Spring is almost here, and the festival season is upon us! With the weather on your side, a really great festival can easily draw attendees in by the hundreds and thousands while helping to expose your business to a larger audience. Interested in learning how to set up your first festival with success? Here are a few festival basics to get you started.

1. What’s your type? 
Festivals are mainstays of several types of industries. As you think about planning your festival, try and decide what you can bring to the masses, and surround yourself with people that understand and support that vision. Whether it’s food, music, art, or all of the above, determine your goal and start reaching out to groups or individuals you’d like to feature.

Tip: Festivals that have options for all ages reach a much larger audience. Keep families in mind when deciding your theme and booking entertainment.

2. Location, location, location
The location of the festival is almost as important as the type. Indoor or outdoor? College or convention center? Whatever the location, choose a space that people can easily get to and from. Somewhere close to bus lines with good parking is always a plus. Bathroom accessibility is also an important factor.

3. Think about the costs 
In this economy, price is an important factor when people decide whether to attend a festival. Consider offering early bird discounts to help generate a buzz weeks or months in advance! You might also consider student, senior, or group rates. Try to keep your general ticket price at a reasonable level so people are intrigued by your festival vision and not put off by the price tag.

Tip: Designing your event for families will help gain popularity and longevity. As you set your prices, think about offering family pack discounts.

4. Helpful security 
Safety is important, so it’s always a good idea to hire on-site security in case any problems occur. However, make sure that the security presence isn’t overwhelming or offputting to your attendees. Keep the muscle to a minimum.

5. Good eats
Whether you’re planning a music festival or a carnival, everyone likes to eat. Often times, people get most excited about the type of food and drinks a festival has to offer. As you plan, you may want to think about the local mom and pop food establishments in your area. Building a positive community is important for a festivals success; plus, cross promotion will also help to get the word out. Supporting your local businesses help gives your festival a local identity and treats your out-of-town guests to an unforgettable experience.

6. Stay organized 
Make sure to keep painstaking track of who is playing, when and where. Once those details are finalized, share it with the public! An attendee being able to plan their whole experience can help build excitement around a festival. Our custom Producer Page can help with this, or, if your festival’s a little more complicated, we work well with many calendar programs.

Would you like more in-depth assistance on setting up your first festival? No problem! Shoot us an email atPromo@BrownPaperTickets.com or call (800) 838-3006 (Option 5). We’d love to help.

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