International Students House (London)’s Post

Festivals are an important part of my life and career. I have had some seminal and transformative moments at music festivals… Like being snuck into GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL EVENTS LIMITED for the first time at age 5! I'll always see UK music festivals as purist non-commercial spaces, and so watching them evolve into huge businesses over the decades seemed counterintuitive. But I do think there is an important place for brand activations at these events in order to provide much-needed supporting revenue for one of the most culturally significant sectors in the UK. My advice for brands is to be cautious of how they sit themselves within these meccas of art and social liberation. We no longer want to see a brand activation slapping themselves onto a field, giving out plastic-wrapped samples. When it’s done right, the benefits are huge consumer loyalty and affinity: J. Wray & Nephew set up a barber shop at Notting Hill Carnival to encourage self-expression for their consumers. LUSH regularly sets up shower stations for festival-goers (Looove!) Give the audience something to enjoy, a service, a bar, entertainment; an additional offer. And that way, you can integrate with the fabric of what makes music festivals so special in the first place ✨

I've played many music festivals in my 'glory' days and I attend many worldwide. They play a significant role in boosting the economy. Let’s explore how: Local Economic Impact: Increased Tourism: Music festivals attract thousands or even millions of out-of-town visitors. These visitors spend on accommodations, dining, transportation, and shopping, which significantly contributes to the local economy. Vendor Sales: Money made within festivals positively impacts local economies through sales of food and drinks from local vendors. Employment: Festivals create employment opportunities for people in the local community, including stagehands, lighting techs, and ushers. Monetary rewards: in the BILLIONS for a specific country. In summary, music festivals have a significant economic impact, both locally and globally, benefiting businesses, households, and government finances. And of course, it keeps our artists, musicians, bands, and all involved in putting a show together EMPLOYED.

For Deeds Magazine, I wrote on how music festivals are helping with cultural exchange You can read my article here:

How the collapse of music festivals is an amazing brand opportunity for you- Firstly, let's be clear, I love music festivals 🤘 and I am gutted that many long standing music festivals in Australia have been cancelled this year. But on the flip side, it has presented both an opportunity and learning experience for brands like yours. The festivals that have been cancelled are typically the larger festivals catering to many different genres and styles. They cater to the broadest audience possible and aim to keep many people happy. On the flip side, smaller niche festivals that are targeting a very specific niche markets (ie: heavy metal, trance, rap, country etc) are selling out. The lesson - people are becoming more discerning with their dollars, so those being more niche and targeted are getting a lot better results than those being more broad and general. The opportunity - if you have ever wanted to use festivals and events as an activation option, its becoming easier to narrow down events that your specific target market are interested in and get in front of them. So what festivals and events do you target audience like to attend? Is there an opportunity for you to create an experience at these festivals that resonate with your specific target audience and create a brand activation that is memorable, powerful and delivers massive results? Remember boring kills business, so be bold. Sound like an opportunity your up for? - Lets chat - matt@zaeya.com #brandactivations #corporateevents #tradeshows #exhibitiondesign #festivals #brandstrategy #brandpunx

🔍 How Social Media Transformed Music Festivals 🔍 Did you know? Coachella's influence extends far beyond its physical location, thanks to social media. This digital era has revolutionized how festivals are experienced, making them accessible globally and creating a FOMO unlike any other. Our latest piece delves into this transformation, highlighting the role of platforms like Instagram in amplifying festivals' reach and impact. Dive into the discussion and share your thoughts! Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gw5eczrR #socialmedia #musicfestivals #digitalage #coachella

Just coming off the back of our festival running for the first time since COVID-2020, this article captures the reality of what is actually happening out there. Navigating the post-COVID landscape, independent music festivals face challenges amid a saturation of events and well-funded international promoters. A concern is the demographic shift, particularly with a substantial drop in teenage attendance, possibly due to today’s teens struggling to socialize beyond screens after spending formative years in isolation. Adapting to these changes is crucial, but rising operational costs and real financial risks pose significant obstacles. Ticket prices rise to mitigate risks, and additional costs inside, especially food truck prices, strain attending families. Throw climate change into the mix, and you’re essentially gambling! Despite these challenges, independent music and arts festivals play a vital role in building connected communities. To thrive, a focus on collaborating with fellow festivals and implementing innovative online and offline audience engagement will be key strategies. Fostering community support, exploring creative marketing, and collaborating with local businesses become imperative. Emphasizing unique grassroots aspects, building a board of connected locals, and creating distinct identities are crucial for success. Building partnerships, diversifying revenue streams, and adapting to changing preferences are essential for sustainability in this challenging environment. Undoubtedly, innovative independent events serve as the glue that binds people together, providing a crucial platform for musicians and artists and a strong sense of connection to communities. The recent wave of festival cancellations is devastating. I extend my hopes and best wishes to everyone navigating this challenging time and look forward to us all coming together to create a stronger future. After all, where would we be without music, creativity, art, film, and connection?

I've played many music festivals in my 'glory' days and I attend many worldwide. They play a significant role in boosting the economy. Let’s explore how: Local Economic Impact: Increased Tourism: Music festivals attract thousands or even millions of out-of-town visitors. These visitors spend on accommodations, dining, transportation, and shopping, which significantly contributes to the local economy. Vendor Sales: Money made within festivals positively impacts local economies through sales of food and drinks from local vendors. Employment: Festivals create employment opportunities for people in the local community, including stagehands, lighting techs, and ushers. Monetary rewards: in the BILLIONS for a specific country. In summary, music festivals have a significant economic impact, both locally and globally, benefiting businesses, households, and government finances. And of course, it keeps our artists, musicians, bands, and all involved in putting a show together EMPLOYED.

#IndieMusic #PR: Breaking into the Festival Scene - How Indie Musicians Can Maximize Their Stage Time - by Cassie Ellis Music festivals are alluring landscapes for indie bands seeking exposure and the chance to grow their fanbase. However, breaking into the festival scene as an independent artist is often a complex task. In this guide, we will explore strategies that can help secure gigs and maximize your festival experience. #festivals #indieartists #PRontheGO

🇬🇧 This article outlines how Liverpool's new cultural project,  ‘Discover A New Beat,’ aims to encourage visitors to immerse themselves in the city’s music scene. Music festivals, which are part of this programme, are undoubtedly a powerful way for a destination to showcase its rich musical heritage and engage locals in tourism. 🎶 Considering the increasing number of music festivals globally, it's helpful to consider how festival organisers can make efforts to ensure that attendees have a positive experience and are motivated to revisit. We all know how much work goes into organising music festivals- often by voluntary committees- so organisers must be empowered with the knowledge to make the festival the best it can possibly be! 💡 A recent study by Tan et al. (2023) examined how the fear of missing out (FOMO) affects the flow experience, festival satisfaction, and revisitation intention of attendees at a country music festival in Malaysia. 👇 Interesting findings from the study, which have practical implications for music festival organisers included: ✅ When an individual experiences ‘flow’, they are fully immersed and present within a situation and feel positive sensations. ✅ Working on developing visitor ‘flow’ is an essential consideration for event organisers, as when visitors experience ‘flow’, they are more likely to enjoy their experience and intend to revisit. Accordingly, this can contribute to the success and future sustainability of the event. 👇 Certain factors which contributed to a flow experience within the context of the music festival included: ✅ Skill performance - attendees’ perception towards the quality of the performances in music festival ✅ Ambience - developing a multisensory festival environment ✅ Self-congruity - attendees feeling as though the festival aligns with their values and interests ✅ Other consumers’ passion- being surrounded by fellow music lovers ✅ Consumer-to-consumer interaction - interacting with other attendees 💡 In this study, FOMO (fear of missing out) was repositioned as participants fearing to miss out on the same event they were attending. When festival participants reported high FOMO, the indirect effect of flow experience on revisit intention was higher than those with low FOMO. 👇 Implications for event organisers include: ✅ Leveraging FOMO to generate a sense of urgency and scarcity for prospective attendees. This may be achieved by offering time-limited discounts on social media, which may ignite a ‘fear of missing out.’ 👇 To develop a flow experience among attendees, organisers can: ✅ Use visuals and messages in promotional materials consistent with the target audience's self-image. ✅ Ensure that ambience is an essential aspect of the festival planning process and complements the festival theme (e.g. considering factors such as lighting, sound, and decor). ✅ Promote engagement between attendees by offering areas for people to mingle.

https://lnkd.in/g-kMfkwH 🎵 This is an interesting article you might want to check out 🎵 Music festivals are struggling a lot at the moment but according to this article some music festivals that are genre-specific are still doing really well. We might start to see a shift towards less musically diverse music festivals. I think that this would be quite sad because we'll lose a lot of music that isn't considered mainstream or marketable. I guess the music festivals will do what they have to do to survive 😔 #MusicFestivals #AustralianMusic #GenreSpecific #EventCancellations #MusicIndustry