Page 30 - 4-8-2019-Pollstar-rev

2019

FESTIVAL boutique and artist-based festivals is actually a
result of the festival glut. When every primary
SPECIAL and secondary market in the country has a city
festival, how do you stand out? How do make
your lineup and your experience stand out in
Festival Season 2019: the crowd? In the current market, I think the
more specialized model is a natural and smart
pivot.

How The Industry Is The radius clause is an
issue that never seems to
Handling An Evolving Market abate. Does it impact you
doing your job and if so
how?
By Deborah Speer
Amy Corbin, Promoter, C3 Presents: Radius
hange is a constant. And this Do you think there is a clauses are put in place to protect the integri-
festival season is no different. festival glut or otherwise ty, financial risk and investment of a festival.
With the advent of boutique and Where I disagree with a radius clause is when
artist-curated festivals, the inclu- saturation of the market a festival radius is not within standard mileage
C sion of more women and artists with the increase in bou- or key markets near that festival, which can
of color on and off the stages, and experiential tique and artist festivals? affect another festival’s announce/onsale or
offerings, this season is shaping up to be like consideration of certain artists.
no other. How has that impacted
Pollstar had conversations with a wide your business? Molly Zidow, VP Operations, Danny Wimmer
cross-section of people in the trenches as they Presents: Curating to a specific audience in
prepare to dive in for a summer of music, craft Lindsey Medina, Director of Marketing, Danny a more focused way or providing more specific
food and beverages, and once in a lifetime Wimmer Presents: The festival market contin- programming within the festival versus the
experiences across the country. What they ues to grow, inevitably impacting our busi- “something for everyone” idea seems to be
have to say should have us all excited for an ness, but I believe that we go about producing resonating with fans. And in general, wanting
amazing season. festivals in our own unique way, which helps more “experiences” and “active participation”
minimize the effect. We genuinely care about seems to be something fans are looking for.
How is the festival market the fans, which has not only allowed us to get
shaping up in 2019 as a fan to make that purchase once, but also Wirth: Each festival is unique especially when
considering where they are geographically
to keep their loyalty year over year at each
compared with recent festival. located. Some markets are by nature going to
years in terms of getting be extremely difficult to book in, others not as
your artists on bills and much.
negotiating contracts? Sheri Sternberg: Mercenary Productions; Hardly
Strictly Bluegrass Production Manager: It’s a
Margaret Galton, Talent Buyer, C3 Presents: case by case basis. We are trying to keep some
More than ever, artists are beginning to plan of our artists exclusive but if Gillian Welch
their tours and routing further and further out. wants to play The Fillmore, that’s fine. We
As a promoter, this forces us to have to bet have a new thing we’re calling HSB Out Of
on an artist earlier and it is harder to gauge The Park, collaborating with the Great Amer-
what makes the most sense for a festival and ican Music Hall and with the Fillmore, and
its market. taking $1 from the ticket price and donating it
to a charity. We are doing some specific things.
The radius clause exists but we’re willing to
discuss it. If it’s a local band whose bread and
butter is doing shows, we try to be a lot more
lenient than somebody that we’re paying a lot
of money for and we don’t want playing 30
Brooke Wirth shows around the area.
Brooke Wirth, Talent Buyer, C3 Presents: I think Heather Vantress, Chief Operating Officer, Syn-
there is a major increase in competition, and ergy Global Entertainment: It has its positives.
thus a bidding war, in a lot of markets. You Sometimes you get really in love with a band
really can’t throw a rock at this point without and you want them to play no matter what
hitting something new bubbling up, whether it they are in your market, and sometimes it
be a boutique fest/series or artist curated festi- takes a little tough love. I understand you
val, and that is going to have its obvious strain want that artist, and maybe they are the hot-
on the “traditional” festival booking process. test thing since sliced bread, but if someone
else has them, move on. The radius clause is
Brandy Blaylock, SVP Event Management, Danny in there for a reason, to protect the artist from
Margaret Galton Wimmer Presents: I feel like the increase of overplaying an area, to create value.

30 | APRIL 8, 2019