Representatives of the Primavera Sound, Canet Rock, Share&Festival and Cap Roig music festivals took part in an online round table on marketing and music festivals for 3rd-year students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism.
Representatives of the Primavera Sound, Canet Rock, Share&Festival and Cap Roig music festivals took part in an online round table on marketing and music festivals for 3rd-year students of the Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism.
The discussion was moderated by Daniela Freund, professor of the course Operational Marketing in Tourism and Hospitality. It included Stefano Maccarone, director of Share&Festival; Miquel Fernández, director of communication, sponsorship and institutional relations for the Cap Roig festival; Ivone Lesan, head of booking for Primavera Sound and a representative of the MIM association; and Gemma Recoder, general director of Sun Music Barcelona, the organizers of the Canet Rock festival.
The more than 50 questions asked at the event were chosen beforehand by students and grouped into six topics: COVID-19, festival organization, crisis management, funding, strategy and innovation, and sustainability.
The devastating circumstances currently facing music festivals and events in general are no secret. When asked about the immediate future, Canet Rock’s Gemma Recoder admitted that “in this sector, uncertainty is your worst enemy. We plan things a whole year in advance, and we can’t plan anything at the moment.”
It is also clear that the pandemic is generating an economic crisis in which “many companies that make their living from events have to close their doors. For example, food trucks are usually family projects that involve a significant investment”, noted Recoder. She added that a foundation has been created to provide food for artists who are directly suffering from the effects of the crisis.
Sponsirship and attendee experience
Stefano Maccarone, director of Share&Festival, discussed the possibility of changing the format of the festival to individual concerts in smaller spaces, as “a safe distance means a smaller capacity in our habitual spaces, which isn’t economically viable.” He also explained that even before COVID-19, the festival had adjusted its core business to artists and concerts instead of solidarity initiatives, the origin of the festival. “Once we have an audience, we’ll be able to focus on solidarity again.”
All four participants agreed that sponsorship is key to the viability of festivals. “If brands have such a significant presence—in the names of the stages at Primavera Sound, for example—it’s because of how big a role they play”, noted Ivone Lesan.
On another note, Lesan added: “Primavera Sound’s success isn’t just about all the tickets we’ve sold. It’s about the purchasing process, our customer service, what being at the concerts is like. To have our audience identify with this festival and say good things about it is a really priceless kind of publicity.”
Along the same lines, Gemma Recoder noted: “if we can sell tickets even before the program is finalized, that means people really trust in the Canet Rock experience.” Stefano Maccarone also mentioned supplier satisfaction as another indication of success, along with customer satisfaction, what attendees say on social networks, ticket sales and charity initiatives.
To address environmental concerns, Miquel Fernández (director of communication, sponsorship and institutional relations for the Cap Roig festival) explained the Biosphere sustainability certification. “We hold our festival in a protected area, and we’ve adapted the event to fit the space. Because of how much we respect that space, we’ve been given Biosphere certification.”
Some of the other topics discussed were the difficulties of an online format for attendees and authorship rights; managing crises like artist cancellations or bad weather; or safety and ways of responding to sexual assault and sexism.