Gabrielle Austen-Browne FRSA (she/her)’s Post

What Festivals Mean to Me? Festivals are more than just celebrations; they are a rich tapestry of culture, traditions, and shared experiences. They strengthen bonds, create mutual understanding, and bring a deep sense of joy that resonates in our hearts. These special days are eagerly awaited, as they offer a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate, even when we're far from home. Especially for those of us living overseas, finding a community that preserves and nurtures our cultural roots is invaluable. It reminds us that no matter where we are, our traditions remain an essential part of our identity. For me, festivals are about: 1)Building relationships 2)Preservation of culture 3)Revitalizing connections 4)Creating lasting memories 5)Celebrating shared values Festivals are a reminder of the importance of community, continuity, and the joy of shared experiences. #festival #culture #buildingrelationships #networking #community

Togather is partnering with GALA Festival again this year 🥳 If you know, you know. If you don’t 👉🏻 GALA has become one of the UK’s most popular day festivals and takes place in Peckham Rye Park in May. The Togather team went along together last year and had an absolute blast (don’t ask me if knew who any of the DJs were). Company socialising can often be limited to Christmas parties, in-office events or pub visits and while these are all great, these day festivals can be a great alternative. Why? 👇🏻 ☑ Quality time together: Time spent socially can often feel cut short. Spending a good ten hours together with no expectations is a completely different ballpark and you come out of it knoing so many people in the team much better. ☑ Truly switching off: Naturally, people can be a little tentative when socialising with workmates, but after we’d been at GALA for a few hours it was as if any element of guards being up dropped and people switching off ☑ Making company memories: A big part of company culture is built off those memories of the really amazing times you’ve had together, and I know that almost a year on our team are still reminiscing about this event! ☑ Building new bridges: While we always try and be mindful of cliques, getting the whole team together was a great opportunity for people to get to know others they didn’t necessarily speak to daily and form new connections. So my advice, try and get a big event like this in your company's social calendar each year! 🎉

Why festivals and special events matter now more than ever! Major Events 101, the first course launched by Trivandi Academy, explores the importance of festivals and special events amongst other topics in the introductory week 1 content. https://lnkd.in/dnPd32JV In an article published in Cultural Mega Events, Dr Beatriz Garcia, discusses why festivals and special events matter- even more in a post-pandemic world and how these gatherings do more than just entertain — they play a crucial role in strengthening community bonds, boosting local economies, and providing a platform for cultural expression. In your experience, how have festivals or special events impacted your community? 🤔 Share your thoughts in the comments below. 👇 To get more insights into the theory and practical application of major events, register now for Major Events 101, the first course launched by Trivandi Academy: https://lnkd.in/dSfK3j73 #TrivandiAcademy #MajorEvents101 #Events #Festivals #Community #CulturalEvents #EventManagement #learn

Here’s what no one tells you about our busy lives Festivals are the antidote to our monotonous routines They serve as a beacon, reminding us to pause and connect Festivals offer more than just a break from our daily grind. They reconnect us with our roots and enrich our cultural fabric. Consider these compelling reasons for their importance: → Festivals foster community bonds → They provide a platform for cultural expression → Festivals stimulate local economies → They offer joy and relaxation 1. Community Bonds: They unite people, transcending boundaries. 2. Cultural Expression: They showcase traditions and history, preserving our heritage. 3. Economic Boost: Local vendors and artists thrive, enhancing regional growth. 4. Emotional Reset: They deliver joy and allow us to unwind. Festivals matter because they enrich our lives in countless ways. They aren't just celebrations; they are cultural pillars. How do you feel festivals have impacted your life?

FEST TALK & TIPS For Festival Professionals April 21, 2024 TAKIN' IT TO THE STREETS Last year we talked briefly about making street performers a part of a festival or fair program. I think we should dive a bit deeper into this idea since street performers at an event really can enhance the atmosphere and offer lots of benefits at a reasonable price. Here are ten reasons to include them: Entertainment Value: Street performers can provide lively and diverse entertainment, which can include music, dance, juggling, magic, and more. Their presence adds to the festive atmosphere. Crowd Attraction: Performers can draw larger crowds to the festival or fair, as people are often attracted to live performances and spontaneous acts. Consider placing them in areas with less traffic in order to build a crowd. Enhanced Experience: Street performances can make the event experience more memorable for attendees by offering unexpected moments of fun, photo opportunities and direct engagement. Interactive Opportunities: Many street performers interact directly with the audience, offering participatory experiences that can be especially delightful for children and families. Fill in Gaps: Performers can fill in the downtime between scheduled events or performances, keeping the energy high, holding the crowd and ensuring there's always something happening. Promotes Local Talent: Local artists and performers get a platform to showcase their skills, which can help them build their reputations and followings. Economic Boost: Increased foot traffic generated by performers can lead to higher souvenir sales on-site and sales for vendors and local businesses around the festival or fair area. Flexibility: Whether assigned a specific street corner or strolling the grounds, street performers are typically adaptable and able to perform in various spaces and conditions, which makes them ideal for a festival or fair environment. Visual Appeal: The visual spectacle created by performers, whether through costumes, tricks, or elaborate setups, adds to the allure of the event, making it an even greater opportunity for those special KODAK moments to be shared on social media. Including street performers can be a strategic and effective way to elevate a festival or fair, making it more engaging and enjoyable for everyone involved. Give it a try. TEXAS FESTIVAL & TOURISM CONSULTING Mike Baxter, CFEE 281-222-4775 mike@txfestconsultant.com Former Chairman and long-time member of the Texas Festivals & Events Association, and member of the Texas Association of Fairs & Events. #texasfestivalandtourismconsulting #MikeBaxter #TFEA #TFEA #festivalsoup

🇪🇺 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

A change is brewing, and it's a good one. It's not good that festivals are being cancelled or postponed. I cancelled my own event last week due to low registrations. It's good because it's making us re-think our products. It has me thinking about what the next phase of live events is, and I'm curious. What do you think? Are we in a for a wave of new entrants? Or will we see the cycle of festivals maybe spread out and slow down? Maybe festival producers will go back to refining their offering to attract a more narrow market like they used to (I was there, the first year Jimmy Barnes performed Gympie Muster...). I'm re-thinking my own event strategy and leaning toward a wider spread of timelines with a much more targeted audience. Are you changing your strategy? I would love to hear your thoughts. About producing events, and attending events. https://lnkd.in/g7JJxNXY

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

Our New Year Hour I often wonder why there is a flurry of excited activity around major festivals and events, especially around the New Year. The earth goes around the sun approximately every 365 and a quarter days. So every day is the start of a new cycle depending on where the earth is relative to the sun. The earth is going to be at the spot it was at the previous year that day, the next year. So why do we take a day in a calendar and get all fired up about it? I too participate in wishing people on New Year's especially and have had my share of staying awake till midnight to augur the next year and to celebrate with friends and family and so, I wonder about this human phenomenon. We do not see the rest of the animal kingdom do this. They, however, do celebrate in their own ways. Bears hibernate in winter. When spring is up, they step out and feast on the berries and whatever food they can eat out there. Every animal is in tune with nature. Humans, while starting with festivals that are in tune with nature, also seem to have a penchant for creating new festivals. It looks like we are all tuned to looking at cycles. We understand that the past has goods and bads, and we just want to look ahead for something new. We typically mourn the loss of people that are close to us, and yet we get excited when we see a newborn baby. I think this looking forward to something fresh, no matter what the past is, is what keeps life going in us. I feel like this is why we rejoice and get together to look ahead at the next year. In an ideal world, every day should be… every moment should be a new year's moment. Every second should be looked forward to as if it is the first, because it is the first among the rest of our seconds in our life. Perhaps, we try our own ways to rejoice at the start of these cycles to jump start such a process internally. We are a species that is always looking ahead. The jolt of energy that it gives us to move forth for another 365 days and join our planet in its revolution around the sun is probably what we are trying to do. In the Indian culture, years get names and every sixty years, the name of the years are repeated. I read that many South Asian cultures have a similar theme. I told somebody a few years ago who turned 60 that they get to start from age one now, based on the 60-year cycle! What if we treat a 60-cycle like a 60-minute cycle? We will then treat a year in our life like an hour. And every second of our year-hour is precious to live. I wish all of my friends, all of my family, everybody that I know, and everybody that I don't know, a great new beginning - to look ahead and forward to something new and find ways to find joy in your lives. #newyear2024 #newyear #culture #calendar #musings

FEST TALK & TIPS for Festival Professionals January 8, 2024 LET 'EM KNOW WHAT YOU'RE ALL ABOUT Educating the local community about the goals and economic impact of a festival or fair can have both immediate and long term benefits to your program. For example: Community Engagement: Educating the community about the goals and economic benefits fosters a sense of involvement, encouraging active participation and support for the festival or fair. Increased Attendance: A well-informed community is more likely to attend the event, leading to higher attendance numbers. Clear communication about the festival's goals and economic impact helps attract a diverse audience. Local Business Boost: Highlighting the financial benefits of an event emphasizes how the festival can positively impact the local economy. This can encourage collaboration and sponsorship from local business owners, contributing to the overall economic growth of the community. Long-Term Sustainability: When the community understands the goals, they are more likely to support the festival in the long term. This sustained backing is crucial for the event's ongoing success and its ability to contribute positively to the local economy. Positive Public Perception: Transparent communication about the festival's goals builds trust and creates a positive image for the event. This can lead to increased goodwill within the community, fostering a supportive environment for future editions of the festival or fair. Educational Opportunities: By sharing the goals and economic benefits, the community gains insights into the broader impact of the festival. This educational aspect can spark interest and discussions, promoting a culture of learning and understanding within the community. TEXAS FESTIVAL & TOURISM CONSULTING Mike Baxter, CFEE 281-222-4775 mike@txfestconsultant.com Former Chairman and long-time member of the Texas Festivals & Tourism Association #texasfestivalandtourismconsulting #MikeBaxter #TFEA