How to Host a Triple-A Event

Events management can be an incredibly electrifying occupation. Overflowing with excitement and pressure, yet still likely to yield a hefty return if done right, many swear by their events, something one can plainly see simply looking at the ever more overcrowded festival and event schedules for the spring-summer season. But what exactly goes into an excellent large scale happening? What pitfalls must one avoid in order to ensure that their particular event is a perennial hit?

Find a Niche 

Chances are there are already a fair few festivals or events out there that match at least one large aspect of your winning idea. That’s fine – there’s always going to be competition, after all – but do your research, find out what customers, businesses and sponsors think, like and expect from these competing events, and build upon what you discover. Set your festival apart from the competition, raise the bar, and you’ll enjoy success.

Get the Word Out

Some of the most successful events have been those that have been adept at making sure people are simply aware of their event. This means getting the festival mentioned on radio stations, in events lists or, in the case of music festivals, music publications. Don’t stick to paper though; the internet is your best friend when it comes to outreach and advertising. After a little hard work and event hyping, you’ll find that your event being talked about, discussed and reported on online. The Cheltenham Festival benefits every year from sports sites such as Coral posting horse racing news that focuses on the well known racing event, hugely increasing visitor numbers year on year and driving the event into the cultural consciousness.

Keep It Lean

No businessman or entrepreneur wants their event to be an utter time and money-wasting flop, so keep the event trimmed in terms of expenditure, for the first few years at least. In today’s fast-paced, festival-glutted events scene there’s been hundreds of occasions when certain events have overstepped the mark, spent too much, and not had high enough visitor numbers to make up the shortfall. The result? Administration and a shattered reputation. Instead, keep it small and local, then inject more money in as word spreads.

Stay Legal

For an events management rookie, it would seem that putting on an event is an easy task. Get some acts and activities, food, toilets, and you’re good to go! Wrong. There are a huge number of legal hurdles one must cross when putting on an event; sanitation, security, noise levels, amenities, safe water, insurance- the list goes on. Make sure you have every base covered, lest the police come knocking on your gazebo!

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