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2010-04-28T17:42:00.001-04:00

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Event Development (continued)

2010-01-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

Event Development (continued)

2010-01-19T18:56:00.000-05:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning
You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)
7. Are There Any Groups That Could Adversely Affect Your Event? – Perhaps the most obvious group that could affect your event are your local politicians. If you are not offering something that the majority wants and you hope to use town property or services, you will likely reach a “dead-end” before you begin! Knowing this is a good policy to pass your plans by some of the councilors before you present your formal proposal! There are other groups that need to be considered very carefully, Here are a few of them:

RESIDENTS – If you plan on holding your event in a residential area, you must consider the residents. Believe it or not the residents might object to your event! Their objections could range anywhere from noise to traffic to vandalism. Don’t under estimate the power of this group. If they band together they can become very formable opponents. It’s best to get them on your side right from the start. Find out what their objections are and find out ways to eliminate or minimize the objections. If you can get some of them on your committee or offer free tickets or other incentives that might also help.

DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES – If your event is going to be held in the downtown area or near it, you will want to consult with the local business group. The merchants will want to have their say. They will be very protective of their business area. If they think your event is going to interfere with their business or their customers, you can expect a fight on your hands. Remember, your event is only there once a year, they are there all year round. As with the residents, it’s best to get them on your side right from the start. Being up front with them and asking for their suggestions will go a long way in bringing them to your side. Make sure them there is something in your plans that will benefit them. Also like the residents, try to get some of the merchants on your committee.

TOWN STAFF – This is a very powerful group. Even though you might have the politicians on your side, the town staff controls the services! If your event is going to be held on a weekend (most are) then it is likely that many of the staff will be asked to work on their time off. If they don’t like your event or think it’s not worthwhile, they may throw up any number of roadblocks to hurt your event, enough that it could cripple your ideas and your event. You need you consult with them from the beginning; show them just how much your event will enhance their town.

OTHER GROUPS – There are any number of other groups that could affect you plans, groups such as churches, service clubs and other self interest groups. Look at the Olympic Torch Run as an example. The Run experienced all types of opposition (poverty groups, aboriginal, etc). They were able to by-pass most of the challenges by thinking and planning ahead. I believe that the key is to think through your event thoroughly and then be positive about what you are trying to accomplish. Most important of all you must be open to others concerns and ideas and then find a way to minimize any and all objections. No matter how good and noble your intensions may be, there will always be someone ready to criticize your plans. Take it in stride and move forward positively.
(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

2010-01-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

Event Development (continued)

2010-01-05T17:37:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Festival Challenges (Part Two)

2009-12-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years I have visited about 150 Ontario festivals and events. Although I have found them have been interesting and enjoyable to visit, I have also seen many challenges. In this article I will describe the second 5 of the Top Ten Challenges I have experienced.
6. FACILITIES – One of the greatest challenges festival organizers face is designing the layout of their festival grounds and building. Basically the festival is “stuck” with what is there! This might be okay, but it might also be disastrous, especially if the grounds and buildings are in poor shape. This is where careful initial planning comes into play! First impressions (curb-side appeal) can mean the difference between success and failure. Even really bad grounds and buildings can be made acceptable with a little imagination. Old and poorly maintained buildings can be brought to life with colour and decorative displays. Oddly shaped grounds can be made useful by careful placement of events and activities. One of the best uses of grounds was by the Mississauga Waterfront Festival. This festival takes place in Port Credit’s rambling Memorial Park. By carefully placing activities and events, they created a natural “flow” that allowed festival visitors to take in the entire event. Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair uses the Exhibition buildings very effectively. The fair takes place in both new and old buildings. By careful planning of events, organizers have made, what could have been a maze, an exciting journey of discovery!
7. WEATHER PLAN – No-one can control the weather, but an effective “weather plan” can, at least, minimize the affects. Even “indoor” events can be affected by poor weather (snow, freezing rain, hurricanes, etc)! Making alternative weather plans helps in two ways. Firstly it tells your volunteers what will happen in case of disastrous weather, a plan to follow. And, secondly it tells your potential visitors what you plan to do if the weather turns bad. One of the most important aspects of any weather plan is communications, both to your volunteers and to your visitors. If an event is going to be cancelled or postponed, you have to let people know. “Letting people know” can easily be accomplished through your website. First by publishing your weather policy and then by providing a contact telephone number should a cancellation or postponement take place. A “Postponement or cancellation notice” could also be placed on your website. When serious thunder storms threatened the opening night outdoor play of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, they had an alternative plan and location in place. Even though the weather looked fine when they made the decision, experience told them not to take a chance on the weather forecasts for the area. They made the decision in plenty of time and then let festival visitors know of the location change.
8. PROGRAM GUIDES – I like festivals and events that produce a nice informative program guide. To me it shows that it is a well planned event and that they care about their visitors. I also like informative program guides because they provide me the information I need to enjoy the event. I don’t believe that guides need to be overly ornate to serve its purpose. Like websites, content is “king”! Here are some of the components that I think are necessary to make a guide effective.
 A site map should be included showing the location of all events and activities and all important facilities, washrooms, information booth(s), first aid station(s), ATM’s, disabled parking, shuttle bus stops and designated food areas.
 Activities and descriptions should be included along with times.
 Contact information should be given with telephone numbers that can be used during the event
 Finally, a list of event sponsors
I am sure that more could be added, but this a start. If cost is prohibiting an event from producing a program guide, festival organizers should contact the local newspaper to see if they would be interested in publishing the guide. If you give them the advertising rights, they will likely produce the guide for free and in some cases they may even pay for those advertising rights. Another inexpensive way of producing a program guide is to make it part of your website. If you go this route, make sure that the program is not too long, that it is in the “PDF” format and that it can be printed in “black and white”. One of the best festival program guides I have seen is produced for the Cobourg Waterfront Festival by one of the local newspapers. The newspaper pays, through sponsorship, for the right to publish the guide.
9. FOOD – Food is an important component of most festivals and events. It used to be that “good old fashion” comfort food was totally acceptable, foods like hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, sno-cones and candy floss. While these are still the “norm”, times are changing and many visitors are demanding more nutritious foods. A number of festivals and events have responded to these demands and are offering a greater variety of nutritious meals. Families are not only becoming “health” conscious, but with the economy as it is, they are looking for better food value. Some families have stopped buying food at festival all together, opting to eat at home before going to the event or bring a picnic lunch to eat at the event. Festivals and events that recognize these trends and respond to them will benefit from the changes in the long run. Here are some ideas to think about.
 Try grouping food vendors together and offer a greater variety of “comfort” and “health foods”.
 Provide a “picnic” area for visitors who bring their own food. Make sure you advertise this service on your website and in your advertising.
 Screen food vendors thoroughly, make sure that they meet the food standards that have been set, both in quality of food and food value. It’s your event, so you make the rules!
 Providing a family friendly environment will pay huge dividends.
One of the best events we have visited for food was the Winona Peach Festival. All food vendors are local charities and organizations. The food is home made, nutritious and delicious. The vendors are all located in the same food area and there is plenty of variety to choose from. In the centre of the food area is a covered picnic area!
10. THEME – In order to attract visitors to their event, most festivals develop a “theme”. The “theme” dictates how the event is organized, what attractions are offered and how it is promoted. It identifies the uniqueness of the event. That is why it is important to choose the theme carefully, making sure that it makes sense for you and your community. You likely would not want to hold a “rock concert” in a retirement community! Once a “theme” has been set, every effort should be made to keep to the spirit of the theme. This includes activities, ground set-up and marketing. Having a great theme without enthusiastically promoting it is like having a “birthday cake without candles, all show and no glow”! The Canadian Redneck Games in Minto is a great example using and promoting a theme to its maximum. The amount of press and awards that this event has received is amazing and a true testament to its "catchy" theme!

Top Ten Festival Challenges (Part One)

2009-12-22T12:58:00.000-05:00

Over the past few years I have visited about 150 Ontario festivals and events. Although I have found them have been interesting and enjoyable to visit, I have also seen many challenges. In this article I will describe 5 of the Top Ten Challenges I have experienced.
1. SIGNAGE – The number one complaint that I have with festivals and events is their lack of adequate and informative signage! This includes both directional and informational signage. Having little or no signage for local residents may be okay, but if an event wants to attract out-of-town visitors, sufficient signage is a must! As I have written in the past, having great signage can be a real opportunity! No only is it pleasing and helpful to your visitors, it can also help your festival’s bottom line! Selling sponsors space on your signs should be simple if approached in a professional manner. Sponsors like value and want to be noticed. Signs provide a perfect way to accomplish this. The Winona Peach Festival provides wonderful directional signage. They have event exit signs on the highway, a very smart and courageous thing to do. Smart because the signs draw visitors off the highway to their event and courageous because the ministry does not appreciate unauthorized highway signs! The Cobourg Waterfront Festival has large informational signs posted at several entry points. These signs also include the names of their sponsors.
2. WEBSITES – Websites are becoming an integral part of festival and event marketing. If a website is constructed properly it can attract 100’s of new festival visitors. Conversely a poorly designed website can deter people from visiting an event, so it makes good sense to design and maintain a great website! Here are a few tips.
 Properly designed so that it attracts and is friendly towards the major search engines – Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN)
 Interesting and informative content that is attractive to website visitors and easy to navigate. The objective should be to engage the visitor so that they will stay and read the event’s message and then, ultimately visit the event.
 Provide sufficient festival/event information including location(s), dates, times, activities, site map and contact information (contact name, e-mail address, mailing address and telephone numbers, especially during the event)
Note: Don’t make your website too fancy! Not everyone knows how to navigate complicated websites. This can be a real turn-off.
One of the best event websites I have visited recently was the one for the Norwood Fall Fair. It was easy to use and contained great event informative information.
3. COST VERSUS VALUE – With today’s economy, providing great value has become very important! Giving more then what is expected or promised will help attract a lot of event visitors! Having a reasonable “gate fee” has now become a necessary reality. Although having a “free gate” can work in a festivals favour, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee success or visitors! Festival visitors are becoming more and more sophisticated and are expecting and demanding more from the events they visit. To reach maximum potential, organizers have to give careful attention to what they are offering. Organizers should concentrate on quality rather than quantity. One of the best paid admission events that we have visited is the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The CNE provide wonderful entertainment for the whole family at a very reasonable cost. As for a “free gate” event, you can’t beat the Burlington Sound of Music Festival. This Festival provides several free concerts stages throughout the downtown area.
4. WASHROOM FACILITIES – Having clean and accessible washroom facilities is an absolute must! I am always surprised when I see an event where organizers have decided to “hide” their facilities! This happens far too often! It is as though they are trying to ignore the fact that everyone needs to use these facilities at some time. If they are worried about the look, they should pay more attention to what facilities they order and who they order them from. Washroom facilities don’t have to look unpleasant. The other concern is keeping them clean and well stocked. This not only includes toilet paper but soap and water as well. It’s not a good enough excuse to say that they were used more often than anticipated! Having event staff check them regularly should be a given. Many of the greatest tourist attractions of the world consider washroom management their number one priority. I believe that festival organizers have a responsibility to provide the best washroom facilities possible! Welland’s IlluminAqua provides convenient portable washrooms beside their new amphitheatre. These facilities are both clean and convenient.
5. PARKING – If you have ever visited a festival or event that has impossible parking, you will know just how frustrating a situation that can be! I can remember driving to Toronto to attend an event only to find that there was zero parking available and no alternative shuttle parking sites. I turned around and went home, vowing never to return! I was only one person, but many others did the same as me? Obviously on-site parking is preferable where possible, but if it’s not possible or there are too few parking spaces, off-site parking should be a must. This includes providing a “shuttle service” where the distance is too far to walk. Organizers should take into consideration the disabled and elderly when determining their parking needs. Special parking spots or handicapped shuttle should be considered. Several of the events that we have visited have used off-duty school bused for their shuttle service. Some have even added advertising to the buses to offset costs. Many it easy to reach your event just makes good business sense! The Rockton World’s Fair has one of the best on-site parking facilities. They use a field that is just adjacent to the fair grounds. Kempenfest in Barrie uses several off-site parking areas. Their shuttle buses are frequent and convenient.
(Part Two Next)

Event Development (continued)

2009-12-15T16:38:00.000-05:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Research and Preliminary Planning
You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)
4. WILL IT MEET THE NEEDS OF…? – When planning a festival or event you have to consider whether or not your event “meets the needs” in several areas. Here are some of the areas that need “consideration”.
Volunteers – Most volunteers work on a project for a specific reason. It could be that they are a member of a service organization that is either organizing the event or helping run the event. Or, it could be that the volunteer is interested in the theme or content of the event. Whatever their reason, the event must meet their needs to keep them interested and involved. Having a well defined plan, that is followed closely, should resolve this challenge.
Community – Each community has its own set of needs. This includes community residents, businesses and the town and its council. You have to satisfy the needs of each of these “stakeholders”. For example, if you want to hold a “rock concert” in the town park and you haven’t satisfied the needs of the local residents, you will probably get a lot of opposition. If this happens, the event will likely not get off the ground. The type of considerations for residents could include sound levels, crowd control, traffic and parking. With local businesses, especially downtown merchants, you will want to consider their special concerns. Things like road closures, street traffic and drawing people away from the downtown shopping area on event day. If you don’t address these concerns, the businesses will become very vocal and your event will be in trouble. Finally, there is the town and the town council. You will need their blessings and okay to proceed. They will want to know that you have considered such things as policing, road closures, garbage, use of town property, etc. If you haven’t given careful consideration to these areas, your event likely won’t even get started! Like with the volunteers, having a strong detailed plan will go a long way in helping your event get off the ground and then succeed!
Participants – Whatever type of festival or event you want to hold, you are likely going to have “participants”. The participants could be anything from performers to vendors to suppliers. Each of these needs should be considered. Performers will want to know that their performance area will meet their need, equipment, sound system, dressing area, etc. Vendors will want to know where they are going to be located and who is beside them. Most importantly, they will want to know that you have planned the event so that they can sell their produces and make money! Suppliers will want to know when you need their supplies and if you need them to deliver them to you. They will also want to know when and how you are going to pay them. With considering and satisfying these needs, your event will have a rocking time.
Visitors – Finally, visitors will want to know how your event is going to meet their needs: cost versus quality of event, type of events and activities, times, location, etc. The more clearly you know who your audience is and what will attract them, the more successful your event will be!
(To be continued)

Kick It Up in the Kawarthas…

2009-12-08T16:42:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the “Kick It Up a Notch” seminar held at the Best Western Otonabee Inn in Peterborough. It all had to do with Peterborough and Kawartha Tourism’s “Kick It Up in the Kawarthas” program. The seminar organizers had invited provincial Hall of Fame festival guru, Jan Bonhomme, as the keynote presenter. Members of the “Kick It Up” community were on hand to listen and learn from Jan’s experiences. These experiences include Jan’s managing for a number of years the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest and her involvement as chief organizer of the 2007 International Plowing Match held in Leeds-Grenville. Other accomplishments include being the Network Development Manager for Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) and developing and managing the first Ontario provincial Festivals and Events Resource Centre. Jan’s current project is Executive Director of the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance. This group was formed “to encourage the effective formation of Bicentennial celebrations for the War of 1812…” in Eastern Ontario. With this wealth of experience behind her, Jan told our group about the joys and disasters of planning successful festivals and events. Drawing on her years as manager of the Port Elgin Pumpkinfest and the International Plowing Match, Jan regaled us with stories and photos to emphasize her words of wisdom and advice. I know that I, like others in the audience, received a great deal of important information! The whole seminar highlights Peterborough and Kawarthas Tourism’s commitment to excellence in their area. The future looks very “bright” in the Kawarthas! To learn more about “Kick It Up in the Kawarthas” festivals and events, visit their website at http://www.kickitupinthekawarthas.com/.

Event Development (continued)

2009-12-01T15:39:00.001-05:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Research and Preliminary Planning
You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning – Considerations (Continued)
3. WILL IT ATTRACT PEOPLE? – Developing and holding a festival or event is one thing, but if it doesn’t attract people to it, that’s another thing! It’s like the philosophical riddle “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" In this case, “If you hold an event that no one comes to, will anyone care?” The answer, of course is “yes”! You and your organizing committee will care! Your community will care! And, your vendors, supplies and sponsors will care! That’s why it is so important plan and execute an event that will attract people! The number people you will want to attract will depend on what your expectations and needs are. In a previous section I talked about the need for research. In it I said that “you needed to know who your audience was and what they wanted”. Knowing this is the key to attracting visitors to your event. As I mentioned, this is where networking comes into play. There is no reason to “re-invent the wheel”. Your town administrators and other event organizers will, from experience, be able to tell you what works and what doesn’t. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a chance or experiment. It does mean that you should have a pretty good feeling of what will work for you and your audience. Good solid research should allow you to have that “feeling”! However, whatever you eventually decide to offer, it has to be the “best” that you can do! To go just halfway is a recipe for disaster and you will not only cheat yourselves but also all your stakeholders! You are much better to offer fewer high quality activities and events, then a lot of poor quality ones! Too many organizers feel that they have to offer too much to justify their existence. This “feeling” will only come back to haunt them! The other consideration in attracting visitors is cost versus value! Charging too much for the type of audience you are trying to attract is a sure way to fail! A better alternative than charging too much to balance your budget is find sponsors to help offset your costs. A word of caution, however, make sure that you also offer your sponsors value for their investment. If you do, it’s likely that that sponsor will stick with your event for many years. Make sure when you do approach a sponsor that tell them honestly what they can expect for their support.
(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

2009-11-24T15:01:00.000-05:00

Event Development (continued)

2009-11-17T14:38:00.002-05:00

Event Development (continued)

2009-11-10T14:29:00.001-05:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Research and Preliminary Planning
You’ve determined that you “financially” want to proceed with your festival or event and you and your committee have completed plenty of “research”. Now it’s time to start your “Preliminary Planning”.

Preliminary Planning - Considerations
1. TYPE OF EVENT – When your considering the type of event you want to hold, or its theme, consideration should not only be given to the surrounding area but to the actual area itself. You need to hold an event that is going to have the greatest appeal possible and your area just might hold the “key”. I believe that most communities have some outstanding feature or fact that would be of interest to others. Here are some examples of what I mean:
Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest – There is a large German population located here and holding an Oktoberfest celebration just made sense. Now thousands of people from all over the world enjoy this wonderful event. The area and its people held the “key” to the type of event that would be held and would be successful.
Kleinburg Binder Twine Festival – The original celebrations “began in the late 1800’s when farmers came to the community to buy twine to bind their sheaves of wheat together”. Somewhere along the way the tradition became lost. Then in 1967, Canada’s centennial year, the centennial committee revived the idea of the festival. It has now become one of central Ontario’s best fall events.
Smiths Falls Canal, Railway and Chocolate Festival – Until recently Hershey Chocolate played a big part in the lives of the citizens of Smiths Falls. So much so that they developed a festival featuring “chocolate”, the Chocolate and Railway Festival. Unfortunately Hershey’s decided to leave the area and left the festival committee with some hard choices to make. Rather than give the festival up, the committee looked to see what other attractions were in the area. The obvious choice was the Rideau Canal. They started last year by renaming the event, the Canal, Railway and Chocolate Festival and placing a greater emphasis on events near and on the canal. This year the transition will continue. My point with this example is to show that even when one attraction disappears another will arise to take its place. Smiths Falls continues to attract people from all over eastern Ontario.
(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

2009-11-02T16:32:00.003-05:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)
7. LOCAL EVENTS – Another great research source is other local and regional event organizers. They have already gone through the development and thought process, so they can tell you where the pitfalls lie and where the help is. Remember, however, that their experience is related to their own event, so you have to take their information and put it into the context of your own event. Depending on the type of event you are holding, other organizers can tell you their experiences with suppliers, trades and services that they have used (or not used). They can also tell you about activities that they have tried and what their success was. I think most event organizers would be willing to share information with others. In this regard, I would strongly recommend membership in the industry’s voice, Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO). This is an excellent resource organization plus they have an informative annual conference that is usually held at the end of February.

8. CALENDARS OF EVENTS – One of the elements you should definitely research is what other festivals and events are being held in your region. Too many similar events can saturate a market and lessen the chance of success. The same is true for too many events happening in the same region during the same time frame. When starting a new event you want to have as much on your side as possible! Here are a few calendars that you can search, Ontario Travel, FEO and Ontario Festivals Visited. (Note: The Ontario Festivals Visited search engine is in the process of being upgraded. You can check their website for details and timing)

9. LOCAL SUPPLIERS – This is an area that needs careful attention. Local suppliers, if approached in a professional way, can make or break an event. Local suppliers and businesses carry a great deal of weight in their community. Many are members of a service club or two and the local Chamber of Commerce. If you can get a number on your side, they can influence other business and local politicians. They can also be a great source of information about the pulse of the community. This is important when deciding what type of event you want hold. Many suppliers are not only willing to give their advice, but will be willing to become involved. Here are a few examples of what I mean. I know of one committee that wanted to build booths for their vendors. The cost of the building materials was going to be too expensive, so they approached a local building materials supplier who donated the use of lumber and sheeting. Without this generous supplier the event might not have been successful. This company also donated money. All they wanted in return was some recognition for their contribution. There are many such examples, so make sure you contact your local businesses and get them on your side!
(To be continued)

Event Development (Continued)

2009-10-27T12:00:00.001-04:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)
5. LOCAL MEDIA – Most communities have local newspapers. Some have radio stations and a few have television stations. Whatever media there is in your town, you should make contact with them early in your planning stages. Local media is a wonderful source of information! It’s the news Media’s business to keep informed of all that is happening in its coverage area. If you form a close relationship with all media, they can help you not only with both local event information but with any research you might need. Most media outlets know all the regional demographics. They need this information to offer their customers the best programming/content possible. This information can be very helpful in your audience planning. You might even be able to persuade them to help you prepare and implement an information survey using their listeners or readers as survey participants. The results of any survey would be very helpful when planning your event!

6. GOVERNMENTS – All levels of government appreciate the value of festivals and events. They know how much they help local communities and their residents. That’s why federal and provincial governments have developed so many festival and event programs and grants. Although local governments don’t usually have the same cash capabilities as the senior governments, they definitely have a strong interest and desire to promote their communities through festivals and events. Their methods of helping events sometime include funds, but more often then not they only offer “help”. This “help” can come in several forms but generally is in either community services (garbage pick-up, policing, electrical, etc.) or location use. All levels of government, however, must spend wisely. Festivals and events that just ask for funding without a well thought out plan of action will likely not receive consideration. Most governments put an application process in place to help them determine who will receive funds. This forces festival and event organizers to prove that their event is both financially viable and beneficial to their community. Since there is only a limited amount of money available, monies are generally awarded to festivals and events that show they will have a major positive impact on their community. That is why it is important for the people preparing funding requests understand the process and follow its guidelines faithfully. There are plenty of places to find out more about government funding. Here are a few suggestions: government internet websites, federal and provincial members of parliament, local tourism offices, local Chambers of Commerce, the Federal and Provincial Ministries of Tourism and in Ontario, Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO).
(To be continued)

Event Development (Continued)

2009-10-20T11:52:00.002-04:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development” The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)
3. D.B.I.A. (Downtown Business Improvement Association) – Many towns have D.B.I.A.s. These associations are made up of local downtown business owners. Most are interested in promoting the downtown area and its businesses and hold or support events that are held in the downtown area. If you are hoping to hold your event in the downtown area, contacting and consulting the local D.B.I.A. is a must! They may object to your event or they may think its needed, but either way, without their support your event is doomed for failure. The key to obtaining the support of the D.B.I.A. is knowing what their promotional needs are and then planning your event accordingly. If you can obtain the full backing of D.B.I.A. members, your event has a much greater chance of success. Also, many D.B.I.A.s have promotional funds available and may agree to use some of them to help promote your event.

4. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE – Like the D.B.I.A.s shown above, many areas have local or regional Chambers of Commerce. While each Chamber of Commerce has different objectives, all exist to promote local and regional businesses. Promotion comes in various forms depending on the Chamber, but most support local events in one way or another. Meeting with the local Chamber manager is always a wise thing to do. The manager can fill you in on their activities and how they or their members might help you and your committee. They might even be able to help you identify local businesses or business owners as potential sponsors and donors.
(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

2009-10-13T18:32:00.005-04:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!”

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research (Continued)

All of the above and more will have to be considered and researched! But, where do you obtain this information? Here are a few suggestions on places where you can find answers to your questions.

1. INTERNET – The internet is one of the best research tools ever developed. You can obtain information about every imaginable topic! The key to a successful search is how you use the available search engines. There are hundreds search engines, but the three main ones are Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN). Yahoo and Bing will be combined next year (2010), but for now they are separate. Personally I prefer Google, but they all work. The best way of using a search engine is to be specific about your request. For example, if you are going to hold an art festival and want to find out more, be specific about the information you want. If you just type in “Art Festivals” you get millions of possibilities. You may think that this is positive except that it’s only giving you very general information. If you are going to have a nature art festival, you might search for “Wildlife” or “Nature” art festivals. Now you will get far fewer site possibilities, but most will be about the type of event you are holding. Similarly, if you search for “Wildlife Art Festivals, Your region” the search will become much more specific. Words are the key to a good and successful internet search. Pre-determine what information you want to research and then try different “words or phrases” until you find the information you want. You can even try various other search engines with these words and phrases for different responses.

2. TOWN HALL – Approaching your town’s administrator is a must. They can tell you the things you will need to know before you start any planning! They can tell you such things as the rules and regulations that pertain to local festivals and events. They will have information on what licenses you might need. They can tell you if the town council might help your event financially or with town manpower and services. Your town will be the best source of information for any local festival or event. Some towns and municipalities have event coordinators. These people are a wonderful resource to any organizing committee! They know what is happening, where it is happening and who is organizing what! They also know the “do’s and don’ts” of holding local events. Most also know where the grant money is located and can advise how to apply for it.
(To be continued)

Event Development (continued)

2009-10-06T18:24:00.001-04:00

“The following is a continuation of my Event Development Series. Several months ago I started the series with the first section, “Initial Development”. The second section is entitled “Research and Preliminary Planning”. Now that you and your team have decided to proceed with the event, it’s time to get serious! As suggested previously, any thoughts and idea are more then welcome!"

Research and Preliminary Planning

Research

Have you researched your event thoroughly? Just like the Boy Scout’s motto says, “Be Prepared”! Before you develop a working plan and budget, you need to know exactly what you are in for! To do this you should investigate all aspects of what is necessary to hold a successful event. This is the “Research Phase” of the “Event Development” process.To begin the research process you need to ask yourselves a number of probing questions. Questions such as:

1. What will our costs be?
2. When will we hold our event?
3. What will the theme of our event be and will it be relevant to our area?
4. What can we expect in revenue?
5. Will we be able to find donors and sponsors in our area to support the event?
6. Where can we hold the event?
7. Will the location accommodate all we want to do?
8. What type of people will come to our event and from where?
9. Can we count on any government assistance and what form will it take if it is available?
10. How much manpower will we need during the event and where will they come from?
11. Are there enough core volunteers to plan and execute the event?
12. Will there be community support for the event?
13. What materials do we need to rent, borrow or purchase to make our event happen?
14. Where will the materials come from – locally or out of region?
15. What special requirements will we need to consider – licenses, road closures, fencing, washrooms, electricity, security, garbage disposal, etc?
(To be continued)

Promoting Your Sponsors!

2009-09-29T12:21:00.000-04:00

Promoting Your Sponsors!
A few weeks ago we visited the Fall Fair in Kingston. One of their sponsors was “Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)”. Almost every farm participant we saw was eating a KFC box lunch! What a great promotion! When I saw it, it started me thinking about how festivals and events do or don’t promote their sponsors! If sponsors “make or break” events, why don’t festival/event organizers go all out to promote their sponsors? Some do, but many don’t! Perhaps the best example of an organization that takes full advantage of promoting their sponsors is NASCAR. Every time you see a driver or crew chief (or for that matter any NASCAR employee), being interviewed, they are continually promoting their sponsors! They eat, drink, wear and talk about their sponsors! You might think that this is over kill, but you are wrong. When sponsors hand over buckets of money, they want to know that those they are sponsoring are doing everything possible to promote them. They want value (over value) for money spent! It’s no wonder, that in these economic times the good NASCAR promoters are able to keep their key sponsors! This brings me back to festivals and events. Festival and event organizers should take a serious look at how NASCAR promotes its sponsors and then look to see how they can promote their own sponsors.

Here are a few simple ideas:
* Find ways to use sponsor’s products. For example, if it’s a soft drink company, insist that all food vendors sell the sponsor’s products.
* If you are being interviewed by television or radio, make sure that you mention as many sponsors as possible.
* If you have a key sponsor, try to wear a shirt or cap with their logo. Especially when you are being interviewed.
* During the event ask sponsors to set up product displays. Make the space part of their sponsorship package.
* A comprehensive promotion plan should be put into place and all team members should be fully aware of the plan and should carry it out throughout the festival/event.

The better you promote your sponsors, the more likely they will return next year, even in a poor economy!

Curb Appeal…

2009-09-22T12:10:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago Judi and I attended an event that had very little “Curb Appeal”! It’s too bad because it really took away from what could be a great event. As Judi pointed out, if we had just been passing by, we’d likely not have gone in. That being said, we did go in and as a result, I am writing this article.
The main problem with this event was their venue. It was older and not in very good repair. It was also too small for the type of event being held! To be honest, the best solution to the problem would be to move locations, but this is probably not a viable solution. So here are a few suggestions for organizers to help them improve the Curb Appeal of their festival or event:
1. Preliminary Inspection – Once you have decided on a location, make a thorough preliminary inspection of it. Be very critical of everything, especially how it will look to festival visitors on event day. After completing your inspection make a list of both the positives and negatives. Strike a location committee to determine what can be done to minimize the negative aspects of the location and then prepare an action plan.
2. Work with Location Owner – After you have completed your inspection list, you might want to contact the owner of the property to see if he/she will remedy some of the problems. If the owner is not willing to help or there are problems the owner can’t or won’t fix, the location committee will have to see what improvements they can make.
3. Clean Up – Prior to the event taking place, the location committee should prevue the facility to make sure it is clean and tidy. If it is not, arrangements will need to be made to have it cleaned up. Any contracts with facility owners should have a clean-up clause. Make sure that everything that can be done to improve the facility is done prior to set-up!
4. Visitor Friendly – When you are making your improvement plans, you should make sure that you include ideas to beautify the facility and to make it “visitor friendly”. This could include flowers, plants, informative signs (professionally created) and other items that enhance the theme of the festival or event.
5. Site Plan – During the planning stages, a comprehensive site plan should be prepared. This would include the best use and layout of the venue for both participants and visitors.
6. Attractions – Make sure when you are planning where to place your attractions that their placement makes sense and that they are visually pleasing.
7. Visualize – The best suggestion I can make is that you and your committee walk the location and visualize what it is going to look like on event day(s). The more clearly you can see the final set-up in your mind, the better the “Curb Appeal” will be!

The Importance of a Festival/Event Name…

2009-09-15T12:06:00.000-04:00

One of the most important decisions any new festival or event committee must make is the naming of their event! Your festival/event name should tell potential visitors exactly what the event is all about. Before choosing the name, organizers have to decide the main purpose of the event. That is, is it a sporting event, an art show, wine festival, music festival, etc? Once a theme has been agreed upon, you need to decide if including your geographical location in the name is necessary. Depending on the type of event or area, adding your location may be positive or negative. Sometimes if you have a broad based event, you might want to have a general name and then a number of sub-names. A good example of a broad based event is the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest. The main name tells where the event is being held and what the theme is, Oktoberfest. Within this great event they have a number of events. These include such events as their Oktoberfest Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Miss Oktoberfest Gala Ball, Oktoberfest Idol and the Onkel Hans Food Drive! In fact, they have over 40 different events! As you can see, all these names connect with the main festival plus they suggest what the sub-events are all about. Choosing your name carefully is not only important for event identification, but it is additionally important for event marketing and promotion! This is especially true for internet promotion on your website. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experts agree that one of the quickest ways to gain page ranking on one of the main search engines (Google, Yahoo and Bing/MSN) is to have keywords (your event name) that potential visitors, on the internet, will use to “search” for events like yours. This is why your name is so important. The internet has now become one of the most powerful and least expensive marketing tools available. Let’s say you live in a town called “Acme” and you are holding an art festival. You’d likely want to name your event the “Acme Art Festival”. Then when people make their event search, they will likely type in the words “Acme festivals” or “Acme Art”. If they do, your events name should be listed on the first search page. Of course there are other things you need to do to “optimize” your website, but a “smart” name is one of the main keys!

What’s In An Article?

2009-09-08T12:38:00.001-04:00

Over the past 2 ½ years I have written articles about each of the 125 plus festivals and events Judi and I have visited. I try to keep each article fresh and interesting. When you visit and write about as many events as we have, it can be a daunting task! I enjoy it, though. Not only because of the challenge, but because it gives me the opportunity to think carefully about the uniqueness of of each the festivals and events we visit. Sometimes when I write, I am able to use my own experiences to tell the story, while other times I just describe what I have seen and heard. One of the tools that really helps me recall the details of each event are the photographs and videos taken at the event. Right now I have about 20,000 photographs in my archives and about 1,000 videos! Another tool I use for accuracy and content is Judi. Before and as, I write an article, I bounce ideas off her. She always comes up with something that I have forgotten! She is also my harshest critic. Finally, each article is submitted to event organizers for their final input. When I write an article about an event that we have visited, I always try to find the positive aspects of the event. I am not a critic! I don’t want to be! There are enough of those in this world! I believe the festival and event organizers try their hardest to produce the best product possible and, most events are run and organized by dedicated volunteers. They deserve all the help and accolades they can get. The whole purpose of Ontario Festivals Visited and our festival and event articles is to provide potential event visitors with information about the events we have visited. In doing this, we also hope that we are helping to promote all of Ontario’s fantastic festivals and events.

Go Green (Part Four)…

2009-09-01T17:04:00.000-04:00

Here are the final “Green Ideas”, at least for now!

Green Website: I have visited a few websites lately that have included their “Green” philosophy and policies. The most notable of these is the Toronto Zoo. I think that this is a great idea because it shows the organization and its management’s commitment to “Go Green”. Their website outlines all the actions the Zoo and its staff is going to take and the benefit derived from these actions. I believe that more festivals, events and attractions should consider their commitment to “Going Green” and then let visitors know what their commitment is. A great example of this is Canada’s Largest Ribfest in Burlington. There website has a special section that tells visitors that they have gone “100% Green”. They then outline everything that they accomplished at their 2008 event!

Signage: Why not use more signage to replace expensive and wasteful paper programs. Most of these are eventually thrown in the garbage. The use of informative well placed signs will enhance your visitors’ event experience. Signs can be used both to direct visitors to specific locations and to inform them what activities are taking place, where they are taking place and when they are taking place. The key to using signage properly is to have enough of them to be truly useful. Organizers should put themselves in the place of out-of-town visitors who know nothing about the town or the event and then place the signs accordingly. Lack of proper signage is the number one mistake festival and event organizers make! Besides, signs can be sponsored and therefore become a profit centre! If you are concerned about promoting your activities, a well designed website with plenty of details and well placed signage should be the trick! If you are still not convinced, try taking a survey of festival/event visitors to see what they think, good signage versus paper programs. I think you will be surprised by their answers, especially if you tell them that you are considering the change in order to help the environment!

Shuttle Service: If you offer a “People Moving” service, is it “Green”? Are the buses you are using gas driven? If they are, you are not “Green” even if they are diesel. Why not consider a more “Green” option! Most communities have horse drawn wagons readily available. These are a lot of fun and certainly “Green”! If you want something a little more exotic, there are electric trains and vehicles available for hire. This option is more expensive, but the benefits are substantial and the “WOW” factor can make your visitors’ event experience that much better. If they enjoyed it, they will likely tell all their friends! Interesting “People Movers” are also easier to sell to prospective sponsors. If you get enough of them you can either reduce or eliminate your expense!

Like I mentioned at the beginning of this “Go Green” article, there are plenty of “Green Ideas” out there. It is up to festival/event organizers and their communities to decide what is best for them. The biggest commitment of all is getting started! Good luck!

Go Green (Part Three)…

2009-08-25T13:59:00.000-04:00

Here are some more “Green Ideas”.
Green Information Booths: Most visitors to a festival or event want to help our environment. The trouble is that many don’t know what they can do “to do their part”. Yes there are plenty of programs on television and articles in magazines and newspapers, but most don’t reach out to the average person. Having a “Green Information Booth” that has real examples of recycling and protecting our environment is one way to help inform people about “Going Green”. I have seen a number of environmental booths at the festivals we have visited. Another unique way is to have “Green Ambassadors”. Two years ago Judi and I visited the Peterborough Festival of Trees. As we exited the festival we were greeted by “Green Ambassadors” and given literature about the festivals “Green Program”! The Ambassadors encouraged us to develop a “Green Program” for ourselves. This was suggested in a fun and thoughtful way!
Compost Bins: Many venues and events are now composting as much of their waste as possible. I heard that Fanshawe Pioneer Village has plans to implement composting. I believe that they are going to work with local farmers to put the compost to good use. The Toronto Zoo has a wonderful “Green Plan”. One of their “Green Programs” includes the “rounding up” of “zoo poo” and converting it to energy. To read about it and their other green programs, you can go to http://www.torontozoo.com/Conservation/green.asp.
Canvas Tote Bags: With plastic bags now being discouraged in most towns and cities, canvas tote bags have become a must. Many festivals and events are jumping on the “Tote Bag” bonanza by selling them to their visitors. Like the recyclable logo water bottles, the logo tote bags are a great way to raise extra money while promoting an event.

Go Green (Part Two)…

2009-08-18T12:25:00.000-04:00

Throughout our travels to Ontario’s festivals and events, we have encountered some great “Green” ideas. Last week I spoke about the importance of Ontario festivals and events “Going Green”. This week and the next few weeks, I am going to share these ideas with you. (Please Note: the festival and event examples that I have mentioned are from my own experience. I know that there are many other festivals and events that offer the same or better “Green Solutions” I hope that they will contact me and let me know their ideas.)
Recycle Bins: I know that this is not a new or unique idea, but it is one of the first steps in “Going Green”. Unbelievably, there are still a number of events that do not recycle! Recycling is not the innovation, but how it’s done can be! Take Fanshawe Pioneer Village as an example, not only do they recycle, but they so it in a very unique way. Fanshawe is a heritage village and wants to depict the 1800’s as they were. So, having a bunch of blue recycle bins placed around their grounds would not help their authenticity! Instead, they have built a number of authentic looking structures that hold both garbage and recycling! The recycling is there and so is the heritage look! (See Photos)

Potable Water: More and more events are seeing plastic water bottles as a “waste”, both in the use of manufacturing energy and long term land fill. As a result, some festivals and events are bringing in large containers of potable water for their visitors. Although we haven’t visited the Hillside Folk Festival in Guelph yet, I understand that they have been doing this for a number of years. The Toronto Zoo has also brought in potable water.

Re-Usable Water Bottles: In conjunction with the potable water, both the Hillside Folk Festival and the Toronto Zoo are selling re-usable water bottles with their logos imprinted on them. They get two bonuses while helping preserve our planet, profit from the sale of the water bottles and advertising with the logo imprints.

Re-usable Plates and Cutlery: Some festivals are now only selling food on re-usable plates with re-usable cutlery. By doing this they are drastically reducing the amount of waste. The Shelter Valley Folk Festival does this and has been for a number of years. When their festival first began, they invested in plates, glasses and cutlery. Now all of their food vendors are required to us festivals plates and cutlery. Lang Pioneer Village at their Dine and Shine event offered a variation of this idea. They encouraged visitors to the event to bring their own plates and cutlery. All those that did had a chance to receive a great prize. This was a well received “Green Promotion”!