A
few years ago I was reading an article in a US newspaper that had bold
headlines reading “Festivals
across US downsize or cancel because of economy “. The reasons given were the reduction
or elimination of sponsorship dollars, higher costs and fewer attendees. Both corporations
and attendees are feeling the economic pinch, falling sales for corporations
and higher gasoline costs for attendees. For many people the cost of getting
there is just becoming too expensive. With costs increasing for festivals,
organizers have to take a much closer look at their budgets and profitability.
Even though many festivals are organized and managed by non-profit
organizations, excess monies are usually invested back into organization’s
community. Members of the organization usually throw themselves into a festival
project because of the charitable factor. Without profits, many groups are now
re-evaluating their role. Some, as the newspaper article says, are downsizing
while others are simply canceling. Rather than “throwing in the towel” and giving up, these groups should re-evaluate
themselves and find innovative ways to grow and prosper. For me, this doesn’t
mean increasing the admission costs or the booth fees. It means taking an
honest comprehensive look at all aspects and then coming up with responsible
solutions. The first few years may not produce high profits, but hard work,
time and intelligent perseverance will. Remember everything is cyclical and the
economy will bounce back, but if you leave the game or diminish your product
(festival) everyone will lose! Festivals are an intricate and vital part of
every community! What your group does now and how it responds to the challenges
of today WILL affect tomorrow.
Even
though this article was written a while ago, I believe that the same premise
exists today. I hate when I hear about an event being cancelled. Events can be
the backbone of a community. They can attract new visitors, new businesses and
new residents. They also can help create community pride.
