Developing a Festival or Event

"The hard work and devotion of those festival organizing pioneers is awe inspiring. Without them festivals would never have become a reality. This “Developing a Festival” handbook is dedicated to all these wonderful and talented people!"

Gary "Festival Nomad" McWilliams

Development

As William Shakespeare’s Hamlet asked so many years ago “To be or not to be, that is the question.”

When you start thinking about developing an event, after all the questions have been asked and answered, “to be or not to be…” really is the final question.

1.   Event Theme

By creating a festival theme, you also create direction. A theme allows you to focus on the final vision of your festival. Being able to visualize the final look of the festival makes planning it much easier. It’s like planning a trip, if you know your final destination, getting there is just a matter of route.

2.   Scope

Deciding on the scope (size) of your festival is one of the first steps that need to be taken. This will determine timing, location, manpower, activities and events, length of time needed for planning and committee structure.

3.   Events and Activities

Along with scope, activities and events must be considered right from the start. Some events or activities may take years to plan or procure. Others may not be practical due to costs or timing. Careful consideration in this area will help you enhance the festival theme you have chosen. Make sure that these do not conflict with each other (i.e.: timing, location, demographics, etc.).

(Development ~ to be continued)