Sydney Festival’s Post

🇪🇺 Preparing with Nele Hertling two sessions for the European Festivals Association summit in Usedom, here are some of the questions we will address: 🌳 *Mon. 13 May: Denis de Rougemont Lab: Experimenting democracy* Why do we choose to create a festival? To promote an artistic form, to respond to a local need or commission? How does an idea, vision, desire germinate? How does a founder (a person, a group) mobilise around this idea, analyse needs, find resources and strengths? How is the festival project organised over time, and what are the consequences for the group in terms of its composition, skills, mode of action and governance? What weakens the core group or, on the contrary, makes it more robust? 🏡 *Tue. 14 May: Festival Cities and Regions Workshop* ❓ What is new in your relation between cities and festivals that you think is relevant to share with the other cities and regions? ❓ What are the methodologies used by cities and regions to consult their festivals: How do cities and regions initiate and strengthen their dialogue with their festivals? How do cities ‘value’ their festivals - in which policy areas and actions do they address festivals? How do festivals define their relation with their cities beyond funding opportunities? We are tapping into the variety of experiences and political ideas of relation ❓ What is the state of play of the work in progress of the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions focusing on Environmental Sustainability. 😎 Hope to see you at the Baltic Sea! (or in Berlin 15-16 May) ➕ Programme of the summit: https://lnkd.in/gRSw9K-V ⚡ The EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions: https://lnkd.in/eHjbhp4R #culture #festival #europe #germany #berlin 👀 Nathalie Perrin-Gilbert Jochen Schäfsmeier Elisabeth Champollion Jorge Losana Jochen Christian Sandig Martin Bailly Pascal Keiser

Exploring Festival Growth: How to Build, Scale, and Innovate Your Event From the bustling streets of downtown festivals with their multiple venues and electric atmospheres to the expansive open fields of Bonnaroo where the entire infrastructure is built from the ground up, each type of festival brings unique challenges and opportunities. By examining these diverse environments, we can uncover the strategies that lead to successful event management, from logistics and infrastructure to community building and smart growth. This video dives deep into the intricacies of festival planning, offering insights into what makes festivals thrive and how you can apply these lessons to your events. Whether you're looking to start your own festival or improve an existing one, understanding the dynamics of different festival formats is crucial. Join us as we explore the elements that make festivals great and the smart strategies behind their growth. #FestivalPass #EventStrategy #FestivalPlanning #MusicFestival #EventSuccess

Adelaide Fringe 2024 was a massive season and it took herculean efforts from everyone to get through! Incredible numbers attended, just over 1 million ticket sold and 4.6 million attendances .. (if anyone has questions about the difference between those numbers please ask! It's quite simple, there's lots of ways to attend that doesn't involve a ticketed show) it was fantastic to see so many tourists come to Adelaide for Fringe 2024 - they bought huge numbers of tickets and spent big in local hotels and restaurants. in many ways a big triumph, but of course there is more to the story and one of the scariest elements is the fact that festival presentation costs have gone up by about 30% in the last year or so .. the ticket sales were up by around 4% (1,040,305) and the average ticket price remained the same around $33. So it doesn't take much to look at the sums and realise it is very tough to make it all balance. Lots of festivals have cancelled and closed down in recent months because of these rising costs in the supply chains. We are going to work harder than ever to try raise enough money to shore up the Fringe in future - Adelaide Fringe is a precious jewel of the nation and we need all the help we can get to survive this storm.

Interesting read by CBC on the struggles and cancellations faced by Canadian festivals. As an event organizer, I can relate to the challenges faced by large-scale events during and post the pandemic. Hosting costs have increased by 25-50% in just a few years, but it’s difficult to pass on those cost increases to customers. Have you faced similar challenges as an organizer? Let's discuss in the comments. #eventorganizer #canadianfestivals #eventplanning #pandemicchallenges #costs #eventindustry Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, Canadian Association of Exposition Management, International Live Events Association (ILEA), MPI -Meeting Planners International- , Meetings Mean Business Canada Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/g4C25s6P

Behind Every Great Festival Is a Year of Planning—Here’s Why Timing Is Everything Planning a festival isn’t a task for the faint-hearted. It’s a meticulous, well-oiled machine that requires a minimum of 9 months to a year of preparation to truly hit the mark. From the very first brainstorming session to the final touches, every detail counts. Imagine coordinating with artists, securing venues, managing ticket sales, and creating an atmosphere that will leave attendees talking for months—none of this happens overnight. It’s a process that requires dedication, precision, and a deep understanding of what makes a festival truly epic. The secret to a flawless festival experience lies in the months of behind-the-scenes work that you’ll never see. But trust us, every minute of planning is worth it when you see the joy on festival-goers’ faces. This is why timing is everything. A well-planned festival isn’t just an event; it’s a carefully crafted experience that’s designed to create lasting memories. So, if you’re thinking of throwing your own event, remember: start now, because good things take time. #FestivalPlanning #EventProfs #BehindTheScenes #FestivalPass #EpicEvents

I think we have to be very careful here and what Joan Smith said about "weaponising shame" really resonates with me. Removing this sponsorship could end up destroying some very important and special festivals where all views can be voiced and discussed amicably something both extremely important and increasingly rare. I'm certainly not backing Baillie Gifford's investments in fossil fuels. but this action will change nothing in fact it might have a negative impact making them feel they might just as well increase their fossil fuel investments. I don't believe there are currently any honestly 100% ethical investments because under our current set up they don't produce the same returns and in a world where getting by is increasingly difficult people do expect sufficient return on investment. Rocks and hard places come to mind and I think the loss of the magic that is Hay Festival and the other Festivals are too important to risk. Funding is in short supply & others may be cautious about filling the gap. The Festival isn't constrained by the funders in their choice of speakers & content. The funding is used for good purpose, the world would be poorer without them. Don't sweat the small stuff there are far bigger fish to fry on the political stage for one where choice is sadly between the truly awful or the less bad with no radical inspiring visions of the systemic change we must have on offer in our flawed first past the post system https://lnkd.in/e39WQ-CK

Have you watched The Fair's documentary, "It Takes a Village"? The insightful mini-documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges involved in organising festivals and follows The Fair's on-site team at various UK festivals during the summer of 2023. Coinciding with the documentary, the award-winning event production agency has also recently launched its "Your Festival Needs You" campaign. The campaign aims to highlight the value festivals bring to communities, economies, and cultural landscapes. It underscores the need for collective action and support from event professionals, attendees, local authorities, and the general public to secure the future of festivals across Britain. To read more about the campaign and how you can get involved, and to watch the documentary in full, head to the link in the comments. #Skiddle #TheFair #YourFestivalNeedsYou #documentary #campaign #eventindustry #ticketing #promoters #eventplanning #eventplanningtips #eventmarketing #tickets #festivals #selltickets #gigs #clubs #eventprofs

This is a good plan (and I don't say that often) and highlights that the region should be focussing on the brownfields of Parramatta before the greenfields of far western Sydney to minimise environmental impacts of new construction and long distance travel. This plan takes advantage of the City's location and its transport assets and potentials, correctly identifying missing Metro stations (Rosehill and Silverwater) that need to be accounted for, and missing links (Parramatta to Epping) that should be high priority.

We’re delighted to launch Festivals Forward today, the report featuring the results of our Festivals Mean Business sector-wide research. In the report, developed by BOP Consulting, we reflect on a sector that is ‘surviving rather than thriving’, but one that still has much to celebrate.  Some of the key findings include: ☑️ The 101 reporting festivals stage more than 11,000 events the length and breadth of the country. ☑️ They attract a total of more than five million attendances (ticketed and unticketed) to in-person events and more than 100,000 to online events. ☑️ Survey respondents engaged a total of 34,000 artists and ensembles in 2023, programming over 2,700 new works. ☑️ 86% of arts festivals deliver outreach work in schools and other community spaces, often year-round. We’ll be using this report as a vehicle to call for greater investment in arts festivals, supporting our members to go beyond survival and thrive in a challenging climate, in a way that explores and embeds sustainability, diversity and inclusivity. The Festivals Mean Business project has been supported by funding from Arts Council England, Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru | Arts Council of Wales and Creative Scotland. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/e3he2ETG #BAFA2024

This time last week, I was in Manchester. The Fair invited me to deliver a panel session at the Night Time Industries Association's Night-Time Economy Summit. I sat alongside Ricky Oscroft Fran Martin Charlotte Maynard and Eimear Deane and discussed the evolving relationship between brands and festival promoters. Do promoters have what brands want and what can brands expect for their money? It was an interesting chat, especially as the session came one day after the news of Standon Calling's postponement. Indeed, the festival market is in the spotlight. Festivals are cancelling, and sadly, Standon Calling won't be the last event to announce its cancellation. So, it got me thinking. What impact does festival cancellation news have on the sponsorship market? Are cancellations making brands nervous about sponsoring events? If so, what steps could promoters take to reassure brands that their event will go ahead and if brands want reassurance, what reasonable proof is OK, and not OK, to ask for? Let me know your thoughts... #EventSponsorship #Festivals #Eventprofs #EventMarketing