FESTIVALS WITHOUT BORDERS

WITH ROBERT BAIRD

ATTRACTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO YOUR FESTIVAL

One of the burning questions at the recent Festival and Events Ontario 2024 Conference was: “How do we attract young people to our festival?” Festivals are aware of the need for ensuring the continuity of attendees and getting young people to attend is a priority if the festival is going to survive. Here are some suggestions:

1. Include Young People in Planning

If you are trying to decide what would appeal to young people at your festival, ask local young adults or youth groups what they might like to do? Including young adults in the ideas process often encourages meaningful participation in the actual event. Consider including young adults in the management and delivery of your activity, where appropriate. Involving young adults in this process can validate your activities, and provide spokespeople on social media to promote the events.

1. Use Social Media

Young adults focus on social media and are used to accessing multiple online content platforms. Our festival offerings need to reflect that reality and compete favorably with that content. Create social media campaigns that will appeal to young adults. Make sure that your social media presence is up-to-date and easy to navigate. Young adults share what they like on social media and this can be a benefit to spreading the word on what your festival has to offer.

2. Provide Unforgettable Experience

Young adults come to your event to learn. Give Young Adults an experience they’ll never forget and can post on social media platforms. Interactive exhibits can provide unique opportunities to engage young adults. A variety of activities, both physical and mental can challenge youth, especially if they engage interests in music, photography, media, sports, etc. Incorporate on-line or virtual experiences as much as possible. Provide an ambiance that will appeal to the aesthetics of young adults. Are the décor and lighting dramatic? Is good use made of graphics that appeal?

3. Be Eco-friendly and Sustainable

Young adults expect eco-responsibility at any event. They want to see recycling facilities for plastic water bottles or cutlery. You should focus on reducing the carbon footprint of your event. Consider going paperless, using digital instead. Where possible, provide organic and sustainable food choices with your vendors.

4. Consider your Pricing Strategies

Find out what young adults might be willing to pay to attend your festival. Consider a “pay-what-you-can” ticket for young adults or different ticket tiers with associated “perks” to provide a number of ticket packages to choose from.

5. Increase Food Options at the Festival

Young adults love to try all types of cuisine. You can attract young adults by marketing your event as having unique eats. Food trucks are an excellent way of doing this and incorporating food full of surprises. Young adults will come for the food and stay for the festival.

6. Utilize Peer Pressure

Young adults love to participate in social events and don’t want to miss one where their friends will be attending. By providing limited tickets or exclusive offers or perks for the first 100 tickets sold, etc. you can make your event attractive to the young adult audience. This can also generate buzz on social media.

7. Constantly Innovate

It is important to maintain variety in the overall festival offerings. The foods offered on site, the experiences, and the entertainment geared to young adults. But experiences need to be novel each year so it is necessary to constantly innovate and find new ideas.

Being socially conscious, technologically savvy and providing innovative immersive experiences are all ways to attract young adults. This demographic requires thinking “outside the box” but they can be enticed to attend your festival and provide a generation of future attendees.

Robert Baird is President of BAM! Baird Artists Management Consulting in Toronto, Canada and an acknowledged expert in international touring including visas, withholding and taxation. He offers free advice to artists, agents, managers and venues and has an international clientele. He served for many years on the Executive Board of Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) and is a former Vice-President of that organization. He can be reached at: P: 1-800-867-3281 E: robert@bairdartists.com or for more information go to: www.bairdartists.com