2. Marketing Festivals
Helen Palmer - palmersquared Avril Baker - Bristol International Festival of Kites & Air Creations

3. Helen Palmer - Festival experience:
Manchester International Festival
Cultureshock (Commonwealth Games NW Cultural Programme)
Liverpool Biennial
British Ceramics Biennial
Shisha: Asian Triennial Manchester
EuroPride
Futuresonic
Manchester Food & Drink Festival
CPD for Cumbrian festivals including: Potfest, Maryport Blues Festival, Cumbria Guitar Show, Cumberland County Show, Sedburgh Book Town, Word Market
Previous board member: queerupnorth, Manchester Jazz Festival

4. Top tips for marketing festivals: new or established
Be clear who is responsible for marketing & PR
Set realistic aims, objectives (SMART), targets
What’s the budget?
Importance of partnerships
Don’t leave it to the last minute – plan early
Difference between new & existing – no brand currency, no public awareness, no partnerships, no funding - but never enough time, Example – MIF 3 pre-festival commissions
Responsibility for marketing – local authority, external event organiser or joint marketing collaborations, who takes the strategic lead, how do sign off procedures work for campaign delivery – Example of Liverpool Biennial: Biennial team, venues, Cap of Culture, Mersey Partnership, NWDA, or MCC Pillar event status
Aims, objs, targets – learn from previous festivals and events, balancing profile with ticket sales/attendance and local engagement: needs of local authorities/regional development agencies/arts funders/sponsors/media partners, Example - MIF
You can still do great things on small budgets, but don’t waste money – remember to be strategic, the principles are the same no matter the size of the event, but need to prioritise
Can’t deliver without partnerships: public, private, voluntary but be clear why you’re going into a partnership, what are the mutual benefits and who will manage the relationships and need to nurture year round, leverage in-kind marketing support, e.g. free adverts, direct mail, e-shots, online links, free editorial, street dressing, e.g. MIF sponsors etc
Can’t stress enough the need to plan early – use of gantt charts or appropriate method

5. Create strong visual identity Differentiation & positioning
Brand
Create strong visual identity
Differentiation & positioning
Truth & authenticity
Target audiences
‘something for everyone’!
Profiling & segmentation – you don’t need to be an expert
If new, need to create a strong proposition that differentiates your festival from other festivals – crowded marketplace, e.g. MIF
Your visual identity is not your brand – it’s just the visual representation, the brand is what people think of you – can you help to influence that? Example of British Ceramics Biennial
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
Targeting audiences – even McDonalds uses target segmentation. MIF example – segmentation by attitude to risk, use of new technologies and especially online marketing, social networking

6. Year round communications Keep in touch: partners, media, audiences
Database development & maintenance
Maximising opportunities & not wasting resources
Festival buzz
Keep momentum going
Volunteers & word of mouth
Don’t skimp on evaluation
Need to keep lines of communication open – easier in the long-run otherwise starting from scratch each time: added challenge if biennial or even triennial event, but importance of networking & online comms
Boring but valuable – database
Careful budget management in the months in between festivals – ignore cheap advertising offers that don’t fit with the plan!
Don’t stop marketing when the festival starts, need to keep going till it finishes
Have an input into training of volunteers so that they have key marketing messages, make them feel valued, e.g. MIF
Evaluation – setting benchmarks for new festivals, inform future planning, funding reqs, PR value, e.g. MIF, BCB, Liverpool Biennial

7. Avril Baker - Festival experience:
Bristol Wine and Food Fair
Bristol International Festival of Kites and Air Creations
Largest specialist kite event in the UK
23RD year
Attracts over 40,000+
Appeals to the kite community and general public

8. Marketing your event on a limited budget
Maximise editorial opportunities not paid for advertising
Look for partnerships/links/contra deals
Media partners
Star attractions
Visitor organisations
Increasing use of online for news information
Reaching wider audience (website, listings etc)
Use printed promotional material sparingly
Brochures
Flyers
Posters
Difference between new & existing – no brand currency, no public awareness, no partnerships, no funding - but never enough time, Example – MIF 3 pre-festival commissions
Responsibility for marketing – local authority, external event organiser or joint marketing collaborations, who takes the strategic lead, how do sign off procedures work for campaign delivery – Example of Liverpool Biennial: Biennial team, venues, Cap of Culture, Mersey Partnership, NWDA, or MCC Pillar event status
Aims, objs, targets – learn from previous festivals and events, balancing profile with ticket sales/attendance and local engagement: needs of local authorities/regional development agencies/arts funders/sponsors/media partners, Example - MIF
You can still do great things on small budgets, but don’t waste money – remember to be strategic, the principles are the same no matter the size of the event, but need to prioritise
Can’t deliver without partnerships: public, private, voluntary but be clear why you’re going into a partnership, what are the mutual benefits and who will manage the relationships and need to nurture year round, leverage in-kind marketing support, e.g. free adverts, direct mail, e-shots, online links, free editorial, street dressing, e.g. MIF sponsors etc
Can’t stress enough the need to plan early – use of gantt charts or appropriate method

9. Increasing media coverage
Good images/clear information for journalists to use
Print
Broadcast
Online
Be aware of lead in times for publications and allow for media interviews/photo calls especially in the run up to the event
Look for story angles: regional participants, children involved, charity involvement
Ensure event is included in regional and national listings and event programmes
If new, need to create a strong proposition that differentiates your festival from other festivals – crowded marketplace, e.g. MIF
Your visual identity is not your brand – it’s just the visual representation, the brand is what people think of you – can you help to influence that? Example of British Ceramics Biennial
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
Targeting audiences – even McDonalds uses target segmentation. MIF example – segmentation by attitude to risk, use of new technologies and especially online marketing, social networking

10. Local press and media facing cutbacks Less space to fill
What’s changing?
Local press and media facing cutbacks
Less space to fill
Work harder to get coverage
Increasing use of online sites for information
Own website
Links
Difficulty in securing advertising/sponsorship to support promotional materials
Increasing scope for social networking
Need to keep lines of communication open – easier in the long-run otherwise starting from scratch each time: added challenge if biennial or even triennial event, but importance of networking & online comms
Boring but valuable – database
Careful budget management in the months in between festivals – ignore cheap advertising offers that don’t fit with the plan!
Don’t stop marketing when the festival starts, need to keep going till it finishes
Have an input into training of volunteers so that they have key marketing messages, make them feel valued, e.g. MIF
Evaluation – setting benchmarks for new festivals, inform future planning, funding reqs, PR value, e.g. MIF, BCB, Liverpool Biennial

11. Ensure exhibitors/sponsors etc are an integral part of the event
Sponsorship advice
Ensure exhibitors/sponsors etc are an integral part of the event
Don’t “sell out” to cover costs eg poor quality food concessions as lose integrity of event
Sponsors can end up COSTING MONEY! Re demands, expectations and perceptions of volunteers/expecting payment
Consider sampling as revenue
If new, need to create a strong proposition that differentiates your festival from other festivals – crowded marketplace, e.g. MIF
Your visual identity is not your brand – it’s just the visual representation, the brand is what people think of you – can you help to influence that? Example of British Ceramics Biennial
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
Targeting audiences – even McDonalds uses target segmentation. MIF example – segmentation by attitude to risk, use of new technologies and especially online marketing, social networking