Author: Starner, Fred

Publication Year: 1981

Media Type: Report

Summary:

The study examines some quantitative elements relating to the success of a festival. The data comes from three quite similar festivals held in the summer of 1981. In calendar order, the festivals are: The North Country Festival, July; The Old Timers Festival, August; and the Great River Festival, September. Each festival presents an informal mix of folk music and crafts. The setting for each is outdoors. The audience can sample a variety of informal music workshops, and craft demonstrations. Each festival presents a main stage concert as a central feature of the weekend. What the quantitative differences from the audience questionnaire and a financial survey from each festival may reveal are different perceptions of success and different strategies utilized to attain success.

Abstract:

The study examines some quantitative elements relating to the success of a festival. The data comes from three quite similar festivals held in the summer of 1981. In calendar order, the festivals are: The North Country Festival, July; The Old Timers Festival, August; and the Great River Festival, September. Each festival presents an informal mix of folk music and crafts. The setting for each is outdoors. The audience can sample a variety of informal music workshops, and craft demonstrations. Each festival presents a main stage concert as a central feature of the weekend. What the quantitative differences from the audience questionnaire and a financial survey from each festival may reveal are different perceptions of success and different strategies utilized to attain success. (Introduction)

CONTENTS
Part 1. Introduction.

Festivals - Three cases.
     A. Success of festivals: Size of audience. 

     B. Some thoughts about the community value of festivals:
         1. Spillovers.
         2. Specialness of a community. 

     C. Summary.

Part 2. Audience characteristics and opinions.
               

A. Demographic characteristics.
          Tables:
                 1. In-town vs. out-of-town.
                 2. Age distribution, Wisconsin.
                 3. Age distribution at festivals. 
                 4. Income levels of festival audience. 
                 5. Counties' income distribution.
                 6. Family participation.
                 7. New vs. old audience.

B. Advertising - most effective source.
         Table:
                8. Advertising/information modes.

C. Success of the festival.
          Tables:
                 9. General success: Audience.
               10. Ticket price increases. 
               11. Elasticity.

D. Should ticket prices go up?

E. Should ticket prices be lowered?

F. Summary and comparison.

Part 3. Financial issues.

A. Audience size and budgets.
          Tables:
               12. Average ticket price. 
               13. The ticket options.

B. Per capita expenditures.
         Tables:
              14. Per capita budget.
              15. Income and expenditure.

C. The question of ticket price.

D. A demand curve for festivals. 
          Graph 1. Demand for festivals.
          Table:
               16. Ticket revenues and ancillary income.

Part 4. Conclusions.

Notes [bibliography].

Arts & Intersections:

Categories: Participation