COVER FEATURE aCcEsS ALl AReAs
“Larger festivals
by the likes of
AEG and Live
Nation are
under huge
pressure and
are in need of a
wake up call”
negativity from local residents who are often
misinformed about where those funds are
redistributed. Th is is amplifi ed by some media
who run negative stories without actually
investigating what has really happened and as a
result further perpetuate the problem.
Our panel at EPS (28 February, 3.30pm)
will address this issue directly with panellists
from smaller festivals as well as Alan Miller of
the NTIA and we hope James Heappey MP,
chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group
(APPG) for events.
There is already research into
events, what makes this plan
different?
Th ere is already research out there on the
events industry but it’s not tailored to our
messaging for festivals and live events. Research
by Britain for Events backed by Nick de Bois
MP is a valuable route, but it is more aimed at
the exhibition industry and supporting bids
for centres like ExCeL and NEC in an ever-
competing international exhibition market.
ACCESSAA.CO.UK
You once said ‘festivals are
dead’. What is going wrong for
mass marketed festivals, and
what can save the sector?
Larger festivals by the likes of AEG and Live
Nation are under huge pressure and are in need
of a wake up call. Festival prices have doubled
since 1990 and many festivals are suff ering
from being mass-market products that are
not providing a good customer service. Large
shows are heavily driven on talent and with
talent demanding larger fees there is a greater
pressure on these organisers to accept the largest
commercial deals on sponsorship. Whilst these
larger sponsorship deals allow budget for the
talent there is little regard for the overall impact
on the customer. Th is often results in poor
customer experience.
Another change is that these bigger shows
no longer hold social equity. Society is obsessed
with social equity and being seen as pioneers of
experiences amongst their peer groups. It’s no
longer 'cool' to advocate big shows to your social
network, current festival audiences are thriving
“Britain
leads the
world for
festivals
and they
are a vital
part of our
cultural
heritage.”
to discover the next new intimate
show and it’s not based purely on
talent but also experience.
Th e mass-market model must
evolve or more people will move
on. When I say that festivals are
dead it is with some hyperbole,
but brands are pulling away
from festivals as they used to pay
promoters large sums of money to
eff ectively piggy back on their data
and get access to their consumers.
With the advent of social media,
brands now have that direct
relationship with customers. We
are seeing more and more briefs
direct from brands to curate and
produce their own branded shows.
Many smaller festivals are
adapting their models. Wilderness,
for example, off ers ‘staycations’ and
unique price points to suit a range
of markets. Th e experience and
off er is evolving, and festivals have
to realise they’re competing with
family holidays to Cornwall.
People are seeking out new
experiences, so companies want
to be early adopters of a new
trend. When a festival line-up
is announced, the impact is
decreasing. People know that, for
example, Kings of Leon will be
there, but all too often they would
rather see the band playing at their
own show – perhaps at an arena.
Festivals are huge commitment
the camping and the travel can
put many off . Meanwhile, the
AIF produced research that
demonstrated that there is a
huge demand to see new talent,
and going to a festival based
on headliner alone is becoming
outdated. In fact, only 8.3% of
respondents to the AIF's 2014
Audience Survey cited individual
artists or headliners as the main
reason they purchased a ticket for
an independent festival.
Events and festivals that consider
demographics and off er a great
customer service will also reap
the rewards on social media. One
of the best events we’ve seen has
been Houghton Festival which
has considered the customer, and
MARCH 2018 31