It will surely only be a matter of time before a new service industry emerges related to coronavirus infection prevention measures. Could such service companies really help in the live events sector or should event organisers continue to plan and organise everything themselves. 

In these troubling coronavirus times, the financial pressures on the independent music festivals have never been greater. There is likely to be some movement in the industry with acquisitions and bankruptcy entirely possible but with a successful festival season in 2021 this may be avoided.  

The logistics behind organising stage backlines for a music festival with multiple stages can be a huge challenge for festival organisers. What are the key considerations in organising stage backlines to ensure perfect live performances that stick to scheduled timetables without any technical issues?

All music festival fans are hopeful that a good number of festivals will return in the latter part of 2021 so now is a good time to start planning which festivals to go for. For those new to the festival scene there is an unwritten etiquette to follow that has been documented by regular festival goers over the years for festival newbies.

Whether it’s an artist on tour or music festival the many suppliers including lighting and sound technicians, equipment suppliers and providers of safety and site management for example have been faced with a dire 2020. What will be the impact of this on the live events sector if and when events and music festivals return in 2021. 

As so many events and music festivals were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic most organisers opted for postponing to 2021. The majority of event organisers gave ticket buyers the option to request a refund or carry over their ticket to a postponed date with most ticket holders opting for the latter.

Every event goer has their preference for live events and music festivals they would like to attend based on either previous experience or recommendations. How can event goers plan for their attendance at live events and music festivals this year when there is so much turmoil in the industry? 

With the cancellation of events in 2020 many organisers decided to reduce budgets and staff with the easiest areas to cut being the marketing spend and staff. This does have an immediate financial benefit of reduced operational costs but in some ways is short-sighted as event organisers should be overhauling their marketing activity not stopping it.

Almost all music festivals were postponed to 2021 and whilst the pandemic continues to cause disruption there is still hope that festivals can return in the second half of the year. There has been much progress made in recent years to make festivals more sustainable but can they maintain this progress and improve further once festivals return later this year.  

Something that has affected many over the last year are mental health issues whether it be as a result of lockdowns or other issues like being unable to work. It is those working in the events industry that have been particularly badly hit by this. With the prospects of strict lockdowns at the start of 2021 it doesn't look like this situation is going to improve. 

As event organisers grapple with getting their events up and running at some point in 2021 there is of course a knock-on effect on booking performance artists. Organisers are running multiple scenarios and looking at all their contingency plans in light of the coronavirus pandemic that persists in disrupting normal life around the world. 

Many event organisers are deep into their planning for events in 2021, most opting for dates in the latter part of the year. Such is the uncertainty over the future effect of the coronavirus pandemic that event organisers are taking on the role of risk manager, what are the typical steps required for this change in focus? 

Over the last decade the interest and popularity of music festival that focus on music from previous generations has flourished. There is now a wide choice of retro music festivals for those interested in older music genres. Catering for those wishing to relive their youth because the current crop of popular festivals only offers the latest musical artists.    

2020 has been a catastrophic year for anyone working on the live events industry throughout the world. For those in Europe the impact of the coronavirus pandemic has been further compounded by the BREXIT negotiations and the potential fallout from any agreement on freedom of travel throughout Europe in the future.  

In a year of chaos for the live events industry many music festival organising teams have been laid off or at best furloughed there are many organisers desperate to put on their festival in 2021. Due to cost reductions and squeezed schedules music festival organisers are currently working flat out on their planning. 

When live events resume in the UK sometime in 2021 event organisers are going to be faced with a whole host of new restrictions and measures that will most likely be mandatory. Estimates suggest these new measures could account for up to 20% of event running costs, what are the likely measures that have a cost, hidden or otherwise.     

The development and progress of technology that can be used in the music festival industry has not stopped with the coronavirus pandemic. Conversely numerous software companies have been busy developing technology and software that will improve event goer experience and make festival organisers life's easier.  

With new surges in coronavirus infections throughout Europe and the rest of the world it appears that almost all festive and New Year events are facing cancellation. Although incredibly frustrating for the live events industry it is time to grin and bear it for the next few months to improve the prospects of live vents returning later in 2021.     

In these difficult times it's hard to believe that anyone would consider creating a brand-new UK music festival for the summer of 2021. Using the old Latin proverb ‘Fortune favours the bold’ is perhaps a relevant statement here, creating a new music festival is no mean task and in the current climate certainly risky. 

Whether it’s a large music festival or other smaller event all have some kind of online presence. The events sector is not renowned for their sophisticated websites and have a tendency to be scarcely populated with content, poor usability and navigation perhaps relying on an online reproduction of their event poster. 

The traditional source of revenue for music festivals are ticket sales, vendor pitch fees and sponsorship revenue. It's time that festival organisers got more creative and start looking at additional revenue streams. Creating alternative sources of revenue may help organisers with cash flow and assist in securing their financial survival. 

British music festivals have always had to provide suitable insurance coverage for their events. Festival organisers had a variety of policies to choose from to cover just about any eventuality. When coronavirus hit and festivals were cancelled some insurance companies paid out and others did not. What is likely to happen with insurance products in 2021? 

Since the emergence of Gay Pride events in the late 70s in many of the world's largest cities their popularity has spawned some great new music festivals. From LGBTQ+ friendly festivals a new genre of music festival has emerged in recent years targeted specifically at the LGBTQ+ community.

In response to an industry decimated by the coronavirus pandemic it’s a welcome sign that some of the big technology giants are improving their platforms to help an industry run their events albeit in a virtual environment. Previously used for small meetings or webinars the technology is being leveraged to allow for larger externally focused events. 

The QR Code has been around for years and is an easy way to transfer data making it popular across all business sectors. With the impact of restrictions from coronavirus measures the popularity of the QR Code is rising and could be one of the most useful pieces of technology available to the live events sector in 2021. 

For those living in a town or region with a well-run local council they are probably fortunate enough to benefit from some form of organised local festival or event each year. Each city or local council is tasked with promoting local attractions, businesses and an overall community spirit and holding an annual festival is often a good way of achieving this.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier in 2020 many music festival organisers made the tough decision to postpone their 2020 events until 2021. For event goers and ticket buyers this was a frustrating period because the highlight event of their summer had been taken away. Most ticket holders opted to carry over their tickets to 2021 so constant updates are essential. 

As many music festival organisers around the world announce that they plan to go ahead with music festivals in the summer of 2021 what are the realistic chances for the intrepid traveller looking to travel internationally combining a holiday with attending a music festival in another country?

With artists and musician unable to perform live since early 2020 many are focusing on producing new material. This has led to an increased popularity in music upload platforms as artists try and promote new material to as wide an audience as possible but with so many platforms available which ones are best for artists? 

Entering the world of entertainment and artist management is a tough challenge and widely understood to be one of the most brutal occupations to consider. For event organisers and artist liaison managers the artist's manager can be unreliable and unpredictable but they only see the surface of what is a tough job.   

As the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier in 2020 the entire events and entertainment industry has been one of the hardest hit economically. Staff have been laid off or at best furloughed and continued restrictions on audiences, operating hours and varying financial support from The UK Government mean the outlook for the first half of 2021 is bleak.  

With the events industry in turmoil in 2020 many venues and festivals face financial difficulties and despite financial help from various sources may still be faced with permanent closure. However, for cash rich investors interested in the events sector this represents investment opportunities.

Any event organiser wants to make their event a memorable one and the venue selected can really make a big difference. In reviewing the availability in London there are a surprising number of historic and iconic venues for hire catering for small intimate private parties up to larger scale events.

Every event organiser and venue owner is by now familiar with the restrictions in place for reopening to the public. Although this can be a somewhat moving target it is safe to assume that the criteria for event goers to enter an event will be quite restrictive and require some planning and thought to implement in time for the bulk of events resuming in 2021. 

Given the awareness of modern-day issues being addressed by numerous charitable organisations music festival event goers are increasingly concerned that the event embraces charitable causes. Such is the connection between music festivals and charities that many commercial event organisers have switched from a business to charitable status. 

With many European countries starting to allow event venues to reopen with larger audiences form early 2021 there are many steps that a venue owner should take in preparation of reopening. This is particularly important considering many live event venues have been closed for in excess of eight months. 

As the UK government announced that live events with audiences can resume from 2nd December 2020 how are event organisers geared up to put on events with such short notice? What processes and procedures are in place to gear up for short notice events with ongoing lockdown restrictions likely to be an ongoing threat  

With most of Europe likely to remain in some form of lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period now is the perfect time to start planning your stay-at-home movie fix. Check out some of the classic films and documentaries about music festivals from the last fifty years that will hopefully get you inspired for 2021.   

The music festival sector relies heavily on corporate sponsors to fund their events with the bulk of the global $1.6 billion sponsorship spend coming from alcohol brands. Being so reliant on one sector for sponsorship funding may leave some festival organisers exposed should any unforeseen issues arise from the connection between alcohol and festival goers.      

As the world battles and copes with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic service companies have to adapt to new working practices. Some restrictions like measures to ensure social distancing are voluntary and some are mandatory. Part of the solution will be cashless payments and contactless ordering of food and drinks.

There is so much uncertainty in the live music events industry for 2021. Nobody knows for sure when a coronavirus vaccine will be available, how it will be rolled out and how effective it may be. Combine this with unknown levels of restrictions placed on holding events by government organisations and the future is far from clear. 

With the current pandemic having a dire effect on all music venues in the UK the warnings voiced by those in the industry seem to be falling on deaf ears. History shows that once a venue closes it rarely resurfaces and can be lost forever. Here are a few reminders of famous British music venues lost but not forgotten.

Every music festival provides opportunities for food and beverage vendors usually providing a wide range to suit different tastes and budgets. Pitches are generally oversubscribed and festival organisers can select the most suitable. However, what are the opportunities for non-food and beverage vendors at music festivals? 

Surely one of the attractions of attending any music festival is the experience of the mosh pit. That small area in front of the stage for hard core event goers keen to dance and party hard all day and all night. With proposed restrictions likely as festivals return in 2021 what does the future hold for the music festival mosh pit?

Most participants in music festivals will generally need to make an application, specifically artists, vendors and volunteers. Festival organisers should be organising their application forms and processes at an early stage in the planning process. Having a consistent approach to the application forms used helps to create an efficient event planning process   

A key consideration for the success of any performance artist is how they promote and market themselves to a wider audience. An essential part of this process is having a professional biography package of materials and having these at hand and available immediately on demand is essential. 

Any large music festival will have someone responsible for curating the content, they may have a wide range of job titles but the essence of a festival curator is to source and produce content that fits with the festival themes, genre and overall ethos. It’s a specialist role that requires a unique skill set, so what exactly does a festival curator do? 

For any event goer getting on the guest list has always carried an element of prestige and something to brag about. In reality the management of guests for any live event is now a major element of almost all event planning and requires the same logistical planning as any other aspect involved in running a successful live event. 

Having just entered a second lockdown in the UK, this time for a month, possibly longer, the prospect of further lockdowns and restrictions is playing havoc with music festival organiser's planning. What strategies can organisers explores to minimise the impact on their planning for events scheduled for 2021?  

As the UK enters another lockdown on Tuesday 5th November 2020 the impact on the live music industry could be the final curtain call for an industry already in crisis. Musicians, venues and the thousands of support services workers now face another complete closure until at least January 2021. 

Finding new ways to boost ticket sales for live events is going to be more important in 2021 when the events industry hopefully makes a recovery. Event organisers have traditionally used ticketing agents in conjunction with their own online sales channels to sell event tickets although using the big corporate agents like Ticketmaster can prove very expensive. 

The use of bartering dates back to ancient times and is simply the exchange of goods and services between two parties. Any company involved in the events industry sells tickets for admission to their event. Tickets have a monetary value and have been used as a bartering tool in the events industry for years. 

For the largest music festivals, the organisers must plan and manage hundreds of artists, multiple stages and shows plus the usual army of volunteers. Many organisers still use spreadsheets to manage logistics and schedules but surely there is an easier way to do this with the help of technology? 

The competition for vendor pitches at the most popular festivals in the UK is intense. With visitor numbers (in normal circumstances) hitting in excess of 100,000 the financial rewards for securing a pitch are huge. What steps can vendors take to get a pitch at the UK’s most sought-after events. 

Earlier this month (October 2020) various organisations got together and in conjunction with government departments have put together an essential guide for music festival organisers in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidance has been launched in its first iteration and will be updated monthly.  

As events look set to start up again in 2021 many organisers are into their planning process right now (October 2020). With the coronavirus taking its toll on the events industry in 2020 many event organisers have gone into a state of hibernation whilst at the same time suppliers to the industry have faced financially difficult times with many not likely to survive.        

Some of the world's largest music festivals can use an army of volunteers to make their event a success sometimes using as many as 1,000 plus to help out in various ways. There is a lot more to being a volunteer than just doing a little bit of unpaid work in exchange for free entry to the event. 

One of the keys to successful accommodation planning for music festival organisers is being able to offer a variety of accommodation with a range of budgets. With many festivals being quickly sold out it is also vital that accommodation for artists is secured early in the process to ensure availability. 

Probably one of the biggest gripes from visitors attending any music festival is the toilet facilities. Often there are not enough available and queuing always seems to be an issue along with poorly maintained facilities. What are the key steps organisers should take to ensure they provide enough clean facilities? 

A large-scale music festival can mean up to 150,000 visitors, the equivalent of a small town descending on a site for several days so the need for providing suitable coverage for medical emergencies is inevitable. Aside from being a requirement of Health and Safety regulations it is common sense to plan for the provision of suitable medial facilities and personnel. 

Everyone hopes for the return to a season of music festivals in 2021 but the reality is many organisers have made the decision to bypass next year altogether because of uncertainty. Planning for a music festival can take up to 18 months so event organisers are currently deep in the throes of planning for 2021 and one of the key aspects to plan for is the provision of onsite customer service facilities.  

Running a music festival with hundreds of artists over multiple stages for several days will test even the best project managers. With large scale events rarely will things go to plan so what can event organisers do to minimise any hiccups and present a timely, seamless and professional artist line up to satisfy event goers. 

With potentially hundreds of performance artists appearing over several days on multiple stages there is a huge challenge to get the artists organised for perfect performances. Key to ensuring smooth running and the seamless transition of act changes is having the correct specs for each and every act. 

Any large music festival will usually have multiple stages typically including two or three main stages and dozens of smaller stages. Invariably the larger main stages are for the most popular artists with smaller stages for lesser known and up and coming artists. A key element of the stage design and construction is the truss and rigging.   

Any event organiser managing a large-scale festival could face the challenge of managing in excess of 300 performance artists. How are these managed to ensure that artists turn up to the right venue and stage at the right time? The ‘Artist Advance Sheet’ has become an essential part of multiple artist management for any large event or festival.   

Wiring up the electricity supply for a large music festival can be a complex, demanding and potentially dangerous task. It takes a team of qualified and dedicated electrical engineers to connect and set up a reliable electricity supply and without doubt any music festival will not succeed without competent and successful implementation.      

As everyone accepts that any large-scale music festivals or music events will not take place until at least the middle of 2021 event organisers should be planning now to attract sponsors and vendors. It certainly makes sense to use the current quiet period to start making plans now for events to resume in 2021.        

For anyone who was working in the live events sector the prospects for work are bleak with large numbers being furloughed or losing their jobs completely. However, for those who previously worked in this sector they will have built a wide range of transferable skills and experience that can be utilised in other industries. 

For any festival that spans several days personal hygiene can be difficult to maintain for event goers due to limited access to showers and washing facilities. Many visitors would quite happily forego washing for the duration of the festival and just enjoy the atmosphere. With so many people attending a festival site it can be a breeding ground for stomach illnesses.  

Although AI is a popular buzz word right now there are some practical applications where it can be used to enhance the event visitor experience. Using AI for live events can also bring other benefits too in generating useful behavioural data to generate specific interest content. 

As all music festivals globally have cancelled their 2020 events or as a minimum gone virtual or a drastically reduced socially distanced format what are the challenges ahead for music festivals planning their 2021 events? Here are some key considerations that event organisers should be considering and planning for now. 

In an uncertain world planning a communications process for any potential crisis should form part of the planning process for event organisers of any large-scale live event where tens of thousands of event goers are present. What steps should organisers take when planning for crisis communications? 

Once an event organiser has successfully run their live event their job is not finished. There are many activities that need to take place once event goers have left the venue and gone home. From equipment breakdown to follow up communications there are a plethora of post event actions to conduct keeping organisers just as busy post event as they were pre event. 

It goes without saying that all large live events require an army of volunteers to make them happen. Indeed, many music festivals could use up to 2,000 volunteers so the management of recruitment, training and the production of shifts and duties can present a huge challenge for any event organiser. 

From small community events to large scale multi day music festivals most event organisers are using some kind of software to help plan and organise their events. There are still a handful of event organisers using a combination of spreadsheets and other planning tools but almost all have moved over to an event specific software platform.

Everyone has heard of the Oktoberfest held annually in Bavaria, one of the world's most popular and longest running festivals. The German beer festival and funfair runs for 18 days and has existed since 1810 attracting 6 million visitors each year so it's not surprising that events companies are creating their own versions of the beer festival around the world.  

There has been some discussion in the media over recent weeks regarding the development of rapid COVID-19 tests that allow results to be known within 15 minutes. Whilst still in development and currently being tested this could provide the opportunity for live events to start operating with confidence again.

While craft fairs and festivals are not usually large affairs the number of events happening each year is significant with up to 1,000 events. Typical visitor numbers vary between 500 and 1000 with a handful of festivals attracting significantly higher attendance, the number of events taking place each year is on the rise 

One of the latest innovations likely to hit music festivals in the near future is gamification. This is the use of gaming technology to increase event goer engagement for the benefit, typically, of event organisers, vendors and sponsors to generate increased traffic and purchase revenues. 

Once the preserve of small specialist events or an afterthought at music festivals the health and wellness sector has enjoyed a surge in popularity to the extent their dedicated events and festivals have grown in number and size. Now a prominent feature on the annual festival scene they are likely to continue growing in popularity 

With potential lockdowns and remote working seemingly back on the agenda anyone responsible for managing events teams will have the challenge of maintaining a motivated team. There are actions event organisers can take to ensure that the physical and mental health of their teams is maintained throughout this period.

Any music festival that attracts a sizable audience and is spread over several days will have to provide accommodation. This could vary between a field for camping to five-star luxury accommodation. How this works in practice will depend every much on the audience dynamics and their budgets. 

With the coronavirus pandemic causing havoc across the entire events industry many people have found themselves in a difficult situation unfortunately losing their jobs. Whilst event organising companies should do their utmost to retain staff either through furloughing or working reduced hours sometimes financial pressure leaves few options. 

Having a smooth running efficient and low-cost ticketing solution for an event is essential for success. Ticketing is an often-overlooked aspect of organising an event but there are strategies organisers can put in place to make the event ticketing a worry-free aspect of their overall planning and marketing.     

For any sizeable music festival the amount of data collected can be huge but what happens to this data? In most cases it will either sit in a depository unused or is used for analysis at a fraction of its potential. There are numerous benefits to be gained by putting all this data to good use and creating actionable insights. 

With COVID-19 infections seemingly on an uncontrollable up and down rate the state of the music festival sector in 2021 is uncertain. There are however some countries that have managed to avoid the worst of this pandemic and officials are happy for large scale music festivals and events to go ahead as planned. 

Admitting children to music festivals has always been a dichotomy for event organisers because there are pros and cons to allowing under 18s to attend a music festival. By excluding anyone under 18 an organiser is also excluding a whole sector of family centric demographics.

Taking a different angle to the traditional music festival there has been a rise in recent years of festivals that focus on food and drink as their theme but with the addition of live music and other attractions to broaden the appeal. The popular format is similar to a music festivals but rather than multiple stages and performance artists the focus is on consumption of food and drink.

As almost all music festivals in the UK and throughout Europe were cancelled for 2020 and moved to 2021 there are now real concerns arising if even 2021 is realistic for a full-blown return of the music festival as we know it. Just this week Larmer Tree festival announced that they will not return in 2021 and instead will focus on 2022. 

Most event organisers are now looking forwards to 2021 and putting 2020 firmly behind them as a year to forget. Many organisers are feverishly planning for their live music events and festivals next year but unlike previously there are going to be new requirements in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which could come from local authorities or health and safety. 

Some of the largest music festivals can have up to 3,000 performance artists booked to perform over a period of several days using multiple stages. How can an event organiser manage such a huge number of artists to deliver seamless performances without a glitch? Now most organisers use a combination of technology and skilled teams to achieve this.  

As most regular live music events and music festivals this year have been cancelled hopefully re-emerging in 2021 controlling ongoing fixed costs could be the key to survival. How can event organisers control costs without impacting on their overall business particularly in relation to staff and customer satisfaction.     

Since 2015 numerous music festivals in the UK have been either partly or fully cashless, however, with the impact of COVID-19 and the emphasis on cashless payment in everyday life the music festival industry must prepare to go 100% cashless in 2021. How prepared are the diehard cash payment festivals for what will become the new normal for payments? 

Just last week the Irish government touted the idea that if the sale of alcohol was banned then live music events may go ahead. They won't be the first country to flirt with this idea although for varying reasons as happened in Lithuania back in 2017. Some governments around the world have implemented alcohol bans in recent months citing COVID-19 as the reason. 

With COVID-19 infections still breaking out in seemingly random places there is knock on effect on the scheduling of dates for live music events. Planned live events therefore face uncertainty on whether or not they can go ahead as planned. Event organisers need to build in flexibility to all their schedules to prevent incurring unnecessary costs. 

Part of differentiating a regular live music event is the brand it projects to its target audience. This is especially true for large scale music festivals that take place every year, but creating a brand is so much more than just a logo it’s far more complex than that. What are the steps an event organiser can take to build a unique brand for their music festival? 

As almost all live music events have been cancelled and events companies focus on a re-energised events schedule for 2021 many events teams are experiencing some downtime. There is only so much to do to prepare for events taking place almost a year away so why not use this time wisely to invest in additional training for events teams. 

With all major music festivals in the UK cancelled in 2020 many are looking forward to the summer festival season next year but with so much uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic what is likely to happen? As festival organisers moved this year's festivals to 2021, they have by and large stuck with roughly the same dates.   

With over 5 million people attending music festivals in the UK (in a normal year) there falls a huge collective responsibility. When so many people are travelling and congregating in one place the impact on the environment and health and safety issues are significant. Attendees therefore have an obligation to others for safety and environmental impact.   

All live events need manpower to move and set up equipment, from small indoor venues to large music festivals an army of people work tirelessly behind the scenes to get everything ready. This is not just hiring ‘muscle’ but is about the efficient use of teams skilled in logistics and technical know-how. 

Along with other ‘unseen’ industries in the live entertainment sector the shipping and freight companies that specialise in supplying music festivals are vital to their success. Some companies use the standard delivery couriers to supply equipment but there are many freight and shipping companies that specialise in supplying just the entertainment industry.

When running a live music festival one of the most pivotal job functions is that of the Stage Manager. For a large music festival that could involve hundreds of artists and multiple stages and therefore multiple Stage Managers. They are responsible for pulling everything together so that the audience experiences a seamless performance.     

When planning you live event, especially a music festival, the selection of the right vendors can make a big difference in the event’s success. Almost all live music events post an online application for potential vendors and many organisers can be faced with choosing the right balance that meets the requirements of their event and the audience.

Anyone working in media, press, TV and Radio etc. will expect every live event to have a professional media kit. If the event lacks a media kit this will not be viewed favourably by potential journalists and media that may generate coverage for your event. Event organisers should put a high priority on building a professional media kit.

For many aspiring DJs and music producers they are either self-taught or have been lucky enough to be shown the basics by a friend. No matter if someone is a beginner or seasoned professional many still go to DJ school. Like any profession there is no shame in honing skills and learning new techniques.    

With so many music related events being cancelled this year it’s not surprising that the 34th IDMA scheduled for March was cancelled and replaced with a virtual ceremony on 1st April 2020. The event takes place every year with 110 nominations in 26 categories this years winners included Carl Cox, Charlotte De Witte and Armin Van Buuren.

The live events industry has been one of the most severely hit sectors during the COVID-19 pandemic and none more so than the crucial businesses that support the entire industry. Governments and other agencies have drummed up and promised financial support but this may be a case of too little too late for many businesses.

It’s almost impossible to attend a music festival without a particular alcohol brand splashed everywhere. From social media to branded banners drinks brands get everywhere many with brand specific bars and secluded VIP areas. Music festival organisers would love to get a slice of that sponsorship pie.  

When you see how much the top earning DJs earn no wonder people consider that as a possible career. With the likes of The Chainsmokers making $46m last year it looks like a lucrative earner but how hard is it to start from scratch and get to the point where you can make a living wage, how hard can it be? 

For anyone working in the Music Festival Industry the annual UK Festival Awards are probably the most prestigious accolade obtainable for a wide variety of categories. The awards usually take place in December each year however with the current pandemic it is not clear if the UK Festival Awards will even take place in 2020. 

Great strides have been taken in recent years by music festival organisers to tackle environmental issues raised by festivals. As most take place in remote locations there will always be an inadequate infrastructure to cope with the thousands of event goers that attend each event such is their popularity. 

The pace of change and innovation in the music festival scene has accelerated in the last few years with the adoption of new technology to transform the audience experience. With seamless ticket booking and cashless venues what other new technologies are on the horizon that audiences and organisers will be utilising in the near future? 

The music business evolved in the late seventies and early eighties to make the DJ genre a key part of the live music scene with innovators like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in 1978 and Grand Wizzard Theodore in 1982 completely changing how a DJ interacted with a live audience. Now top DJs The Chainsmokers are earning $46m a year.  

There has been much publicity and action to financially support the live events industry with various campaigns and announcements of financial assistance from the UK Government. Whilst all these offers of financial assistance are much welcome throughout the live music events sector spare a thought for the unseen people and companies that support the industry.  

The virtual event has been hailed as the saviour of the live music event industry ever since the majority of populations went into a lockdown back in March 2020. How has this developed over the last five months and does it fill the gap left by the cancellation of live events which are unlikely to resume until well into 2021. 

The revenue that live event organisers get from corporate sponsorship makes up a significant portion of their overall revenue and is said to be worth $10b globally. Recent research suggests that among media buyers responsible for sponsorship of live music events 25% have paused or ceased spend while 46% have reduced spending in this sector as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Artist’s riders are the demands or requests made on event organisers and venues that enable them to fulfil their live performance obligations. Whilst these may be quite reasonable some may argue that on occasions the riders can end up being a series of outrageous and unreasonable requests. 

One of the best ways to make a live music event stand out from the rest is the light show accompanying the artist’s performance. The technical capabilities of staging a modern light show have advanced hugely in the last decade as has the cost of getting a slick world class installation built.  

For an industry that has seen consistent strong growth over the last few years 2020 will look very different. What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global music events sector and when will it recover and start growing again? Some recent research suggests 2020 will just be a hiccup in continuing growth but these very much depend on where the world is with COVID-19 as we enter 2021. 

As live events start making a tentative return the services that support event infrastructure is key to putting on a good show. An essential part of any live event are the vendors servicing event goers primarily with food and drinks, however, these vendors are returning to an environment that is completely different prior to the global lockdown earlier this year. 

With so few opportunities to perform live what is next for performance artists that have previously focussed on performing at live events? Despite the increase in virtual events it is the atmosphere and audience feedback of a truly live event that give artists a buzz and makes the whole experience of performing live something special.   

In the UK and many other countries live performances are retuning in both outdoor and indoor venues but with new restrictions. For sure there is pent up demand from event goers and artists are really keen to get back on stage too, but is it really financially viable for live events to take place in what's left of 2020 or should they wait until 2021? 

Performance artists appearing at a live event rarely do these as one offs and are more likely to be part of a well organised tour. This could be anything from an in-country tour with a handful of dates lasting a week to a world tour lasting a year. The same principles broadly apply in managing a touring artist as they do for fixed venue with multiple artists.   

From the iconic pyramid at Glastonbury every live event tries to make its mark with something unique and recognisable. The stage design and construction is an art form in itself and can help define an event and its brand identity, particularly on the music festival scene where stage designs have reached new levels of creativity in recent years.    

It’s never easy to breakthrough any new musical talent and very few actually ‘make it’. Add into that the current global pandemic and it looks like a daunting task just got even more difficult. What are the basic steps a new performance artist can take to market themselves in the current climate to give them the best chance of success?     

With easing of restrictions on live performances for both outdoor and indoor events are these working in practice? With reduced audience numbers and relatively tightly controlled restrictions are event goers having fun? How are the restrictions working in reality and will event organisers turn a profit? 

All live performances that have amplified sound will require the services of a Sound Engineer. The best Sound Engineers can command premium pay and will always be in demand by top artists. Over time an artist will form a close relationship with their preferred Sound Engineers built on trust and mutual understanding. 

A complete sub industry in itself the business of providing light and sound for any live music event is big business and it can be a very expensive element in running a live event. Event organisers have a good choice of suppliers to go to and most will provide a one stop service including equipment hire and professional production.     

In days gone by a music festival was generally held in a farmer's field somewhere and many still are. Any event organiser trying to launch a new music festival needs to differentiate their event from all the many other music festivals taking place. In recent years some music festivals have used innovative locations and venues to spice things up. 

One of the biggest concerns in staging a music festival in a field somewhere is access to reliable power. The use of diesel generators is commonplace but not exactly the most environmentally friendly power solution. With advances in technology there are new innovative ideas that could transform the whole area of remote power sourcing. 

There have been some big changes in the music festival scene in Asia over the last decade. Despite the growth the number of music festivals occurring in Asia it is just a fraction of the number that take place every year in Europe and North America. Irrespective of the current COVID situation what is the Asian music festival scene like?  

As countries gradually and cautiously start opening up to the idea of live events there remain in place multiple restrictions for venues and participants. As some countries start experiencing second and third waves of COVID-19 cases it is travel restrictions that continue to be a major barrier to free movement.  

There has been a boom in recent years in the provision of ticketing to the events industry as the number of live events increased. The end user customer experience has changed and there is a certain expectation regarding prices and service so how are new players in the market disrupting the events ticketing sector?     

After four months of lockdown and a ban on all live events where crowds can gather the UK Government finally announced on 9th July that ‘outdoor’ live events with an audience can go ahead from 11th July 2020. Just how prepared is the industry for this and what restrictions will there be?   

Whilst the events industry goes through this lull in activity now is the perfect time to get your events business certified with ISO 20121. Previously called BS 8901 and created several years ago specifically to address the London Olympics the principles certify that your events business is improving the sustainability of events and related activities, products and services. 

With the cancellation of virtually all live events in 2020 there are dire financial consequences for any company whose survival depends on revenue from live events. For the financially strong there are opportunities to go on the acquisition trail and expand their portfolio of services to the events industry 

Running and managing exhibitions is big business with 31,000 taking place globally and 7,000 in the UK alone every year. The size and scope of the exhibition business is wide and varied with a mix of business to business and consumer focussed events with the number of attendees varying from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands.  

The world of the performance artist is far from normal with most falling into the ‘struggling artist’ category. The fact that so few ever make it does not deter artists from pursuing their dreams where strength in endurance and perseverance are key traits. But artists need not face this struggle alone. 

We are living in unprecedented times and no other industry has been impacted financially like the events and hospitality industry. Whilst governments around the world have launched various schemes to provide financial assistance where do you go to get this is reality?   

As most events are organised using the same principles it is no different organising a small golf tournament. Perhaps it’s a golf tournament in conjunction with a local charity or a corporate event. These small-scale events are for local amateur players, not professionals playing in well know recognised tournaments. 

The key to a successful event is the result of many factors but probably one of the most important is the organising team behind each event. Having a great events team will mitigate any potential issues and get your event running within budget and delivering customer expectations.  

Almost all live events have restrictions on unauthorised photography and filming of performances. Certainly, as an event organiser you will have contracts in place that specify your obligation to prevent unauthorised photography and filming but make sure you balance this with your audience engagement. 

At almost all live events there will be a combination of walk in customers that decide at the last minute to attend your event plus pre-paid ticket holders. Are you geared up to process large numbers of door ticket sales and scan pre-paid registrations? What technology can you use to ensure rapid and accurate processing to prevent long queues? 

Most countries have been in some form of lockdown since the end of March 2020 and as a result almost all events for the foreseeable future have either been postponed or cancelled. Aside from the financial pressures of cancelling events try and look for the opportunities and positive steps you can make as an event organiser to plan for the future.  

It doesn’t really matter if your event is a music festival, comedy show or business conference managing travel and accommodation for artists and speakers is one of the biggest challenges in event organisation. Careful planning is key to avoiding the many pitfalls that may beset you in managing these aspects of your event.  

No matter how you do your accounting it makes sense to simplify your accounting processes to streamline how everything is recorded specific to the events industry. The way accounting is done can vary from pen and paper to sophisticated accounting software but how can you make sure it works well with specific events requirements?   

The impact of the current pandemic has had a dramatic effect on global business and economies but particularly badly hit is the events industry. Not only are there strict government guidelines to follow for events involving the gathering of people, but as an event organiser you have a social responsibility to your customers to consider too. 

With so many factors to manage in any event working closely with all parties involved is crucial to success. Communication and collaboration between event staff, artists, vendors, sponsors, venues and third-party contractors is vital to staying in control and ensuring everyone is fully informed.  

Key to successful event planning is building and maintaining accurate schedules for a multitude of factors. The schedules you put together must be dynamic enough to allow for constant changes and modifications to ensure everything happens as and when it should. What steps can you take to ensure your scheduling stays on track? 

The world of the business conference and exhibition is a whole industry in itself within the wider events sector. Although organising any type of event will generally follow the same key principles there are some significant differences in organising and running a business focussed event.

You have to start somewhere but it's important to remember that no matter how small or large an event is the panning and organising have broadly the same principles. The only differences are the scale and size that relates to venues, number of customers, vendors, sponsors and the number of staff involved.  

There are so many elements that make up any event it makes sense to have a contingency plan for any unforeseen problems. Aside from the current issues being caused by the Covid-19 pandemic you should always have a disaster recovery plan in place and ensure that everyone involved is aware of its contents.  

You have a great idea for an event and have chanced an enthusiastic venue owner or built a close relationship with an artist or two. Although most events are organised and run by big corporations there are still a large number of independently run and funded events. Even with no funds of your own it may be possible to get your event funded with a little creativity.  

Part of any event planning will include getting vendors to your event as this is a key source of revenue for you. Vendors are also providing a service that is seen as essential by your customers as part of the whole event experience. Choose your vendors wisely for a trouble-free event and satisfied customers.   

You have negotiated with artists and their managers or agents and they agree to perform at your event for an agreed sum. Once you get agreement in principle from all parties involved you should nail everything in place with a signed contract or agreement. Having a contract in place with all parties will let you concentrate on other aspects of your event.

If you are an event organiser you should always be aware of the latest trends to keep your customers satisfied and loyal. Even if you run a successful recurring event do not rest on your laurels and do your research and be prepared to meet changing customer expectations for your future events.  

An often-neglected aspect of managing your event is the collection of ticket sales revenue. Perhaps it’s a subject considered too complex with too much choice to think about so it often gets ignored. Selecting the right payment method can save you a fortune in fees and charges and provide additional service that will enhance customer satisfaction.

Most of the same event management principles apply in putting on a successful comedy event as a music event but there are a few differences to consider. With a music event you just book your artists, venue and date and go from there whereas a comedy event will be smaller, more intimate and probably more frequent.

With so many elements to manage in putting a successful event together don’t get tripped up by inadvertently breaking the law or allowing illegal activities. Obviously applicable laws vary from country to country so make sure you are familiar with your legal obligations as organiser of your event in a specific location.

Engaging with your event customers can boost your ticket sales revenue and produce a loyal following for future events. Your most effective sales tool can be your existing customer base so treat them well and make them feel special. Include customer engagement as part of your event marketing plans to generate ticket sales.   

With such a competitive environment for events it’s really important to differentiate your event from the plethora of other events out there. From small venue events to ambitious music festivals it is super important that you stand out from the rest if you are going to maximise you ticket sales. 

For any event to work you need to secure the best talent you can afford, irrespective of it being a music, comedy or other performance related event. Assuming you are in business to make a profit, you will need to figure out the metrics that make it work by considering anticipated audience numbers and the ticket prices you will charge.  

Any event is an opportunity to generate additional revenue with merchandise sales. Not to be confused with artist merchandise, they will organise their own distribution channels, this is a chance to promote and brand your event and it works for any size event. 

Currently most event ticket sales are made online and fulfilled with an electronic QR or bar code that the customer shows for scanning on entrance to the event. It’s a far cry from just ten years ago when paper tickets were still commonplace. What are the next trends to watch for in this rapidly moving technology for ticket sales?  

Very rarely do you see any event that does not have some form of sponsor support. This is particularly crucial for non-profit festivals but equally having sponsors can help you cover the cost of running just about any event too. 

It is not unusual to see VIP packages available at most events and festivals. Aside from bringing in additional revenue to event organisers providing VIP deals has become part and parcel of the customer experience when going through the event ticket buying process 

Many events and particularly music festivals have always relied on an army of volunteers to run successfully. Recruiting volunteers to help run your event will reduce your costs whilst providing a unique experience for volunteers themselves. 

Running an event may entail numerous licensing factors depending on the nature of your event. Major considerations will be the audience size, type of venue and even the time of day or night. Are your artists licensed for their performance and will you be selling alcohol? 

In this time of uncertainty, it pays to have all your bases covered and having your event insured has become vital in light of the number of cancellations taking place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Your event planning has been impeccable and the first day of your event arrives but this is not time to sit back and rest on your laurels. Make sure you are prepared for any eventuality and expect the unexpected. What exactly can you do to mitigate potential disasters? 

Depending on the size of your event you undoubtedly will have a team of people helping you out. From your full time events staff to volunteers you could be managing a variety of staff with varying degrees of experience and skills. You can negate any problems by careful planning to make sure everyone knows what they need to do and when and where they need to be.

It’s a competitive world out there particularly in the events business. Whether you are running a music festival, comedy show, arts show or business conference the same basic marketing principles apply. Get on top of your event marketing to maximise ticket sales and attendance.

As more and more live events get re-scheduled for later in the year or cancelled altogether hoping to return in 2021 there is a movement towards online events. All is not lost and it’s really important to stay engaged with your customers and target audience during this difficult time.

Running a successful regular event is only possible if you continue to make improvements to enhance the customer experience. A successful event will also help attract top talent and higher audience attendance in the future, the best way to make continual improvement is by getting feedback on every event.

For any event you should consider vendor suppliers as an additional profit centre that contributes to your overall revenue stream. You are also providing an essential service to customers attending your event from alcohol sales to the provision of food and catering.