The person that manages every aspect of any type of festival is often referred to as the Festival Director and is usually appointed by a limited company or other responsible organisation. Most individuals that reach the pinnacle of this role are usually the most experienced with a proven record of running successful festivals.

It takes great people to organise and run a successful music festival or live event so having a reliable team in place is a crucial step in the logistics process. One element that can totally disrupt any event is a lack of staff whether it’s full-time employees or volunteers. What steps can organisers take to mitigate such an occurrence?

One of the most difficult tasks for any festival organiser is making financial forecasts for their future event. There are so many factors to consider and poor financial forecasting and lack of contingency planning has been the downfall of many festivals. What factors should festival organisers consider to build robust financial forecasting for their event.

Film Festivals are very popular around the world and vary in size from the large established film festivals like Cannes to small community film screenings. Most of the larger film festivals are organised by various arts institutes who receive public funding to promote the film industry as a whole.

The music festival industry is ever evolving and an important part of that evolution is bringing in new and up and coming talent to a line-up. The big-name stars will always be a draw for festival-goers but as a key part of the live music industry music festivals should be playing a key role in providing a platform for new talent. 

Party-goers in any city are a fickle bunch, what can venue owners of nightlife destinations do to obtain loyalty and keep people coming back. Trends change on a regular basis and venue owners of nightclubs and pubs need to reinvent themselves on a regular basis. Obtaining customer loyalty can be achieved in a variety of ways. 

There has been a steady growth in the number of professional DJs over the years helped by advances in technology and the rise of the dance rave culture in the late 80’s. With tens of thousands of DJs earning money to a greater or lesser extent from live performances what chance does a new budding DJ stand in this environment.

Corporate sponsors are the lifeblood of many festivals and although the majority are alcohol based companies' other popular sectors that sponsor festivals include telecoms and financial services. With large budgets and huge responsibilities, a career as a brand or sponsorship manager is attractive, what does it take to carve out a career with a corporate sponsor. 

With sustainability and climate change being a hot topic for 2021 it is now more important than ever for festival organisers to have a clear and deliverable sustainability policy. Any policies and statements are important for all potential audiences including festival-goers, sponsors, vendors and suppliers who are now more interested than ever about a festival's sustainability credentials. 

For festival organisations with sizeable teams there are the legal minimum benefits that employers must give to their staff. These relate to working hours, holiday allowances and salary for example. However, given the additional unsocial hours often worked organisers should get creative in how they reward their teams.

Any large-scale music festival can use up to 1,000 volunteers and many festivals would struggle to operate without them. The volunteer recruitment and management are a key aspect of managing any successful event. With so many volunteers to manage it is inevitable that the personality types will vary.

Aside from the traditional marketing channels and mix of activities a growing channel used by advertisers is the use of social media influencers. Whether it's for an upcoming music festival PR announcement or for an associated product or service from sponsors the use of social media influencers should form part of the entire marketing mix.

The most successful music festivals are those that manage to evolve over time. This success is measured in growing ticket sales along with an ever-improving number of headline performance artists. With good control and logistics this kind of growth should lead to commercial success too, what are the key elements to this evolution.

There are a large number of food and drink festivals that take place in the UK every year attracting thousands of visitors and they remain popular for all foodies. In addition to the more generic food and drink festivals there are a number of specialist festivals that focus on just one or two specific food or drink groups.

The UK is home to some of the world's most notable music and arts festivals but there is also a vibrant festival scene that celebrates the cultural diversity of Britain's population. These festivals offer an insight into the food, religion and cultural experience from faraway lands and appeals to those who perhaps never get the chance to travel to other countries. 

The pressure on performance artists to continue to produce new material and commit to live performances can have a detrimental effect on their mental health. How can artist’s management teams and others in responsible positions manage the mental health of performance artists to ensure a long and healthy career.

Before the advent of smart phones and relatively cheap desktop computing most festivals were run by organisers using a mixture of diaries, pen and paper or if they were lucky a Filofax. Armed with these and a landline phone festival organisers spent most of their time scribbling down dates, numbers and associated information. Times have changed and now festival organisers can get access to numerous time saving online tools. 

Music festivals have always been popular and interest in them has been on the rise over recent years. With the coronavirus pandemic causing the cancellation of just about all music festivals interest waned a bit but has certainly picked up in recent months. What does Google Trends indicate the current level of interest. 

For full time events team staff the festival season can be hectic and stressful. In the lead up to any large-scale music festival the work pressure of logistics deadlines combined with problem solving and long hours can impact on everyone's morale. What steps can festival organisers takes to ensure overall wellbeing of the events team.

The draw of attending a mega music festival with hundreds of thousands of festival-goers and experiencing some of the world's best performance acts can be extremely appealing. Judging by the continued appearance of ever bigger music festivals their popularity will surely continue. For festival-goers experiencing festival fatigue there is always the smaller boutique music festival. 

There may be numerous reasons why a music festival entity would want to raise funds and depending on those reasons certain sources may be closed. What alternative and creative ways can an organiser consider to raise funds for their music festival and retain ownership at the same time. 

The dance superclub has perhaps been in decline for a number of years but will the coronavirus pandemic push some of the most well-known superclubs over the edge financially? Having expanded rapidly around the world since the mid 90s the superclub format proved popular among EDM party goers but their number has decreased in recent years.       

Commonly called ‘Arts Council’ these publicly funded organisations can be found in most counties in the world with the primary objective of developing and investing in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives. How do these organisations contribute to the progression of artists and businesses associated with the events and festival sectors.      

The majority of music festivals are well established with some running for decades as successful annual events. There are unfortunately some festivals that ran for a few years before disappearing for good. What are the success factors that keep some music festivals going year after year while others fall by the wayside. 

As most established sports are controlled by official sporting bodies tied up with multi-million-dollar TV rights deals there is little scope for new entrants to that market. Over the last 30 years some new alternative live sporting events have grown in popularity and created a support industry dedicated to these alternative events. 

Comic convention genre events are now some of the most visited recurring events globally with huge investments being made by commercial organisations to stage ever larger annual comic conventions. What is the history behind the growing popularity of this genre and what are the logistics challenges facing new entrants to this sector. 

Literary festivals continue to be popular around the world with a steady flow of interested visitors always keen to attend. Sometimes referred to as book or writer's festivals they focus on celebrating all aspects of literature and writing attracting a solid fanbase irrespective of language, culture, country or nationality.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about a new skill set for music festival organisers, that of the dynamic planner. With restrictions and lockdowns in place throughout the UK over the last eighteen months organisers have had to quickly adapt to reopening dates that are often like tracking moving targets.

There is always continuous innovation in society but for music festival-goers in 2021 what are the new crazes hitting the muddy fields? Aside from the great strides in technology being made by festival organisers what other more down to earth innovations are gaining traction among keen festival goers this year.

Any live music entertainment can be enhanced by using professional dancers to add a bit of spice and create a visual party atmosphere. What can live event organisers do to get the best fit professional dancers for their events that will enhance the customer experience and lift the overall mood of the show or event. 

It has been a sad fact over the years that assaults do happen during large-scale music festivals and although the majority are minor incidents some can be more serious. What can festival organisers do to mitigate any violent behaviour and prevent serious assaults on festival-goers and staff for the duration of the event.

The rules and regulations surrounding the various licensing and compliance requirements for anyone working in the events and hospitality sector can be complex. Fortunately, there are courses available to get people trained in understanding what the various requirements are and how they can be manged to ensure full compliance.

For every music festival or live event, the local community close to a venue can experience both positive and negative impacts of such events. The economic benefits on the local community can be significant but must be offset by acceptance of other impacts like traffic congestion and increased pollution. 

Large scale music festivals and events will often have a sizeable internal team that mange every aspect of organising their event. Smaller festival and event entities usually rely on outsourcing most organisation functions or employ the services of a one-stop-shop events production company. What are the employment prospects for working in an independent event production company.

There is an emergence of common problems being blamed on younger festival-goers but is restricting entry based on ago going to solve this? Whilst most music festivals go ahead without any significant issues several large music festivals in the UK have received bad press recently for a spate of problems. 

One of the key functions in any music festival is the production office which can take responsibility for managing just about every aspect of running a successful music festival. Larger festivals may have a production team with responsibilities split into logical functions. For smaller events the entire function could be performed by a single person.

Ever popular in the late seventies the sounds of funk soul and disco music filled most discotheques of the time and the genre was seen as enemy number one by rock and alternative music fans the world over. The long-forgotten days of the 70’s disco scene and its music is making a comeback of sorts but remastered into a new genre that is more acceptable to modern tastes. 

As music festivals emerged from the coronavirus pandemic there have been plenty of events taking place in the UK during August. Authorities have given the go ahead to many organisers based on the agreement to implement strict COVID-19 entry protocols but how effective have these been?

Large capacity music festivals attracting large numbers of visitors are no different from a small town and therefore are subject to the same policing issues any similar sized community experiences. In granting licences for a music festival to go ahead local authorities always make it conditional on close cooperation with local police forces. 

For any mega music festival with upwards of 50,000 festival-goers the queuing and overcrowding can be an off-putting experience. As the largest music festivals often take place in remote locations getting in an out will usually be painful experience but for those with enough money there are alternatives to the usual traffic jams simply booking a helicopter ride in to the festival site.

Having good press coverage of a music festival can really enhance the event’s reputation and status, equally, bad coverage can cause irreparable damage. How can music festival organisers control the media in attendance at the event and ensure that any news coverage is verified for authenticity.

Any large-scale music festival will probably have a number or ‘runners’ but what are their responsibilities and is it a job worth considering for someone with an interest in starting a career working for a music festival. Being a music festival runner can give a great rapid insight into how a music festival operates. 

With advances in technology and a shift in ticket sales to an online environment the physical box office is almost redundant. However, the function of the ‘Box Office’ still plays a crucial role in the financial success of any event and especially for music festivals. What are the key elements of box office management that music festival organisers should focus on?  

When a website visitor searches and finds a music festival website with the intention of buying a ticket there is nothing worse than slow loading pages that potentially cause browers to hang. It seems to be an endemic problem specific to music festival websites primarily caused by video and audio files so how can festival organisers mange this? 

Every music festival organiser needs to have an efficient ‘Advancing’ function as it can be critical to the smooth running of the entire event. Large music festival organisations may even have a sizable team dedicated to the advancing logistics and for smaller festivals the function may be performed by a single person.

Attending a music festival often leads to the desire to work in the industry having been bitten by the festival bug. How can someone with a keen interest find an internship programme in the music festival sector with a view to a long-term career and is it as glamorous as a budding intern might view such work? 

Any large-scale music festival with over 50,000 festival goers needs thousands of people to work behind the scenes requiring a number of backstage passes to be issued. The backstage area of any music festival can be a hectic place and organisers should carefully mange access to avoid overcrowding of unnecessary people who could disrupt the festival's smooth running. 

Every touring band or musician has traditionally used roadies to transport their equipment from gig to gig along with set up and problem solving. These unsung heroes who make the behind-the-scenes logistics operate like clockwork still exist but their role has been changing over time. Are roadies still relevant in the modern era of touring artists and music festival appearances?             

As the popularity of music festivals has increased broadcasters have made efforts to get a piece of the action to increase their audience numbers. With the largest and best music festivals often being sold out well in advance watching a live streamed event on a commercial TV channel is appealing to a large number of people.       

Having a theme for any festival can contribute to the event’s branding and promotional opportunities as well as keeping an annual event fresh each year. The theme selected can be just about anything but it should form part of that festival's identity and appeal to festival-goers as well as contributing to what the festival organisers believe in. 

A great party city can mean different things to different people but there are some cities that can be categorised firmly as party destinations. Every large city has some nightlife but can be restrictive in choice and operating hours with a focus on catering for local residents and occasional visitors and therefore probably can't be considered as ‘party’ destinations.           

There are some summer destinations that have a reputation for the best beach parties that can go on for weeks or last the entire summer season. What are the best picks for those keen to spend a few weeks partying in some of the world's most legendary beach party destinations once international travel fully opens up again?

The size of a festival may determine the level of detail in any terms and conditions an organiser imposes on vendors. What are the usual terms that festival organisers should insist a vendor agrees to and equally what should vendors consider when applying for a pitch at a festival before committing to a booking.

Festivals that use remote sites with large capacities have always provided ample on-site parking for festival-goers. With growing concerns over personal car use how are festival organisers managing parking logistics to achieve a balance of providing sufficient parking facilities against their environmental sustainability objectives. 

An often-overlooked aspect of music festival planning is noise management. The amount of noise pollution generated by a music festival is covered by a complex array of rules, regulations and codes of practice. For most organisers this is something best left to external specialist consultants but for those interested this is what the requirements cover for events taking place in the UK. 

Many music festivals promote themselves as family friendly and this can be a big draw for potential festival-goers who have children. Organisers of festivals that allow children on-site should create and make publicly available their policy on children attending the festival and measures in place to ensure child safety. 

Some of the largest music festivals attract hundreds of thousands of festival-goers and it is therefore inevitable that a large number of personal possessions go missing. Organisers of these large-scale events should have a lost and found policy in place along with slick processes and procedures for managing the potential volume of lost items and festival-goer enquiries.

On the 5th August 2021 the British government announced that they will be providing funds for insurers to offer COVID-19 related cancellation insurance to event organisers. This is a long overdue but welcome move in the UK, it has perhaps come too late to save some festivals unfortunately. What are the key points in this announcement pertinent to festival organisers. 

A large music festival attracting over 100,000 festival-goers with 50 stages and 200 artists will require a mind-numbing amount of equipment. The efficiency and management of the shipping logistics for a festival are critical to its success so what steps do festival organisers take ensure everything happens as planned.

Despite vast improvements in logistics planning thanks to advances in technology some festival owners still get it wrong. Perhaps there can be unforeseen circumstances that lead to problems but in the modern age festival organisers should now really be producing slick events resulting in great customer satisfaction. 

When a large music festival takes place over three or four days with over 50,00 festival-goers crammed into a festival site it's going to attract unwelcome pests. The country and climate of a music festival may well determine the types of pests that need consideration by festival organisers in dealing with any potential problems.

With meticulous planning months in advance the last thing any music festival organiser wants is a performance artist that goes AWOL (Absent Without Leave) hours or minutes before their scheduled set. Unfortunately, it does happen so what can festival organisers do to mitigate such circumstances occurring. 

2021 has been a mixed year for music festivals around the world with many cancellations yet a reasonable number of big-name festivals have managed to go ahead. Festival season for next year is starting to look promising and numerous organisers are planning for 2022 as an opportunity to re-launch their events. 

Every large music festival will normally have a selection of international performance artists but since the coronavirus pandemic international travel has been problematic. For music festivals with international performance artists confirmed or tentatively booked what are the travel logistics that need to be considered for festivals taking place in the summer this year. 

There has been a shift in the last five years towards use of technology by music festival organisers and this rapid change is gathering pace. What are festival organisers doing to take advantage of these changes that will make their festival more efficient, profitable and safer for festival goers for the future.   

Sponsorship funding is a key part of every music festival and without sponsors any music festival will struggle to cover their costs let alone make a profit. Having the right sponsorship strategy in place can make the difference to an event’s success but what steps can organisers take to secure those all-important deals. 

With the festival sector coming back to life in the UK and other recovering countries around the world the demand for festival staff is gradually picking up again. It has been a catastrophic 18 months for anyone working in the festival business but what new opportunities are there for employment going forwards and what are the trending occupations in demand. 

As most music festivals were cancelled in 2020 and not returning until summer 2021 it could be almost 2 years since a festival took place in the summer of 2019. This has implications for the performance of equipment and artists, how can festival organisers minimise the impact of such a prolonged closure.

Venues are getting ready to open up to capacity crowds and audiences with the proviso that visitors comply with the vaccination and testing protocols for COVID-19. Aside from more thorough routine cleaning in line with any new guidelines venue owners and event organisers should consider regular deep cleaning of their venues too. 

As large capacity events emerge from the impact of coronavirus pandemic nightclubs, concerts and music festivals will start accepting visitors again but with strict entry requirements. It is clear that in pilot schemes the evidence of vaccination or negative test results are no guarantee of excluding COVID-19 positive visitors. Can thermal temperature scanners act as a last line of defence?

With a lot of fanfare and global media attention England* entered their ‘Freedom Day’ on 19th July 2021 where most COVID-19 restrictions were removed. Although this potentially means the return of large capacity music festivals, nightclubs and live music concerts what is the reality for visitors seeking entry to a festival or live event?

The majority of festival-goers have a great experience at their chosen festival but with so many people attending events it's impossible to create a positive experience for 100% of attendees. There will always be negative feedback on just about any subject and festival organisers need to have a clearly defined strategy for handling such feedback.  

There are a minefield of rules regulations and procedures relating to health and safety for any music festival. Aside from understanding all the requirements how can these be successfully implemented to avoid any unnecessary breaches that in the worst case could lead to a premature closure of the event.

Festivals are driven by the skilled professional people involved in managing every aspect of the event organisation and logistics. With large festivals using hundreds of volunteers, staff, artists, crews and contractors it is essential that sufficient facilities are put in place to provide top quality backstage catering solutions.

Despite meticulous planning the power supply for a music festival can fail causing a multitude of issues for organisers, artists, technicians, vendors and festival-goers. What steps can festival organisers take to mitigate the impact of a power outage during a remote site multi-day festival with up to 50,000 festival-goers. 

For music festivals taking place during the summer months in countries with temperate climates an unexpected heatwave can prove uncomfortable and even dangerous. What precautions can festival organisers take to ensure that their event proceeds without any problems associated with high temperatures. 

There are thousands of small festivals taking place every year around the world that have grown out of someone’s hobby. These festivals cover just about every niche conceivable and cater for smaller audiences who have the same interests. How do these hobbies transition from small clubs and local meetings to annual festivals? 

For ticket buyers, artists, contractors and other suppliers how can they trust the organiser of a new music festival? With the legal fallout and debacle from the disastrous Fyre festival (2017) continuing some four years later what lessons that can be learnt and how can trust be earned between all parties involved. 

With funding at a crucial level for many music festivals and many on the cusp of survival can new sponsorship deals save the day? As the number of festivals cancelled has increased there are fewer choices for festival-goers making those that are going ahead sold out, this is an attractive captive audience for many potential sponsors but can they save the sector?    

As the UK (currently only England) starts getting ready for ‘Freedom Day’ on 19th July there is a frenzy of activity in nightclubs and other live event venues plus music festivals as they get ready to welcome visitors again. It is more important now than ever to keep a constant flow of news content flowing out to interested parties.

The online presence of every music festival has become even more important since the coronavirus pandemic disrupted the sector. Ticket buyers, vendors, volunteers and contractors now rely on a music festival's online presence more than ever and for these reasons it is vital that this works seamlessly for all concerned. 

With restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic it's been difficult to plan ahead music festival attendance not knowing if an event is going ahead or not. Add into that the costs of tickets, travel and time off work the expense can soon add up. For anyone keen to create their own experience is it possible to run your own private mini music festival? 

For live events and music festivals the staffing is often a mixture of core permanent teams and volunteers. In addition, there may be hybrid roles that fit between the two with longer-term full-time contractors but whatever their status a comprehensive training programme should be in place to ensure successfully run events. 

It has been a financially catastrophic 18 months for the live events industry globally and this will mean changes in the near future. From music festivals to venues and ticketing companies some consolidation is inevitable but what are the likely outcomes going into 2022 and who will be the winners and losers? 

The UK’s Step Four roadmap to reopening was delayed from 21st June to 19th July this year. This has been a big blow for many event organisers with numerous music festivals cancelling 2021 altogether. With so much information circulating currently what are the key points of the government’s current plans?

The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the development and adoption of technology for the music festival sector. With virtually 100% penetration of smart phones in the general population organisers are using mobile tech to improve efficiency and to assist in compliance with any new COVID-19 restrictions that will likely apply to future live events. 

Festival goers are usually going to festivals for the music, atmosphere and overall experience but some visitors like to put more emphasis on the fashion too. It's probably a fine balance between practicality and looking good or at least looking the part for a festival that may have a particular theme or genre style. 

Festival goers have generally been happy to gain entry to the festival site and start enjoying the atmosphere. The branded welcome pack containing useful freebies was once the domain of the VIP ticket holder but this is changing and festival-goers now have higher expectations considering the high price of tickets. 

Many live music events are organised and run by music promoters from small intimate live performances in nightclubs to full blown multi-day music festivals. It sounds like a fascinating and exciting career but how easy is it to become a successful music promoter and what kind of skills are required. 

Whilst the world moves to alternative more environmentally friendly renewable energy power sources music festival organisers need to make informed decisions about how they power their events. The focus has been on reduction in CO2 and other harmful emissions but what are the real impacts of using alternative power sources. 

As many music festival organisers have been forced to cancel their main multi day festivals they have moved to other outlets including virtual online shows and smaller pop-up events. Restrictions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have made large events impossible but small one day pop-up festivals are gaining in popularity.  

In an effort to increase exposure numerous performance artists have taken to the creation of their own music festivals. There may be other numerous reasons for the motivation in taking this route but certainly there are many successfully run music festivals created by performance artists but what are the challenges in pursuing this route? 

Obtaining the right water supplies for any music festival can present logistical issues particularly when considering the type of water, its source and the quantity required. Getting this wrong can lead to a multitude of issues for festival organisers, what are the key factors to consider when organising water supplies? 

Use of technology at music festivals has been rising over the years but its use will accelerate in post coronavirus times. Technology can help make festivals more efficient and logistics easier to manage. Tech can also enhance the festival-goer experience and help compliance with COVID-19 related protocols.  

Motor shows and other transport related shows, events and festivals continue to grow in popularity around the world. Once live events return expect car related shows to continue their growth spurned on by an increase in more specialised sectors catering for a diverse range of interests from the paying public. 

For festival–goers interested in books there are many great titles to choose from so anyone unable to attend a festival in person can at least read about it. Equally many books provide an insight in the music festival world even for those that have never attended a festival but have a keen interest to know more.

In an effort to differentiate the music festival experience from the competition many organisers have added extra attractions to their events in order to spice things up a bit. What is involved in getting these additional attractions organised and what is currently proving popular.

Croatia is located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe on the Adriatic Sea and is well known for its great summer weather and continues to be a popular tourist destination. The number of summer visitors has spawned a thriving music festival season for the small European country with a wide choice for festival-goers to choose from.

One of the biggest headaches in organising any music festival is the management of performance artists along with stage management and show production. It takes time and with so many logistical factors hinging on good artist management is it worth considering outsourcing this to a reputable third party?

As the music festival industry took a big financial hit during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic with most events cancelled and full-time staff laid off. The industry is slowly trying to come back but the employment landscape has changed for those either working for, or keen to start a career in, the music festival sector.

Music festivals by their nature are usually located on remote sites or fields with little or no infrastructure. With multi-day tickets costing upwards of £200 it is very tempting for people to attempt access to a festival site and is still a common occurrence at most music festivals. What steps do organisers take to secure their festival site?  

Any large-scale music festival will always require some significant logistical planning and one of the most complex tasks is the backstage hospitality planning. With so many artists and support crews to manage squeezed into tight timescales careful management is essential. What are the typical aspects to consider in planning the backstage hospitality?

Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula, bordering Spain and is well known for its beaches and warmer Algarve climate. Similarly to its neighbour Spain, Portugal is becoming a popular destination for music festival-goers and has secured some great summer music festivals that are worth checking out.

With research on the music festival sector predicting substantial growth in the popularity of music festivals over the next ten years is now a good time to invest in a music festival. Anything related to entertainment and live events has had a history of high risk but with that comes potential high rewards. 

This topic will get raised with increasing importance as music festivals start opening up again and will continue to be one of the biggest challenges for music festival organisers. Despite the global lockdown of live events since early 2020 the interest and media attention regarding environmental sustainability has increased rapidly.

The whole global live events sector has been decimated by the coronavirus pandemic but as some sense of normality is seen returning on the horizon what will music festivals look like in the coming years?  

It's been a tough two years for staff and volunteers involved in the festival sector. With ongoing uncertainly, it is becoming more important to keep staff and volunteers motivated in their roles and boost their mental health too. What steps can festival organisers take to motivate their full-time staff and any volunteers in waiting.

Spain is a fabulous holiday destination for millions of tourists every year with its variety of climates, landscapes and islands with most heading to the Mediterranean beaches in the south. Steeped in history Spain has a plethora of cultural festivals as well as some popular growing music festivals.  

Successful music festivals can sometimes be limited in the way they expand their business because of the physical site location or other factors that limit dates. If a music festival has a strong brand and built a solid reputation and following it may be time to consider expanding that brand to new editions of the music festival. 

The variety of music festivals available to attend around the world is huge with most countries having a wide selection for festival-goers to choose from. Traditionally the most popular music festivals follow a set format of mixed genre artists performing on stages set up in remote fields spread over three or four days.  

The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge detrimental effect on professional musicians around the world. Some have survived with live streaming performances perhaps combined with the creation of new material but now there are opportunities for artists to get back to performing live at music festivals again.  

How a music festival is presented to its target audience can have a significant impact on the financial success of that event. What steps should music festival organisers take to make their event more professional in every way to enhance their business efficiency and overall brand persona.        

France is not really known as a music festival destination but there are some noteworthy festivals taking place each year. France is one of Europe's largest countries and a very popular destination for tourists particularly the Côte d'Azur in the southern warm Mediterranean climate which attracts hordes of visitors each year. 

As music festivals tentatively emerge from the coronavirus pandemic announcing dates for late summer 2021 it is vital for festival organisers to create a risk assessment prior to their festival dates. This assessment is going to be a key part of the planning process and will act as part of the contingency plan for COVID-19 related issues.          

For any bar or catering establishment that wants to try their hand at providing food and beverages to festival-goers the first step is to secure a suitable vendor pitch. The allocated pitch is often just a vacant space with a provision for the supply of water and electricity. The pop-up bar or catering facility is usually the easiest way to occupy any allocated vendor pitch space.   

It can be difficult for people to get a permanent job working for a major music festival but there are not-for-profit organisations in the UK that do their best to give young people experience and increase their chances of securing their desired job. 

It goes without saying that if new stricter protocols are required for live events that this will impact on the resources needed to manage them. Music festival organisers should be planning now to increase the number of volunteers they recruit and train rather than leaving it until the last minute. 

Belgium is a relatively small country but has to be included in any music festival destination guide because it hosts one of Europe's largest and most well-known music festivals: Tomorrowland. An EDM festival held in Boom, Flanders, it stretches over two weekends and attracts well over 400,000 visitors each year. 

There are numerous reasons why festival-goers may want to bring their dog to a music festival with the main motivation being that their pet is part of the family. Bringing a pet dog to a music festival because the owners cannot find suitable kennels or care is probably not the best reason to bring a dog. 

There is a perception that festival-goers are just a bunch of youngsters fresh out of school or university. The under 25’s probably make up the bulk of the music festival attendee community but what are the real demographics for the UK’s most popular music festivals and at what age do people give up? 

The merchandise favourite has always been the T-shirt and for decades has its roots as a rock band souvenir. Whilst the artist themed T-shirt is still the most popular piece of merchandise sold music festival branded apparel is becoming more sought after and festival organisers should be maximising this revenue stream. 

The media coverage in recent months has seen a constant flow of depressing coverage about numerous well known large music festivals getting cancelled. They blame the coronavirus pandemic and problems associated with obtaining cancellation insurance with a lack of government action to underwrite such schemes. 

The involvement of charitable organisations and the music festival industry in the UK has existed for decades. What are the key relationships between music festivals and charities and what benefits do they bring to the festival and charities involved and how are these changing over time.

The Netherlands, also known as Holland, has a surprising number of notable music festivals with over 40 respected events to choose from. Over 1,100 festivals of all types take place each year in the Netherlands with a sizeable festival industry considering the country has a population of just over 17m. 

Anyone who is a regular festivalgoer knows only too well how expensive it can be to attend a music festival. There are numerous free to attend festivals globally every year but they are generally focused in local communities being funded by generous sponsors. Can the ‘free’ concept ever transition to a large-scale music festival? 

Despite the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the global music festival business research suggest that the prospects for music festival ticketing revenue growth over the next three years to is set to grow by 14%. This is a positive sign for surviving music festivals and should herald good times ahead as the world opens again in the coming years.    

From the smallest to the largest music festival one of the most difficult aspects to accurately plan is the unpredictable performance artist. A music festival invests large amounts in booking fees and marketing for their headline artists so what can organisers do to make contingency plans should something happen resulting in that artist cancelling.

Germany is not usually first on people's minds when thinking about tourism visits or attending a music festival, however, with a diverse cultural population and one of the most developed infrastructures in the world Germany can be a great destination. With almost 900 festivals to choose from there is a good choice but which are the most notable music festivals to consider for 2021? 

There are many popular music festivals that have been around for decades that over time have built up a reputation for having the best headliners and most appealing atmosphere. Some of these mega music festivals that attract over 50,000 visitors each year have come from very humble beginnings.

Anything blockchain or crypto currency related seems to be a hot topic currently so what will the likely impact be on the music festival sector? There are some advantages to adoption of this technology that should benefit festival organisers, artists and event goers too here is a breakdown summary of what may be possible. 

With great summer weather and a welcoming culture Spain is a fantastic destination for fans of music festivals. With almost 900 festivals to choose from there is a wide and varied choice of events to attend throughout the year but which are the most notable music festivals that will take place in 2021? 

One of the key logistics challenges for music festival organisers is the catering arrangements for staff, volunteers and artists. Depending on the nature and size of a festival the organisers may select a different approach to how they manage their own F&B logistics. What are the key aspects that organisers should consider to improve this essential service? 

As music festival organisers focus on their very survival due to the coronavirus pandemic, they shouldn’t overlook other key factors when running their festivals. Aside from climate change the other subject in focus currently is ensuring that events are embracing diversity and inclusion across the entire spectrum of their festival.  

An often-overlooked aspect of many music festivals is having access to reliable legal resources. There are so many things that can potentially go wrong when organising and running a music festival that having the appropriate legal advice and resource should be an essential part of running any event. 

Given that the bulk of music festivals take place in remote locations with limited infrastructure a key element of the festival planning process is to have robust policies and procedures for transport to and from the festival site. What are the key aspects for consideration when planning transport logistics for a music festival? 

The current debacle on government backed insurance for possible cancellation of music festivals continues to be a hot topic among the live events industry and government departments. What is the realistic impact of the current impasse and what measure can music festival organisers take to make sure their event goes ahead as planned? 

Every ticket holder and potential event goer will have many questions related to attending a music festival. Rather than answering a plethora of calls and emails it makes sense to have a comprehensive list of information and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) along with answers that will provide appropriate information to those interested. 

The last two years has been a turning point for the old record labels and recording contracts given to artists. It's now so easy for any performance artist to record and distribute their material it makes record labels obsolete. Combined with the fact that nobody buys music anymore the importance of the live event and particularly the music festival has become vital for an artist’s success.

Sponsors make up the bulk of contribution revenue for most festivals and have become an essential part of these events. Ticket sales revenue rarely covers the costs involved in hosting a music festival and organisers rely on revenue form sponsors and vendors to make a profit or for non-profit organisers to raise funds for charities. 

Many music festivals consistently sell out their maximum capacity which unfortunately can lead to organisers having an ambivalent attitude towards their ticket buying customers. With the popularity of music festivals increasing over time the competition will likely increase making it more important to provide the best possible experience for ticket buyers.    

It's part of every music festival organisers responsibilities to ensure environmental sustainability which is a key part of their event management. After years of complaints from local communities and other concerned organisations about damage to the countryside or public parks after a music festival the clean-up operation post event is a vital part of every music festival. 

Depending where are you are in the world cruise ship music festivals are ether common place or something that is completely new. The idea of running a music festival on a cruise ship whilst touring around beautiful destinations for several days or a week is quite compelling but where are these cruise ship music festivals happening? 

Scotland is not the first place people think of when it comes to festivals but the country actually hosts over 200 of some of the most diverse and interesting festivals. With a steep cultural history, friendly and legendary hospitality Scotland is a great place to visit along with stunning scenery and a festival scene that is certainly thriving.

Although PSY Trance as a music genre has been around for some time it’s only over the last ten years that it has emerged into more mainstream popularity. The emergence of the PSY Trance dedicated genre music festival is testament to the growing popularity. Where did this popularity come from and will it remain a niche genre? 

No music festival is complete without its advertising poster, it’s something that has been around for decades that once served a slightly different purpose. In the 1950’s and 1960’s festival organisers used printed posters and flyers to advertise their events featuring well designed graphically impactful images and a list of artists appearing. 

Whenever someone checks out a music festival it’s sometimes interesting to see who is behind that festival and look into the history of that event over the years. Too many festivals seem to hide behind an anonymous shield of their website and social media channels with content and news magically appearing from the ‘organisers’     

Having been restricted for over a year many festival goers are itching to get back to the festival scene. Most music festivals in the UK have moved their dates to late summer with plenty of potential for festival congestion over the shortened season and so event goers are going to be spoilt for choice.  

With many large-scale music festivals confirming dates for late summer 2021 what protocols are likely to be required, either mandatory or recommended. There are several pre-entry screening solutions available for event organisers to consider, each with varying implications on cost, time delays and crowd management 

Since the announcement by the British government about the timeline for opening up the UK post COVID-19 the date of 21st June has been a key focus for potentially holding live music events. How are music festival organisers dealing with these timelines to bring their festivals back to life in 2021. 

With some of the larger music festivals recruiting several hundred volunteers the task of managing them on-site during the festival can be challenging. What are the steps organisers can take to mitigate any potential issues and at the same time give volunteers a fair balance of work and free time?

There are numerous festivals that base themselves on a single site where capacity is almost unlimited. These large scale festivals are often based in remote locations with limited infrastructure, to overcome these issues some festival organisers opt for more urban location but split over multiple venues to cope with audience numbers. 

The jam band phenomenon has been around for some time and gained popularity in the 1960’s with The Grateful Dead by combining numerous genre styles with long improvised ‘jam’ sets. These grassroots festivals continue to be popular followed by a core group of fans and devoted followers. 

A significant number of live events from large scale festivals to smaller locally themed events take place annually in many countries. These events are organised by a small number of dedicated events staff either volunteering their time for free or within auspices of a local government organisation committed to providing a service to the local community. 

When stage pyrotechnics are used as part of any live show it will add a special wow factor adding to the experience and atmosphere for event goers. Incorporating any kind of pyrotechnics into a performance is not just simply using fireworks it’s a complex planning process that requires experience and technical ability. 

It can be daunting to manage any substantial crowd whether it's a live event at an indoor venue with finite numbers or an outdoor mega festival with over 100,000 visitors. Fortunately there is professional help available for any event organisers who don’t have the experience or resources to manage such large volumes of visitors.  

A key to providing the best quality service in a safe environment in the events industry is the quality of the training given to staff. Whether they are contractors, working for a supplier company or an event volunteer what training and certification is the most important and relevant?          

During the current coronavirus pandemic, the support and advice from industry associations has played a crucial role for anyone involved in the live events industry. Some have been more proactive and vocal than others but overall, it has been a time for members to really benefit from their membership.        

As music festival season for 2021 starts taking shape with many organisers announcing dates and line-ups its timely to remind ticket buyers of the ‘Take Your Tent Home’ initiative. Started several years ago this initiative is still relevant today as it has always been and a gentle reminder by music festival organisers will do no harm. 

A key change will take place in October 2021 regarding Allergen Guidance for the preparation and sale of food. This is particularly relevant to festival vendors who are catering for thousands of people over a few days all with slightly different dietary requirements. Vendors need to get up to speed with the new Food Standards Agency Allergen Guidance. 

With the recent coverage of the #MeToo movement the awareness of unwanted sexual harassment on women has been raised. This harassment is not confined to public figures or the entertainment sector. It is also still prevalent at music festivals around the world. What steps can festival organisers take to mitigate this unacceptable behaviour. 

There can be a distinct contrast between large professionally run music festivals and smaller festivals that may be organised in a more chaotic way. Irrespective of size of event an often-overlooked aspect of any music festival is the customer service provided to event goers. The visitor experience can influence future attendance and social feedback.

Some research suggests that in excess of 50% of music festival event goers take illegal drugs when attending a festival. What measures can festival organisers put in place to control and inform visitors about potential dangers of taking unknown substances and make their events safe and enjoyable for everyone.    

With so many potential visitors to a large music festival it is also inevitable that some security issues will be encountered. There is no reason why the actions of a few people should disrupt the success of a festival and overall enjoyment for all event goers. Having a great security process set up is vital to keeping a festival safe and secure for all.

As UK music festivals hopefully rebound later in 2021 there are the usual issues that still need to be addressed from sustainability to more inclusive audiences. There are millions of music fans and a considerable number of festival goers who are disabled in some way. What can festival organisers do to make their events more inclusive.  

Some time ago in 2019 and early 2020 music festival organisers would have been booking their contractors and suppliers. Having been relatively dormant for a year, music festival organisers confirming dates for late summer will need to double check with all their suppliers that everything can go ahead with their revised dates.  

Irrespective of their size every music festival relies on volunteers to help make their event happen. Even the smallest festivals utilise volunteers but it is the larger festivals that the management of volunteers becomes more of a challenge and the number of volunteers needed to make the event a success goes into the hundreds.

While the current status of many UK music festivals is in flux the next few weeks will be a crucial time for deciding whether or not to go ahead with an event in the late summer months. Aside from the financial considerations it is the logistics planning that could be a major deciding factor on going ahead or postponing yet again.  

With music festivals restarting from May or June it's time for music festival organisers to reactivate their operations and condense planning into three or four months. For festival organisers that put their events team on furlough it's time to bring them back to work and jump on a multitude of tasks that need to be completed quickly.  

After the recent announcement from the UK government that music festivals could resume from late June this year there has been a flurry of activity in the sector. Festival organisers with great preparation plans have been able to reactivate activities quickly with timely announcements and ticketing information. 

Although the usual route of entry to a career in the live events industry is through experience and networking with the right contacts an alternative route may be to get a formal qualification. What options are available in the UK for anyone keen to start a career in the live events industry?

Many music festival organisers are maximising their exposure and customer engagement with social media. However, the music festivals with smaller teams may not be maximising the opportunities available with social media platforms. What are some basic steps festival organisers can take to utilise these tools effectively? 

There are thousands of music festivals that take place around the world every year. They range in size from multi day mega festivals with over 100k visitors to small local specialist festivals on a single day. In the current pandemic climate, the music festival format that is most well equipped to ride the storm may be the touring music festival.

Music festivals evolve over time, many starting as small parties in a large garden with just a few hundred into a commercial event taking place in large venue spaces with thousands of visitors. For many founders and organisers there can come a point where the logistics become overwhelming and the option to outsource logistics needs careful consideration.

There has been a trend in recent years for resorts and hotels in popular tourist destinations to host their own music festival. Many of these have grown organically over the years and in some cases have become sizeable annual events attracting perhaps in excess of 10,0000 visitors. Is this an emerging trend for the future? 

There are hundreds of music festivals around the world that rely on support from their local community and other local establishments to keep going. Without this support many of the smaller and more specialist events would not continue to succeed year on year. What format of support does this usually entail? 

For anyone with an interest in music becoming an Audio Engineer, sometimes referred to as Sound Engineer or Audio Equipment Technician, opens the possibility for an interesting and varied career. What are the best steps to take to get qualified and what opportunities are there for experienced engineers? 

As with any industry sector the importance of diversity in the workplace is vital to ensure an inclusive balanced working environment. The live music events sector should be no different from any other industry however recent studies reveal that there is still much work required to address imbalances 

As the situation regarding the opening up of live events seems to fluctuate from day-to-day music festival organisers have been faced with tough decisions on whether to push ahead with theIr events or postpone for yet another year. How realistic is it to organise and put on a successful event with condensed timescales? 

Everyone has their personal favourite genre of music and key to that is tempo. However, for DJs performing live at music festivals or nightclubs the trend seems to moving ever faster according to some sources. What's the story behind this trend and what is so special about that magic 120bpm tempo?   

Anyone that attends a music festival is sure to find the genre of music that suits their specific tastes. In reality event goers are spoilt for choice when festivals are running as normal but what are the most popular genres for the mega festivals that run over multiple days around the world.

Every music festival has a website presence and along with social media channels this is the perfect shop window to attract ticket buyers, artists, vendors and volunteers. In the current pandemic climate this form of communication has been vital in engaging with and updating all interested parties vital to the festival's future

After most music festivals were cancelled in 2020 many organisers started to make a virtual event offering. Some festival organisers moved faster than others and equally some were very successful other less so. What will the future format of the music festival look like later in 2021 and moving into 2022. 

Given the current status of most countries and the complete lack of live entertainment opportunities the only option is to live stream a performance. Although many performance artists have been doing this already for some it can be a challenge but how easy is it to get up and running with a streamed event. 

For many of the most well-known and prestigious music festivals they can usually trace their roots back decades ago to small informal parties held in a back garden or local farmer's field. Some of these festivals have gone by the wayside, perhaps just getting too big and becoming a financial burden but the best festivals live on getting better each year.

Whether it’s a large indoor concert, tour or music festival organisers rely on the army of volunteers to make thier events happen. As event organisers gear up to the return of live events late in 2021 what are the new challenges faced by those responsible for recruiting, training and managing volunteers. 

The largest music festivals can have a line-up that could include in excess of 1,000 performance artists. Traditionally the artist booking logistics were managed using the artist advance and managed by the artist liaison manager. In coronavirus times there are going to have to be some significant changes to managing artists. 

Looking on with some jealousy music festivals in Australia are already taking place with close to normal visitor numbers. Whilst the reast of the world reels in coronavirus related lockdowns the Australian music festival industry has bounced back from a catastrophic 2020 to make its future look secure. 

With the music festival sector in much of Europe a bit of a crossroads it's likely that some of the larger events will be postponed yet again. This will leave a vastly reduced number of music festivals taking place in 2021. The result of this will be an overall drop in the number of vendor pitches available which means vendor management will be more important than ever. 

As the creation, production and distribution of music has progressed thanks to advances in technology musicians and other performance artists have had to move to live performances to earn revenue form their material. With live performances shut down for now what is the future for performance artists confined to home.  

Movement restrictions throughout Europe look uncertain to be lifted any time soon meaning that virtually all event organisers and their teams are forced to continue working from home. Organisers are hopeful to make their events happen in the latter part of 2021 but what are the effective strategies they can use to ensure planning logistics continue.  

Launched in 2020 by ‘Visit Britain’ in partnership with various UK tourist organisations, the ‘code’ aims to reassure event goers and visitors that the festival has been approved according to strict criteria. Is this approval a worthwhile investment of time and resources for Music Festival organisers in 2021? 

With the surge in coronavirus cases globally since Q4 2020 the prospect of returning to any sense of normalcy appears to be a moving target that’s difficult to nail down. What can event organisers in countries like the UK do to manage their decision making in such uncertain times. 

The incidence of credit card fraud has increased by as much as 35% in 2020 with fraud valued in excess of $10 billion a year. The coronavirus pandemic has seen a mass move to online shopping and payments and fraudsters are taking advantage of this trend. How can an event organiser ensure their ticket sales process is protected from fraud in 2021. 

As the whole events industry braces itself for another tough year that seems to be a continuation from 2020 which are the types of events likely to start first? From music festivals and indoor gigs to business conferences and exhibitions what are the likely timelines for reopening in 2021. 

When live events are planned for an outdoor venue the weather should always be considered particularly in milder climates prevalent in most of Europe, even in the summer months. With good planning allowances can be made for potential inclement weather and the effect on all aspects of a live event.  

Many music festivals rely on an army of more than 200 volunteers to help run their events each year. As the coronavirus pandemic still persists around the world what impact will this have on event organisers pushing ahead with their 2021 events on how they train and manage their volunteers. 

Historically the longest running and largest music festivals have been located on large open spaces in private ownership. When the land owner is closely involved in organising a festival the process is somewhat easier than trying to secure a public space controlled by a local authority or other private concern. 

With the largest music festivals having up to 75 stages the management and scheduling of performances can seem a little daunting. How can event organisers and stage managers go about managing so many shows and stages with limited resources to create a professional and seamless event delivery.      

With uncertainly hanging over many music festivals in the UK remaining what is the impact on the thousands of vendors that usually support music festivals? Vendors usually make booking applications to festival organisers well in advance but with many dates remaining tentative are vendors holding back in applying?

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.