Every music festival relies on a multitude of specialist contractors to supply everything they need to put on a successful event. There are hundreds of suppliers to choose from and each will be selected based on a variety of factors. Are there more cost-efficient ways of appointing contractors by considering a supplier who can provide more than just one service. 

The food and beverage vendor is usually the most prevalent vendor found on any festival site. This is driven by the need to feed and water tens of thousands of hungry festival-goers over a 3 or 4 day period. What options are available for catering vendors who do not want to invest in purchasing their own mobile kitchen.

Contractors who supply the festival sector usually obtain business from their relationships with organisers. With over 600 festivals taking place in the UK every year there are plenty of sales opportunities for contractors to get more business. Securing a higher value deal with a large festival however, may require going through a tender process.

As music festivals get ever bigger having strategically placed video walls ensure that all festival-goers get a good view of the on-stage action. What's involved in getting video walls installed on a festival site and what are the key benefits derived by festival-goers and festival organisers.

Numerous performance artists write and perform their own material but if they are a solo performer the use of session musicians is an essential part of studio recording and live performances. What is it like to be a session musician, how do they get started and what part do they play in the live entertainment industry.

Every festival uses their social media channels to promote and market their events and create followers and fans. These channels can also be problematic should something go wrong at a festival with bad news quickly going viral. How can organisers manage their social media channels to their benefit.

Festival organisers should never stand still when running events year on year because too many things can change that affect overall financial performance. How can organisers determine what improvements to make and how do they implement them in a cost-effective manner.

The revenue earned by festival organisers from vendor pitches makes up a significant portion of their overall income. How can festival organisers build and manage their vendor packages to make them attractive to potential vendors whilst controlling costs and providing services that festival-goers want  

Pride events are a fixture in most western cities every year and can last anywhere from a week to month. Increasingly popular are the associated Pride Festivals which are often the highlight of celebrations, how are these festival events evolving to accept corporate brand involvement along with appealing to wider audiences.

No music festival is complete without its branded flags and banners that help promote the event’s image and brand. How much should organisers invest in their on-site branding and how can this be managed in a cost-effective manner to get the biggest impact without blowing the budgets. 

The UK has one of the most vibrant festival sectors in the world and continues to expand. There has been a steady flow of new festivals announced on a regular basis since the end of the coronavirus pandemic. What does analysis of the UK festival scene reveal for 2022 and how can this data be interpreted.

Understanding the trends in the music industry can play an important part in the success of a music festival. Organisers should do their best to anticipate which artists and genres they should focus on when curating their performance artists for forthcoming events as this will make them more attractive and easier to market to festival-goers.

Sustainability and the impact of events on the environment is growing in importance with event-goers looking for action from organisers. This growth in awareness led to the creation of Isla in 2019 who’s aim is to collaboratively address the challenges of the climate crisis and focus on sustainability by supporting the transition to sustainable events.

The tribute act has been a firm fixture on many music festivals for years and their popularity continues to persevere. Why are these musicians and performance artists so popular and how are music festival organisers integrating them into events to satisfy audience demand.  

Operating a music festival can generate substantial revenues and continues to draw new players into the industry. With more than 30% of music festivals now operated by one of the large corporate players what do organisers of independently owned festivals need to do to improve their operational procedures to successfully compete.  

Volunteers are the key backbone of any music festival and many events would not take place without them. Some festival organisers may be facing a shortage of volunteers for festival season in 2022. What is causing this and how can organisers ensure they have a sufficient number of volunteers for their events.

Music festival tickets are getting a reputation for being overpriced and festival-goers are increasingly balancing their desire to attend an event against affordability. What strategies can festival organisers put in place to arrive at an optimum price that generates sufficient revenue but remains attractive to potential ticket buyers.

A significant cost element for any music festival is the expense of hiring the venue space and for many organisers this can be difficult to control and predict. What steps can organises take to secure a cost-effective venue space that fits their requirements for location, size and infrastructure.  

Most music festival organisations plan and implement marketing campaigns using their online social media accounts. Organisers can create and control these channels but there are numerous unofficial online communities too, how can organisers control and influence these unofficial groups.

The quantity of data collected by event and festival organisers is vast and with more transactions and information exchanged online the risk of attack form hackers is increasing. Having the right data protocols and cybersecurity measures in place is key to protecting that data which in turn protects event-goers and organising entities too  

The demographics attributable to particular genres of music are key elements in planning artistic content for music festivals. There are so many diverse genres around the world and the demographics are constantly changing, what are the latest trends and how could this impact on genre and artist selection for festival organisers.

A key element of any festival is compliance with any prevailing health and safety regulations which includes the management of any incidents likely to affect anyone on-site. Effective planning and reporting are essential aspects for successful incident management but how can organisers improve this. 

The festival run sheets and production schedules can take many forms but for any festival they are an essential part of managing numerous operational aspects of the festival’s on-site tasks. What steps can festival organisers take to manage their run sheets to ensure that everything happens when it should in an efficient manner. 

The potential dangers of fires breaking out at a crowded event always needs to be taken seriously. Festival organisers should ensure their event planning includes the provision for fire prevention and safety that complies with any prevailing regulations as well as reassuring all site visitors that their safety is a prime concern. 

The heart of every music festival is the selection of artists booked to appear as this can determine the popularity of the event and number of tickets sold. How can organisers balance the artists curated to ensure that the content will appeal to festival-goers and lead to commercial success.

As music festivals get ever larger and more complex organisers are turning more and more to CAD to help them accurately plan and map a festival site. CAD has been around for many years but what do organisers new to this need to know about the technology and how it can help in their planning process 

The use of Two-way radios has been a fixture of large festivals for decades and organisers still see them as a vital part of on-site communications. With the advances in mobile phone technology do on-site Two-way radios still have a role to play in the festival site communications infrastructure. 

Around 1.2% of the population suffer from some form of epilepsy. The dangers for suffers is greatly increased when attending live entertainment where light shows are used. What can music festival organisers do to manage this risk to ensure the safety and wellbeing of festival-goers prone to seizures.

There has been much coverage in the media recently about the inflationary pressures on global economies which are leading to rising costs. How can music festival organisers manage their budgets in 2022 and beyond to protect the financial contribution and earnings of their business operations.

As part of the ticket sales process buyers are informed that they must comply with the terms and conditions of sale. These rules can be quite comprehensive and are usually a key part of the festival website. What are the rules of the festival that organisers should include to cover most eventualities.