe what we have seen and heard. One of the tools that really helps us recall the details of each event are the photographs and videos taken at the event. Right now, we have over 100,000 photographs in our archives and about 5,000 videos! Another tool we use just for accuracy and content is personal. Before, and as, we write an article, we bounce ideas off each other. We always come up with something that we have forgotten! We are also our harshest critics. When I write an article about an event that we have visited, we always try to find the positive aspects of the event. We are not critics! We don’t want to be! There are enough of those in this world! We believe the festival and event organizers try their hardest to produce the best product possible and, most events are run and organized by dedicated volunteers. They deserve all the help and accolades they can get. The whole purpose of Ontario Visited and our festival and event articles are to provide potential event visitors with information about the events we have visited. In doing this, we also hope that we are helping to promote all of Ontario’s fantastic festivals and events.

Go Green (Part Four)

 Here are the final “Green Ideas”, at least for now!

Green Website:  I have visited a few websites lately that have included their “Green” philosophy and policies. The most notable of these is the Toronto Zoo. I think that this is a great idea because it shows the organization and its management’s commitment to “Go Green”. Their website outlines all the actions the Zoo and its staff is going to take and the benefit derived from these actions. I believe that more festivals, events and attractions should consider their commitment to “Going Green” and then let visitors know what their commitment is. A great example of this is Canada’s Largest Ribfest in Burlington. There website has a special section that tells visitors that they have gone “100% Green”. They then outline everything that they accomplished at their 2008 event!

Signage: Why not use more signage to replace expensive and wasteful paper programs. Most of these are eventually thrown in the garbage. The use of informative well-placed signs will enhance your visitors’ event experience. Signs can be used both to direct visitors to specific locations and to inform them what activities are taking place, where they are taking place and when they are taking place. The key to using signage properly is to have enough of them to be truly useful. Organizers should put themselves in the place of out-of-town visitors who know nothing about the town or the event and then place the signs accordingly. Lack of proper signage is the number one mistake festival and event organizers make! Besides, signs can be sponsored and therefore become a profit centre! If you are concerned about promoting your activities, a well-designed website with plenty of details and well-placed signage should be the trick! If you are still not convinced, try taking a survey of festival/event visitors to see what they think, good signage versus paper programs. I think you will be surprised by their answers, especially if you tell them that you are considering the change in order to help the environment!

Shuttle Service: If you offer a “People Moving” service, is it “Green”? Are the buses you are using gas driven? If they are, you are not “Green” even if they are diesel. Why not consider a “Greener” option! Most communities have horse drawn wagons readily available. These are a lot of fun and certainly “Green”! If you want something a little more exotic, there are electric trains and vehicles available for hire. This option is more expensive, but the benefits are substantial and the “WOW” factor can make your visitors’ event experience that much better. If they enjoyed it, they will likely tell all their friends! Interesting “People Movers” are also easier to sell to prospective sponsors. If you get enough of them, you can either reduce or eliminate your expense!

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this “Go Green” article, there are plenty of “Green Ideas” out there. It is up to festival/event organizers and their communities to decide what is best for them. The biggest commitment of all is getting started! Good luck!

Go Green (Part Three)

 Green Information Booths: Most visitors to a festival or event want to help our environment. The trouble is that many don’t know what they can do “to do their part”. Yes there are plenty of programs on television and articles in magazines and newspapers, but most don’t reach out to the average person. Having a “Green Information Booth” that has real examples of recycling and protecting our environment is one way to help inform people about “Going Green”. I have seen a number of environmental booths at the festivals we have visited. Another unique way is to have “Green Ambassadors”. Two years ago Judi and I visited the Peterborough Festival of Trees. As we exited the festival we were greeted by “Green Ambassadors” and given literature about the festivals “Green Program”! The Ambassadors encouraged us to develop a “Green Program” for ourselves. This was suggested in a fun and thoughtful way!

Compost Bins: Many venues and events are now composting as much of their waste as possible. I heard that Fanshawe Pioneer Village has plans to implement composting. I believe that they are going to work with local farmers to put the compost to good use. The Toronto Zoo has a wonderful “Green Plan”. One of their “Green Programs” includes the “rounding up” of “zoo poo” and converting it to energy.

Canvas Tote Bags: With plastic bags now being discouraged in most towns and cities, canvas tote bags have become a must. Many festivals and events are jumping on the “Tote Bag” bonanza by selling them to their visitors. Like the recyclable logo water bottles, the logo tote bags are a great way to raise extra money while promoting an event.

Go Green (Part Two)

 Throughout our travels to Ontario’s festivals and events, we have encountered some great “Green” ideas. Last week I spoke about the importance of Ontario festivals and events “Going Green”. This week and the next few weeks, I am going to share these ideas with you. (Please Note: the festival and event examples that I have mentioned are from my own experience. I know that there are many other festivals and events that offer the same or better “Green Solutions” I hope that they will contact me and let me know their ideas.)

Recycle Bins: I know that this is not a new or unique idea, but it is one of the first steps in “Going Green”. Unbelievably, there are still a number of events that do not recycle! Recycling is not the innovation, but how it’s done can be! Take Fanshawe Pioneer Village as an example, not only do they recycle, but they so it in a very unique way. Fanshawe is a heritage village and wants to depict the 1800’s as they were. So, having a bunch of blue recycle bins placed around their grounds would not help their authenticity! Instead, they have built a number of authentic looking structures that hold both garbage and recycling! The recycling is there and so is the heritage look! (See Photos)

Potable Water: More and more events are seeing plastic water bottles as a “waste”, both in the use of manufacturing energy and long term land fill. As a result, some festivals and events are bringing in large containers of potable water for their visitors. Although we haven’t visited the Hillside Folk Festival in Guelph yet, I understand that they have been doing this for a number of years. The Toronto Zoo has also brought in potable water.

Re-Usable Water Bottles: In conjunction with the potable water, both the Hillside Folk Festival and the Toronto Zoo are selling re-usable water bottles with their logos imprinted on them. They get two bonuses while helping preserve our planet, profit from the sale of the water bottles and advertising with the logo imprints.

Re-usable Plates and Cutlery: Some festivals are now only selling food on re-usable plates with re-usable cutlery. By doing this they are drastically reducing the amount of waste. The Shelter Valley Folk Festival does this and has been for a number of years. When their festival first began, they invested in plates, glasses and cutlery. Now all of their food vendors are required to us festivals plates and cutlery. Lang Pioneer Village at their Dine and Shine event offered a variation of this idea. They encouraged visitors to the event to bring their own plates and cutlery. All those that did had a chance to receive a great prize. This was a well received “Green Promotion”!

Go Green (Part One)

 I’ve talked about it before, but I believe that “Going Green” is not only the right thing to do, but it is also the smart thing to do! Jana Campbell, owner of LunchWithoutWaste.com and a leader in “Going Green Products”, tells us in her recent “Practical Tips on how to have a Litter-less Lunch” article, pointed out the trend that “more and more people are becoming conscious about how their everyday habits impact the future of the Earth”. Taking this point a further, the majority of festivals and events in Ontario have little or no “Green” agenda! I’ve been told the Ontario communities host about 5,000 festivals and events each year! That’s a lot of festivals and events not “Going Green”! Think of the millions of people who visit these events and how they are “impacting the Earth”! Image if just 25% of these festivals and events decided to implement a “Go Green” plan! The impact would be enormous! So, who should take the first step, the organizers or the communities? While it would be wonderful to think that festival and event organizers would jump at the chance to “Go Green”, I think the initiative will have to be taken by the various communities themselves. Hopefully if a community does put a “Green” policy in place, they will do it intelligently. What I mean by that is that communities should work with festival and event organizers to develop a long term implementation plan. I don’t believe a “Green” policy should be forced upon festivals and events immediately. I believe that they should be implemented over a period of time. Perhaps the Ontario Ministry of Tourism or Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) could take the lead in developing “Green Guidelines”. This would help municipalities and festival and event organizers develop their own “Green Policies”. It would be wonderful to see all Ontario festivals and events “Go Green”, but realistically, that is not going to happen. So, I think 25% would be a terrific start! I realize becoming “Green” will not happen overnight. There needs to be a “process”! There has to be a plan with short and long term goals and there has to be a commitment and then a start. So hopefully someone will hear my (our) plea and start the process. Our world is counting on it!

Next week I will outline some ideas to help Ontario festivals and events “Go Green”! I hope that you will join the dialogue and send me your ideas.

Search Me... (Part Two)

 The point of my story is that Judi and I had just missed visiting one of the best events of the year, and it was in our own backyard! This year had been special because it was the 100^th anniversary of powered flight in Canada! When I had looked earlier the previous month for festivals and event to visit that weekend, this event had not shown up on any of my usual festival and event sources! As a result, I am sorry to say, we missed it! Unfortunately, this happens all too often! Festivals and events are missed because they are not listed or easily found on the major festival and event source guides. This is one of the reasons we are creating our NEW Festival Finder search engine. We want to make sure that all festivals can be found. We know that this is a lofty idea, because it is going to take the co-operation of festival and event organizers. However, I do believe that it is possible to list the majority of Ontario’s festivals and events. Right now Judi has accumulated a list of over 1,000 festivals and events. There are reportedly over 5,000 in Ontario, so there is still a long way to go, but we are hoping through research and persistence and a little luck that we will find most of them by the end of the year. So once we have the search engine up and running (hopefully by mid-to-late August) we hope you will to go onto it and try to find your favourite festival or event. If you don’t, please let us know so that it can be added to our list of events.

Search Me… (Part One)

On our way back home from an event, we traveled along Highway #2. We reached Trenton at about 4 o’clock in the afternoon. Just as we reached the eastern outskirts of the city, we heard a roar overhead! There were two jets zooming above us! With Trenton Forces Base close by, we didn’t think much about it. However, just as we approached the Base, police diverted us north on a side road. We wondered if there had been an accident. As we drove up the road, a number of cars had pulled off to the side of the road. People were standing there, looking upwards, with binoculars to their eyes. I simply thought that they were simply watching Air Force planes take off and land. My father and I had done that many years ago at Toronto International Airport. Thinking nothing more, we followed other cars on the detour. We traveled north and then turned west and continued until we reached another road that took us south again and back to Highway #2. Just as we came parallel to the Base, hundred of people started to cross our road! The Trenton Air Show was now over!

(To be continued - Part Two)

Government Funding…

 Ever wonder why some festivals or events are awarded government funding, while others are not! Gary and I visited a festival in eastern Ontario and this topic was discussed. Many festival organizers, who have not received funding, may feel that it is not about what you have but who you know in the government. Having talked to a number of people about this subject, I just don’t believe that this is true. Too many festival and event organizers feel that they deserve funding just because of who they are or where they are located. This attitude just doesn’t cut it! Both the federal and Ontario provincial governments have developed great programs to help both new and established festivals financially. All that they ask is that organizers submit detailed business-like applications. After all, isn’t an organized professional plan what you need to hold a well-run successful event! If you were to apply for a business loan from a bank, they wouldn’t give you a loan just because you’re a nice person or you know the manager! They give loans based on the probability of success! So, why shouldn’t governments do the same! Festival and event funds are not unlimited. This being said, it stands to reason that the monies being given out need to be awarded to festivals and events with the best chance of success. My advice to any festivals or events looking for government funding, “don’t fight the system”! It is a losing battle! Instead, embrace the process and use it to plan and produce the best event possible! And, who knows, you’ll likely increase your chances of receiving government funding! Good Luck!

Crossing the Line…

 At what point do festival or event organizers “cross the line” putting profits (dollars) ahead of value for their attendees? I believe that some organizers eventually loose sight of the things that made their event successful. Most festivals and events in the beginning try to offer more to encourage people to visit their event, but what happens when the event becomes really successful over an extended period? Don’t get me wrong, I am all for events making a reasonable profit. After all, many events these days are managed and organized by non-profit groups and most of the money is put back into the community. For the most part profit allows organizers to gauge the success of their event. Nobody likes to work for nothing! That being said, when do festivals cross the line. I don’t think that there is a definitive answer, but I think this happens when organizers forget what made the event successful and start making poor judgment changes all for the sake of increased profits. This could include canceling popular activities or attractions or reducing advertising budgets. Obviously reducing or eliminating unnecessary items is prudent, but if profit is the only motivator and the event becomes less attractive as a result, I think this is wrong. A reasonable balance must be met. Here is an example of what I mean. I know of one festival that keeps raising its admission fees each year, even though their costs have not increased and they have not added value to their event. The increased fees were only a means to increase their profits. When do they stop? They wanted to prove to their community what great fundraisers they were, but what about patrons. The people who come back year after year to support their event? By only increasing admission fees and not providing anything new, aren’t they cheating those very people? And even worse, won’t this attitude eventually come back to haunt them? If this happens, everyone losses, the community, the organizations receiving funds, patrons, vendors, suppliers and ultimately even the organizers themselves! Raising money for the community is a very worthwhile endeavor, but not at the expense of integrity!

Road Blocks to Success… (Part 2)

Here is an idea to think about! Many festivals and events pay musical performers big money to come to their event! When they come, they give them the V.I.P. treatment. Why do events pay the big money? To draw crowds to the event! That’s the reason, pure and simply. While this may be necessary in some cases, there are other attractions that draw just as many people and perhaps more! I am talking about first class vendors. Why then do some festivals and events treat them like second class citizens? It just doesn’t make good business sense. Yet it does happen, and all too often! What is even odder, we charge these attractions a lot of money for the privilege of helping us draw people to our events! Most vendors don’t mind this, especially the good ones. They know that there could be a good payday for them if the event does well. But they are the ones taking all the chances, so why not treat them with respect, like the V.I.P.’s that they really are! If you want an example of how good vendors affect shows, just ask the organizers of the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts or the One of a Kid Show in Toronto! They thrive on attracting excellent participants. So, why the imbalance? Why do festival and event organizers and government regulators insist on creating so many “road blocks”? If festivals and events are the “backbone” of our communities, we owe it to ourselves to think of the consequences BEFORE we act! After all, community events need good participants more then good participants need the poor communities!