Events Planning of the Bundaleer Forest Music Festival - Case Study Example

Executive summary There are various issues that make events successful from a management and planning perspective. These include how well the event is planned and marketed, how well the event is strategically planned and marketed to the right customers, how well the event can attract sponsors, how sustainable the process and even how well it logistics are handled. All these are some of these issues that can make an event successful on not. The current reflection of an event, Bundaleer Forest Music Festival, achieved much of its success from proper planning though a lot need to be done to improve the experience for participants. Introduction The events industry in Australia and around the world is growing pretty fast and so are the challenges and the issues facing it. Increased government regulation and increased involvement of the corporate world plus a more conscious consumer has made the industry more complex. Event managers are now required to identify and service a wider range of stakeholders and to balance their objectives and needs in respect to the event (Getz, Andersson & Larson 2002). The industry in Australia has been on an upward growth path with the number of events rising. These events target different market segments including local and international tourists. Some of the festivals are hinged on celebrating the Aboriginal culture while others are on celebrating modern art such as music, poetry and painting. The Adelaide Fringe Festival for instance celebrates modern art while the Bundaleer Forest Music Festival celebrates music, camping and environment conservation. The event planning requirements for such events are largely different. This paper thus presents my insights into the events planning of the Bundaleer Forest Music Festival based on my experience at the event last but one year supported by relevant literature. Event marketing Any single event must be marketed around a unique idea that motivates target visitors to participate (Bowen & Daniels 2005). The festival promises to offer experience in music in a totally different environment and also combining camping enthusiasts with the somehow classical and operatic music. The Bundaleer Forest Music Festival is organized by the Bundaleer Forest community which comprises residents of Jamestown involved in the forest’s conservation. The fact that Australia offers may pristine camping sites and wide range of music and performers makes one question why tourists would be interested in the festival. In line with Quinn (2013), such an event combines a number of activities to give a unique blend to tourists in what the author calls a ‘commodified condensation’ that as to fit in time and place. Therefore, the key selling point of the Bundaleer Forest Music festival is its ability to combine music, camping and conservation in the forest. The value proposition of an event must be worthwhile to participants and must be good value for money where entrance fees are charged (Quinn (2013). The Bundaleer event offers classical and opera-like music to the visitors. For this reason, the marketing of the event targets families. This in line with Molloy’s views that “In terms of attending festivals, family and social benefits such as fun and excitement, family outings and socialising and relaxation, seemed to be the most important motivational dimensions” (2002, p. 3). Bowen and Daniels warn that it is risky to market a music festival on music itself or a specific artist to draw large festival crowds. The product offer in this case is not just music or performances but the experience itself. The product offer thus matches the needs of families and marketing message captures such. Last year for instance, the performers included Peter Combe, pre-school favourites The Fairies, and Noises for Kids with Humphrey Bea. As a camping event, the festival allows visitors to enjoy camping at music in their real elements. For the Saturday Night Twilight concert, individuals book plastic chairs or use haystacks. The plastic chairs were offered at an additional fee. However, most of the visitors from what I observed enjoyed sitting on a bale of hay as it offered more flexibility in positions. The use of hay for sitting added to the experience. It allowed city dwellers an opportunity to experience rural event. Furthermore, it added to the feel of being environmentally responsive by using bio-degradable hay as opposed to plastic chairs. Strategic marketing Strategic marketing according to Allen (2011, p.262) is the process by which an event organisation aligns the marketing resources available to the event organisation with the environments in which they occur, in order to fulfil the needs of event consumers and to achieve the event’s objectives” (TOUR2009 SP2). In essence it relates to how the event is matched to the needs of the target consumers and how the event will fulfil those needs in time. The strategy in this event is based on bringing nature lovers, music lovers, cultural and music enthusiasts together. This is an ideal family gathering that enables families and groups to enjoy a feel of a camping holiday in a secluded place yet enjoy music in the company of others. The music performers at the event are also indicative of the strategy used by the event organizers: offering an alternative to contemporary music festivals and camping experiences. This is done with a feel of the local aboriginal culture in the people who perform. In my visit, I was able to see a group of Ngadjuri women ‘The Crows’, give a traditional musical performance. A number of unique musical instruments were used to give unique sounds and were also on display for visitors to tray them out. Other performances included contemporary music blended with traditional music, dance, and storytelling that enriched the ceremony with a sense of awareness of the environment, the past, the present and anticipating the future. Media marketing Successful publicizing of an event earns it free advertising opportunities and free editorial reviews (Edwards 2004). The fact that I had never heard about the event until last year made me question the media marketing management capabilities of the event. Proper media management for events build reputations, create reputations and can destroy them. One avenue through which the vent can gain free publicity is capitalizing on the celebrity music performers at the event. Some popular celebrities have performed in the event in the past though the event itself rarely benefited from their presence. The product offer though to some extent is not comparatively rich compared to other festivals which offer a wide range of activities. The narrow product offer by the Bundaleer Forest Music festival could have denied the event the necessary free publicity through public relations. The event has not been able to attract media hype other than its launch. Event organizers have to hire publicists with contacts in the media industry and who can use the contacts to the benefit of the event. The fact that the event has not been able to receive significant media coverage shows that the media management for the vent has been poor. Location and logistics Shore and Parry (2004) indicate one of the key determinants of the success of an event is its location and its accessibility. The authors note that event managers must ensure that their target market can access the event and that the event is located in a place where key services not offered by the event organizers can be accessed. In the case of the Bundaleer event, the event itself is heavily ted to the venue. The Bundaleer Forest Music event cannot be located in a different location other than the Bundaleer Forest. For one, the name of the event is tied to the forest. Secondly, the product offer which includes mainly camping and music cannot be separated. Shore and Parry also indicate that the venue must be capable of facilitating logistics issues. The movement of people and amenities to the site at the Bundaleer Festival was well managed. The tenets were easily accessible and the plastic chairs were also available at an additional fee. Majority of the people used their own vehicles for movement to the event. However, the event organizers offered vehicles for hire. Over the two day period, visitors could drive, cycle or even walk to Jamestown if need be which is only a few kilometres away. Sustainability Event managers have little time for sustainability planning. Brooks, Halloran and Magnin (2007) say that much efforts and resources are dedicated to make the event a success that not many event mangers and planners are aware of the environment al impact of their events. However, in the Bundaleer Forest Music Festival things are different. Sustainability is a core issue and consideration evident in various stages. A baseline assessment of the festival’s critical material and energy needs and aligning them to the natural order of things in the environment is critical. In the Bundaleer festival, the use of haystacks for sitting arrangements reduces the need for plastic chairs for the event. Alternatively, it offers city dwellers a traditional rural farm experience. In term of sustainability, the haystacks have no negative impact on the environment, as they are biodegradable. Another way that the event operates in a sustainable manner is in terms of lighting and educating participants on sustainability. The lighting at the event is minimal. This allows that a significant amount of energy is saved while at the same time creating a livid environment for the visitors. The nature trails and camp sites are dotted with warnings on how to keep the environment clean and safe. Litter bins are provided along the trails and on the campsites. Visitors are warned against littering and tramping on young trees and keeping along the nature trails to avoid disturbing the ecological balance in the forest. The event also sets up an example to the visitors on ways that they can exist in harmony with nature and preserve it for future generations. This is contained in pamphlets distributed during the event that educate people and especially children on the importance of forests and the need to preserve them. Sponsorship For events to be successful, they must be exciting enough to attract sponsorship from various sources. George defines sponsorship as the “provision of financial or material support by a company for some independent activity not usually directly linked to the company’s normal business, but sport for which the sponsoring company will hope to benefit” (cited in Quinn, p. 266). As a community program targeting financing conservation efforts in the forest, the event was sponsored by several corporate entities including Energy in Action, SAKids parenting magazine, Energy Australia, the government of South Australia, Apex Australia, Belalie Wines, Mid North Accounting and Fairfax Media among others (Bundaleer 2013). Such a huge number of sponsors ensure that the event organizers have enough financial backing to make the event successful. Where few or no sponsors are present, the cost of running the event may be solely placed on customers through higher ticket prices. This would eventually make the event too costly and hence very few visitors. Quinn (2013) indicates that where location of events changes, the contributions of sponsors ranges very highly. From this perspective, by the event being located in one place places it a risk of losing sponsors in the future. Conclusion From the discussion above, it is apparent that there are many issues that go into event panning. Having a successful event does not solely depend on the number of people who attend but also on the event meeting its goal. Be repeatedly meeting its goal, an event ensures a return visitors. However, the event must be marketed properly taking into consideration that event marketing combines both destination marketing and event marketing. The Bundaleer Forest Music Festival not only markets the forest as picnic site but also seeks to sensitive cultural consciousness and environmental protection combined with relaxing music and environment. Its ability to attract a host of sponsors also point to its success. Though the number of visitors has been dropping according to past visitor figures, if media management issues are handled properly the event has a very high potential. Recommendations There is need for future events are planned in a way they gain free publicity. This can be achieved by hiring an experienced publicist who can ensure that the event receives free publicity on major media outlets. This will increase participants in the event and increase awareness among local and international tourists about the event. There is need to engage participants more during the event. For instance by holding some competitions for children at the event such singing and playing instruments. This will make the event more all-rounded by having participants play an active role. (2095 words). References Brooks, S., O’Halloran, D. & Magnin, A. (2007) The sustainable music festival - a strategic guide. [online] Retrieved from www.eventisostenibili.it/sites/default/files/MusicFestivalsGuidebook.pdf‎ Bowen, H. & Daniels, D. (2005) does the music matter? Motivations for attending a music festival. Event management 9, (3); 155-164. Bundaleer Forest Music Festival. (2013). About us. [online] retrieved online from http://www.bundaleerfestival.com.au/ Edwards, M. (2003) Key ideas in media. London: Nelson Thornes Getz, D., Andersson, T. & Larson, M. (2002) Festival Stakeholder Roles: Concepts and Case Studies. Event management 10, (2); 103-122. Molloy, J. 2002) Regional Festivals: A look at community support, the isolation factor and funding sources. The Journal of Tourism Studies 13, (2) 2-14. Shore, A. & Parry, B. (2004). Successful event management: a practical handbook. Sydney: Cengage Leaning. Quinn, B. (2013) Key Concepts in Event Management. Sydney: Sage. Appendix Event Experience LOG Experience Log 1 Name of event Adelaide Fringe Festival Type of event Arts event Location of event Adelaide Date of event experience Feb 13th 2013 With whom did you go to the event? My cousin and his family Event experience The Adelaide Fringe Festival is one of the leading arts festivals in the world. The event brings together over 4000 artists from different genres. Some of the major genres showcased include cabaret, comedy, circus and physical theatre, dance, film, theatre, puppetry, music, visual art and design. I attended this year’s show together with my uncle’s family and I was amazed with the rich mixture of art genres. However, having attended the festival several years ago, I did not find much difference to the experience on offer. This is because the desire for many people to move one venue to the other makes it cumbersome. Although the festival had been widely marketed in various media channels, the actual motivation behind attending the festival was because one of my cousins was performing. I have attended the festival in the past and noted that there is a lot to offer for all age groups. Relevant event management concept I noted that the wide range of genres was one of the festival’s weak points. This is problematic because these events are held in different areas from cinemas to streets and parks. As a result, the whole city becomes chaotic traffic literally crawls. The numerous genres also denied the festival a chance to target a specific niche market for a particular genre of art. However, the most interesting thing about the festival which I do not think go well with the economic impact of the festival was the fact that majority of the people who attended the festival are local people. This could probably pinpoint failed market abroad. Experience log 2 Name of event Bundaleer Forest Music Festival Type of event Music festival Location of event Bundaleer Festival Date of event experience April 8th 2011 With whom did you go to the event? My family Event experience The Bundaleer Festival is South Australia’s largest regional arts event marked in every month of March over two days. This event offers music enthusiasts a rare opportunity to experience music in a totally uncharacteristic setting, the forest. The event is both community development-focused and also tourist focused. Therefore, by attending the festival, I felt I have contributed towards environmental conservation as the local people protect the forest and also enjoyed live music in a serene environment. Although I knew of the event in the past through adverts and flyers, I attended last year’s show as I felt I needed to play my part in environmental conservation and fighting climate change. Through this festival, I found away to fulfil my desire of playing an active role in fighting global warming by purchasing the ticket to the festival. This is because the community involvement in conserving the Bundaleer forest is evident. Relevant event management concept The festival was a perfect illustration of good planning and niche market targeting. Unlike the Adelaide Fringe, this festival attracts a relatively small crowd of about two thousand people. The organizers limit the number of visitors, as they are conscious of the event’s potential impact on the forest environment. The event was also a perfect example matching the event to the market. This is evident in the fact night shows were perfect match to the adults where the daytime activities featured children entertainment with preschool bands and entertainers. The performers in the event were also for classical music targeting the upper middle class. Read More