Festival or Event Planning Guide

MY OBJECTIVE TO CHOOSE A FESTIVAL a Festival?

The why is probably decided at this point but you will want to formalize this in
writing. You may also want to consider combining several of the why’s in your
stated objectives.

It is very important to keep these objectives in mind during the planning and
execution of your event. As decisions are made these defined objectives will help
guide you.

There are several basic reasons to plan a festival or event.

1. To Make Money
This could be a for-profit event or to generate funds for other public good.
(another event, refurbish a historic building, a community center etc.)
2. To Create a Community Event
This helps to increase the quality of life for your community.
3. Economic Impact
Events can have a positive impact on the economy of your community by
bringing money into the local economy. Tourism dollars are said to turn
over 7 times in a community, generating additional tax dollars helping to
keep your taxes down.
4. For Education
Communities come together for an event to emphasize local historic
events, benefits of area natural resources or any topic chosen.

Festival or Event Planning Guide

Where To Start

The old saying "Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail" was never so true than for an
event.

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a festival. It also wasn't built by one
person. That’s where the committees and volunteers come in.

You have to start somewhere so why not the local government; city, town, and/or
county. The local chamber, cvb or tourism board and civic organizations need to
have the opportunity to be involved.

Everyone needs to be on the bandwagon. Everyone that is, that has a genuine
interest and shares the same goals has dedication and commitment. A variety of
talents and skills from the community will equal a successful festival or event.

It is a good idea to first have a meeting of anyone interested in seeing the event
put on. This does not need to be only those that would help, but anyone that cares
enough to express their ideas. This meeting is more for generating interest in and
getting ideas of what, where and when. This is the first opportunity to get some
talk going about the event.

Publicize this meeting the best you can. Local newspapers and radio, chamber
newsletters and personal phone calls will all help. At the meeting you will need to
get everyone's name, phone and email address. This will allow you to have a base
of interested people when it comes time to forming the organization and getting
future volunteers. Don't ignore this. There is nothing worse than somebody letting
you know they are interested and then never hearing back from an event.

At this meeting give an overview of Why a Festival or Event, Potential Themes and
when. Get some feedback and open the floor for ideas. These are the ideas that will
make your event successful.

Be prepared to announce when and where your second meeting will be for the
purpose of nailing down the theme, date and the name of the event. You may not
get there in only one more meeting but it will set the direction and a purpose. Ask
for volunteers that will help with the next meeting.

And then Communicate. You can start on the right foot by keeping everyone
informed. It does not matter if they are involved in a decision, but let them know
about it. This keeps the interest up and sure helps when it is time to form
committees and get volunteers.

Choosing a Theme and Name

Now that you have decided to hold a festival, you must choose a theme and a name for your event.

If you have something that is unique to your community that is of interest to a diverse, enthusiastic
group from your town, this may be a great way to go. The ability to get people involved is certainly
easier if they are more interested in the theme.

Is there something with natural beauty or something out of the ordinary? Is there a landmark, historic
home or anything that is indigenous to the area that your event can be built around?

Themes can fall into a wide variety of categories

 Anything Creative
 Local History
 Ethnic or Cultural
 Agriculture
 Holidays or Seasonal Events
 Arts, Crafts & Hobbies
 Music & The Arts
 Local Industry
 Natural Resources

It does not have to be a really clever name, but something unique or even whacky that will catch the
eye of festival goers. A unique name will go a long way in helping you promote your event. Of course
the shorter the name the better.

When choosing a name, gather your group and let the names fly, encourage off the wall or crazy
names. Keep at it until there is a nice list from which to choose.

Then discuss which theme to choose based on how easy it may be

 To promote it, this year and in future years

  To develop a variety of activities around it
 To garner volunteers to assist
 To get sponsorship money

When your group is all on board, then let it be done.

Don't allow anyone to make you second guess yourself. 
Choosing a Time for your Festival

When choosing a time and date for your event, take into consideration factors like weather and any
local or regional events that may conflict.

Get feedback from your Chamber of Commerce, CVB, local government and the regional and state
tourism agencies and certainly check here for any events at the same time.

Location, Location, Location

There are many things to keep in mind when choosing a location.

Size: large enough to accommodate the activities but not so large that there are vast spaces between
activities. Parks, fair grounds and downtown areas are commonly used.

Accessibility: One-lane bridges, narrow roads or anywhere a bottleneck may occur are not a good
idea. Remember that the area should be near prospective attendees.

Parking: If you are expecting 10,000 attendees there are usually 3 people to a car. That’s over 3000
cars. It’s also necessary to remember handicap parking spaces. You’ll want to make sure that the
parking and the festival are not in a flood area.

Human Traffic: People must be able to move freely from on area to another.

Before choosing the site walk every foot of the site. Make sure that you are able to correct any
potential safety problems. Check for holes, rotten trees that may fall, discarded or dumped items, etc.

Once the festival site is chosen, draw it out to scale on a large sheet of paper. Include trees, power
lines, hydrants, roads, sidewalks and any other large fixture on the site. Then set up the base map.
Location of the entrance, concession stands, entertainment, exhibits, concessions, first aid station,
and restrooms.

Important things to remember:

Restrooms: Location is the key. They need to be convenient to the attendees. Keep them in clusters.
Mark them well ‘Men’ and ‘Women’. There should be more ‘Women’ then 'Men'. They should be well
supplied and routinely checked.

Electrical: Know what your electrical needs are and the availability of it. This helps in establishing the
positioning of the entertainment and food vendors.

Noise: If there is to be loud entertainment it needs to be separated from the exhibit area. How late
will your entertainment perform and how close to a residential area are you? Are there any city
ordinances about noise?
 Resting/Picnic Areas: Provide benches or even picnic tables in shady areas. When attendees are hot
or tired you want them to rest, not leave. Anticipate the need for attendees to sit and eat. You don't
want people not to purchase food because there is no place to eat.

Information Booth: Right inside the festival area would be a good place. Pamphlets and flyers can
be distributed. They could also handled lost and found items.

First Aid You will need a first aid area to tend to injuries that may happen. Even if your named first
aid area is part of the information area, you need to make sure it is well marked. Be prepared to
bandage minor cuts etc. Parents will remember how well prepared you were.

Handicap Visitors: Consider the structural needs of physical handicap visitors.

Trash Containers: There can never be enough trash containers. They must be conveniently placed
throughout the site and emptied on a regular basis.

Now that you have all these things considered, go to the site with the map and you will be able to
visualize it. Make sure that every area can be accommodated.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions
things you'll need:
 Computer with internet access
 Marketing materials
1. Plan Your Event - Date, Time, Place, Marketing and Funding

o 1
Set a date. The first step in planning any festival is to set a date--and stick with it. Spring festivals
can be tricky, especially if held outdoors, since the weather can be unpredictable. Whether you're
having an indoor or outdoor festival, consult calendars of other events in your area (check in
newspapers and with your Chamber of Commerce), weather reports, and the availability of the site
you'd like. When you're sure of the date, set the date and the time, allowing room in the morning and
evening for setup and cleanup.

o 2
Create a detailed plan outline for your fair. This should include the major areas of site selection and
preparation; marketing and advertising; sponsorships and funding sources; participants; volunteer
organization; equipment needs; and a plan for setup, execution and cleanup. Each area of your
outline should include a list of things to do, a timetable for accomplishment and a column showing
who will be responsible for that task.
o 3
Select and prepare your site. This occurs immediately after your selection of the date and time.
Where will your fair be held? Make sure the property is available by checking with the owner or
management company. Reserve the date (as well as the day before and the day after, to be safe)
with the owner or company. Next, ensure you obtain any necessary permits, licenses or
other legal documents necessary for the execution of a festival. This can include ABC permits for the
sale of alcohol, musical performance permits, fire department inspector permits, food inspector
permits, and others. You can find out more by contacting your local town, city or county offices, or
your local health department.

o 4
Begin marketing and advertising at least six months in advance of the festival. Check with wider,
regional publications first, as they are more likely to have earlier deadlines. Then make sure you
know the deadlines for your local papers, radio stations, magazines, and internet sources. Online
networking sites, like "Facebook" and "MySpace," can be beneficial and inexpensive marketing
tools, and your local chamber of commerce, government offices, and neighborhood associations can
be good resources for where and how to advertise locally. Plan to announce your call for participants
(musicians, vendors, or other people involved in presenting at the fair) at least three months ahead
of time. The key to any successful marketing campaign is a set-in-stone logo, simple and easy to
identify, as well as three or four lines of vital information that can be used on every document you
create. Place your logo on forms, postcards, flyers, ads, banners, merchandise and anywhere else
you're advertising your event.

o 5
Find funding. Sponsorship and funding sources should be clarified within the first month of planning.
How much money will you need for your fair? Consider marketing and advertising costs, including
printing; costs for permits; costs for renting the site; equipment rental or purchase; and the purchase
of supplies. Overestimate everything you'll need, as there are always hidden costs in an event of any
size. Then, decide whether you need event sponsors, private funding or grants to obtain that
amount. Many local organizations offer small grants to event planners, and private funding from
yourself or someone you know is always an option. If you feel you'll need sponsors, decide how
you'll repay their sponsorship (logo advertisement, merchandise and banners) and make sure to
contact them by at least four months from the event date.

2. Bring on the Fun Part - Participants, Volunteers, Equipment

and the Big Day!

o 1
Create forms for participating vendors or musicians using a word processing or graphic design
program. Make sure to ask for all their contact information, a sample or description of their work, a
clear statement of application fees, and any insurance or liability waivers required by the site. Some
events must be covered by event insurance, which can be found from local associations. Begin
advertising for participants early, and have a set deadline for their applications. Know how many
vendors or performers you can safely accomodate, and how much you'll need to charge to make a
profit on the event. Keep track of all applications and make contact with the participants as you
receive them to follow up with information about the fair. Email lists work very well for this.

o 2
 Organize and recruit volunteers to help with planning and to carry off the fair--setting up, cleaning
up, and helping out while the big day is going on. Volunteers can also be used to market and
advertise by placing flyers, doing internet and word-of-mouth advertising, and contacting papers and
magazines with press releases and requests for features. Volunteers will be an essential part of
every event, so make sure you've done all you can to reward them--arrange a free lunch, offer them
a t-shirt or other merchandise, or give free admission tickets to them for friends and family. You can
find volunteers through local advertisements, or by contacting university and secondary schools,
who often maintain lists of volunteer opportunties for students.

o 3
Prioritize your equipment and rental needs. Equipment can be a stumbling block for many future
event planners. Outdoor events can require tents, which are expensive to rent but prevent the event
from being canceled in case of bad weather, and portable stages, which may be hard to come by.
You may want to provide tables, chairs, booth spaces, trash cans, recycling bins, portable toilets,
electrical access for food vendors, or other equipment. Identify every item you'll need before you
advertise, and begin acquiring equipment immediately. If you have a budget to work with, you may
choose to rent the equipment from a party rental source--most regions have at least one or two
stores serving them, which you can find using a simple Internet search. You can also ask to borrow
or rent at low cost from church or student groups, neighborhood associations, chambers of
commerce, universities, and other local sources. Make sure you have a crew of volunteers who can
pick up and return equipment the week surrounding your event.

o 4
Check your lists and plans. Last-minute checks of everything should begin at least one week in
advance. You'll be responsible for making sure everyone you delegated responsibilities to has
completed their tasks, and you'll be required to vouch for the permits and paperwork necessary to
make sure the whole thing goes off without a hitch.

o 5
Enjoy yourself and relax. The most important thing you can do is to enjoy the big day. Every event is
bound to see a few mistakes during the day--but it's important to remember that you can't make
everything perfect. Remember to sleep well the night before, eat a good meal or two during the
event, and thank everyone who's helped make the spring festival go perfectly! Thank-you cards to all
participating vendors, musicians, inspectors, permitters, sponsors, funding sources, and volunteers
are a good idea. And when it's over, get ready to plan one for the summer, fall or winter.

Read more: How to Plan a Spring Festival | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4499124_plan-spring-

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