Top Ten Festival Challenges (Part Two)

Over the past few years I have visited about 150 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 the second 5 of the Top Ten Challenges I have experienced.
6. FACILITIES – One of the greatest challenges festival organizers face is designing the layout of their festival grounds and building. Basically the festival is “stuck” with what is there! This might be okay, but it might also be disastrous, especially if the grounds and buildings are in poor shape. This is where careful initial planning comes into play! First impressions (curb-side appeal) can mean the difference between success and failure. Even really bad grounds and buildings can be made acceptable with a little imagination. Old and poorly maintained buildings can be brought to life with colour and decorative displays. Oddly shaped grounds can be made useful by careful placement of events and activities. One of the best uses of grounds was by the Mississauga Waterfront Festival. This festival takes place in Port Credit’s rambling Memorial Park. By carefully placing activities and events, they created a natural “flow” that allowed festival visitors to take in the entire event. Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair uses the Exhibition buildings very effectively. The fair takes place in both new and old buildings. By careful planning of events, organizers have made, what could have been a maze, an exciting journey of discovery!
7. WEATHER PLAN – No-one can control the weather, but an effective “weather plan” can, at least, minimize the affects. Even “indoor” events can be affected by poor weather (snow, freezing rain, hurricanes, etc)! Making alternative weather plans helps in two ways. Firstly it tells your volunteers what will happen in case of disastrous weather, a plan to follow. And, secondly it tells your potential visitors what you plan to do if the weather turns bad. One of the most important aspects of any weather plan is communications, both to your volunteers and to your visitors. If an event is going to be cancelled or postponed, you have to let people know. “Letting people know” can easily be accomplished through your website. First by publishing your weather policy and then by providing a contact telephone number should a cancellation or postponement take place. A “Postponement or cancellation notice” could also be placed on your website. When serious thunder storms threatened the opening night outdoor play of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, they had an alternative plan and location in place. Even though the weather looked fine when they made the decision, experience told them not to take a chance on the weather forecasts for the area. They made the decision in plenty of time and then let festival visitors know of the location change.
8. PROGRAM GUIDES – I like festivals and events that produce a nice informative program guide. To me it shows that it is a well planned event and that they care about their visitors. I also like informative program guides because they provide me the information I need to enjoy the event. I don’t believe that guides need to be overly ornate to serve its purpose. Like websites, content is “king”! Here are some of the components that I think are necessary to make a guide effective.
 A site map should be included showing the location of all events and activities and all important facilities, washrooms, information booth(s), first aid station(s), ATM’s, disabled parking, shuttle bus stops and designated food areas.
 Activities and descriptions should be included along with times.
 Contact information should be given with telephone numbers that can be used during the event
 Finally, a list of event sponsors
I am sure that more could be added, but this a start. If cost is prohibiting an event from producing a program guide, festival organizers should contact the local newspaper to see if they would be interested in publishing the guide. If you give them the advertising rights, they will likely produce the guide for free and in some cases they may even pay for those advertising rights. Another inexpensive way of producing a program guide is to make it part of your website. If you go this route, make sure that the program is not too long, that it is in the “PDF” format and that it can be printed in “black and white”. One of the best festival program guides I have seen is produced for the Cobourg Waterfront Festival by one of the local newspapers. The newspaper pays, through sponsorship, for the right to publish the guide.
9. FOOD – Food is an important component of most festivals and events. It used to be that “good old fashion” comfort food was totally acceptable, foods like hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, sno-cones and candy floss. While these are still the “norm”, times are changing and many visitors are demanding more nutritious foods. A number of festivals and events have responded to these demands and are offering a greater variety of nutritious meals. Families are not only becoming “health” conscious, but with the economy as it is, they are looking for better food value. Some families have stopped buying food at festival all together, opting to eat at home before going to the event or bring a picnic lunch to eat at the event. Festivals and events that recognize these trends and respond to them will benefit from the changes in the long run. Here are some ideas to think about.
 Try grouping food vendors together and offer a greater variety of “comfort” and “health foods”.
 Provide a “picnic” area for visitors who bring their own food. Make sure you advertise this service on your website and in your advertising.
 Screen food vendors thoroughly, make sure that they meet the food standards that have been set, both in quality of food and food value. It’s your event, so you make the rules!
 Providing a family friendly environment will pay huge dividends.
One of the best events we have visited for food was the Winona Peach Festival. All food vendors are local charities and organizations. The food is home made, nutritious and delicious. The vendors are all located in the same food area and there is plenty of variety to choose from. In the centre of the food area is a covered picnic area!
10. THEME – In order to attract visitors to their event, most festivals develop a “theme”. The “theme” dictates how the event is organized, what attractions are offered and how it is promoted. It identifies the uniqueness of the event. That is why it is important to choose the theme carefully, making sure that it makes sense for you and your community. You likely would not want to hold a “rock concert” in a retirement community! Once a “theme” has been set, every effort should be made to keep to the spirit of the theme. This includes activities, ground set-up and marketing. Having a great theme without enthusiastically promoting it is like having a “birthday cake without candles, all show and no glow”! The Canadian Redneck Games in Minto is a great example using and promoting a theme to its maximum. The amount of press and awards that this event has received is amazing and a true testament to its "catchy" theme!

Top Ten Festival Challenges (Part One)

Over the past few years I have visited about 150 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.
2. WEBSITES – Websites are becoming an integral part of festival and event marketing. If a website is constructed properly it can attract 100’s of new festival visitors. Conversely a poorly designed website can deter people from visiting an event, so it makes good sense to design and maintain a great website! Here are a few tips.
 Properly designed so that it attracts and is friendly towards the major search engines – Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN)
 Interesting and informative content that is attractive to website visitors and easy to navigate. The objective should be to engage the visitor so that they will stay and read the event’s message and then, ultimately visit the event.
 Provide sufficient festival/event information including location(s), dates, times, activities, site map and contact information (contact name, e-mail address, mailing address and telephone numbers, especially during the event)
Note: Don’t make your website too fancy! Not everyone knows how to navigate complicated websites. This can be a real turn-off.
One of the best event websites I have visited recently was the one for the Norwood Fall Fair. It was easy to use and contained great event informative information.
3. COST VERSUS VALUE – With today’s economy, providing great value has become very important! Giving more then what is expected or promised will help attract a lot of event visitors! Having a reasonable “gate fee” has now become a necessary reality. Although having a “free gate” can work in a festivals favour, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success or visitors! Festival visitors are becoming more and more sophisticated and are expecting and demanding more from the events they visit. To reach maximum potential, organizers have to give careful attention to what they are offering. Organizers should concentrate on quality rather than quantity. One of the best paid admission events that we have visited is the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The CNE provide wonderful entertainment for the whole family at a very reasonable cost. As for a “free gate” event, you can’t beat the Burlington Sound of Music Festival. This Festival provides several free concerts stages throughout the downtown area.
4. WASHROOM FACILITIES – Having clean and accessible washroom facilities is an absolute must! I am always surprised when I see an event where organizers have decided to “hide” their facilities! This happens far too often! It is as though they are trying to ignore the fact that everyone needs to use these facilities at some time. If they are worried about the look, they should pay more attention to what facilities they order and who they order them from. Washroom facilities don’t have to look unpleasant. The other concern is keeping them clean and well stocked. This not only includes toilet paper but soap and water as well. It’s not a good enough excuse to say that they were used more often than anticipated! Having event staff check them regularly should be a given. Many of the greatest tourist attractions of the world consider washroom management their number one priority. I believe that festival organizers have a responsibility to provide the best washroom facilities possible! Welland’s IlluminAqua provides convenient portable washrooms beside their new amphitheatre. These facilities are both clean and convenient.
5. PARKING – If you have ever visited a festival or event that has impossible parking, you will know just how frustrating a situation that can be! I can remember driving to Toronto to attend an event only to find that there was zero parking available and no alternative shuttle parking sites. I turned around and went home, vowing never to return! I was only one person, but many others did the same as me? Obviously on-site parking is preferable where possible, but if it’s not possible or there are too few parking spaces, off-site parking should be a must. This includes providing a “shuttle service” where the distance is too far to walk. Organizers should take into consideration the disabled and elderly when determining their parking needs. Special parking spots or handicapped shuttle should be considered. Several of the events that we have visited have used off-duty school bused for their shuttle service. Some have even added advertising to the buses to offset costs. Many it easy to reach your event just makes good business sense! The Rockton World’s Fair has one of the best on-site parking facilities. They use a field that is just adjacent to the fair grounds. Kempenfest in Barrie uses several off-site parking areas. Their shuttle buses are frequent and convenient.
(Part Two Next)

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
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!
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)

Kick It Up in the Kawarthas…

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the “Kick It Up a Notch” seminar held at the Best Western Otonabee Inn in Peterborough. It all had to do with Peterborough and Kawartha Tourism’s “Kick It Up in the Kawarthas” program. The seminar organizers had invited provincial Hall of Fame festival guru, Jan Bonhomme, as the keynote presenter. Members of the “Kick It Up” community were on hand to listen and learn from Jan’s experiences. These experiences include Jan’s managing for a number of years the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest and her involvement as chief organizer of the 2007 International Plowing Match held in Leeds-Grenville. Other accomplishments include being the Network Development Manager for Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) and developing and managing the first Ontario provincial Festivals and Events Resource Centre. Jan’s current project is Executive Director of the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance. This group was formed “to encourage the effective formation of Bicentennial celebrations for the War of 1812…” in Eastern Ontario. With this wealth of experience behind her, Jan told our group about the joys and disasters of planning successful festivals and events. Drawing on her years as manager of the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest and the International Plowing Match, Jan regaled us with stories and photos to emphasize her words of wisdom and advice. I know that I, like others in the audience, received a great deal of important information! The whole seminar highlights Peterborough and Kawarthas Tourism’s commitment to excellence in their area. The future looks very “bright” in the Kawarthas! To learn more about “Kick It Up in the Kawarthas” festivals and events, visit their website at http://www.kickitupinthekawarthas.com/.

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
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)