Festival Ticketing

Tis the season. We’re feeling festive and might be missing festival season just a bit — so we created a list of the 12 festivals of Christmas. These are festivals that should undoubtedly be on the bucket list of every music festival fan.

1. The Voodoo Experience — Worship the Music
It’s all about the experience. Period. The Voodoo Experience is the ultimate fan music festival experience featuring the Voodoo Marketplace, Voodoo 24/7, Voodoo Art, Vooboo, the LOA VIP Lounge, and a wide array of musical talent. You’ll literally be worshipping the music all weekend long. The celebration will happen October 28-30, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Yes, Halloween in New Orleans. Uh oh.
www.thevoodooexperience.com

2. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta — Earth, Wind, & Flyers
Imagine 9 days, 750,000 people, and the equivalent of 54 football fields filled with hot air balloons. That’s exactly what you’ll witness at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. But don’t worry, you won’t be a spectator at this event. Event attendees are invited to roam throughout the festival grounds in the midst of the hot air balloons floating in the colorful New Mexico sky. Tempting, huh? The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta will take place October 1-9, 2011 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
www.balloonfiesta.com

3. Country Thunder USA
Long before pick-up trucks, guitars, or beer… there was THUNDER. Country Thunder has two locations; Twin Lakes, Wisconsin (July 21-24, 2011) and Florence, Arizona (April 7-10, 2011). Artists set to rock the Country Thunder stage include Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Zac Brown Band, Rascal Flatts, Sawyer Brown, Jason Aldean, and Toby Keith with more artists to be announced. Arizona offers festival-goers six campgrounds to choose from while Wisconsin offers five. So… see you at Country Thunder!
www.countrythunder.com

4. Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival
The funkiest fall festival of all. Live music in Live Oak, Florida. Correction: live music in Live Oak, Florida at one of the Southeast’s most beautiful outdoor venues along the banks of the Suwannee River. You already want to be there, don’t you? You’ll experience an incredible weekend of live music, stunning art, camping, great people, and good vibes. The Bear Creek Music and Arts Festival will take place November 11-13, 2011.
www.bearcreekmusicfestival.com

5. Oregon Jamboree
Experience the 19th Annual Oregon Jamboree in Sweet Home, Oregon. 13 concerts, 1 memorable weekend. Artists on the bill include Collin Raye, Darius Rucker, Ronnie Dunn (yes, the legend himself), and Lady Antebellum. In addition to the country music superstars set to play, Oregon Jamboree boasts RV and tent camping, irresistible food, and of course, beer and wine gardens. Not to mention, it seems like you just can’t go wrong in a place named Sweet Home. Oregon Jamboree will happen July 29-31, 2011.
www.oregonjamboree.com

6. Runaway Country Space Coast Music Fest — Catch the Wave!
Warm Florida sunshine, sandy beaches, tiki saloons, blues bars, two stages, camping, and a dance floor so BIG it can be seen from space. Perfection? I think so. Catch the wave and join us in Melbourne, Florida for the Runaway Country Space Coast Music Fest. Artists set to perform include Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Steel Magnolia, Eric Church, Jake Owen, Lonestar, and many more! The festival will happen April 15 -16, 2011.
www.runawaycountry.com

7. Rock Jam
There is definitely not a shortage of country on our list thus far. Lets be honest though, we all need a lil’ rock n roll in our lives sometimes! Rock Jam will happen August 27-28, 2011 in Grand Junction, Colorado. Stay tuned for artist updates and other important information from the Rock Jam crew!
rockjamgjco.countryjam.com

8. Suwannee River Jam
More live music in Live Oak, Florida. Yeehaw! You just cannot go wrong at this place, hence the reason it has made our list twice thus far. Join us in Live Oak for the 20th Anniversary of the Suwannee River Jam. Artists such as the Zac Brown Band, Colt Ford, John Michael Montgomery, Travis Tritt, Jason Michael Carroll and many more will be in attendance. Maybe you’ll be able to put your toes in the Suwannee River with the Zac Brown Band…or at least play a competitive game of beer pong with them. We hear they tend to do that from time to time. The jam is set to take place April 22-24, 2011.
www.suwanneeriverjam.com

9. Nebraskaland Days
Nebraskaland Days and the Buffalo Bill Rodeo will happen June 11-25, 2011 in North Platte, Nebraska! Oh yes, this is quite the affair. Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton, Jerrod Niemann, Hinder, and My Darkest Days will be in attendance. Don’t worry, you couldn’t get bored at this place if you tried. There is much to see, do, eat, and drink! Whether it’s the Flapjack Feed or the Governor’s Art Show, Nebraskaland Days has got you covered!
www.nebraskalanddays.com

10. Country Stampede
So… there’s this little (and by little, we mean HUGE) festival in Manhattan, Kansas that absolutely had to be included in the 12 Festivals of Christmas. If you’re in the general vicinity of Manhattan or even Kansas, for that matter, you will want to be at Country Stampede! And you’ll be in good company. Artists set to play include Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Lady Antebellum, Sawyer Brown, and many, many, many, more! Country Stampede will happen June 23-26, 2011!
www.countrystampede.com

11. Merritt Mountain Music Festival — The sun shines again in Merritt!
MountainFest will return for the summer of 2011! After much demand for the return of great country music and super fun under the hot Merritt sun, MoutainFest is back! Scheduled for July 7-10, 2011, the 18th annual MountainFest will feature artist Craig Morgan! Stay tuned for additional artist information and other details!
www.mountainfest.com

12. Rapids Jam Music Festival
The name “Rapids Jam” seems only appropriate for a festival that happens in the town of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina! Country music legend, Willie Nelson, is prepared to jam as he is bringing his Country Throwdown Tour to Roanoke Rapids! Other artists on the bill include Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum, and Sugarland! Rapids Jam will happen June 16-18, 2011! Are you ready to jam?!
www.rapidsjam.com

As you make your 2011 festival plans, these are 12 festivals that should definitely be taken into consideration. See you on the road! Happy Holidays!

As festival season (yes, there is a season) comes to a close, it’s important to keep the conversation rolling amongst festival-goers. But how exactly do you, the festival organizer, keep them chatting and remembering their experience at your festival?

It seems like the majority of my blog posts thus far have stressed the importance of joining the conversation. Social mediums are the perfect place to ensure there are none of those awkward silences after the festival takes place. Do your part to initiate and engage the festival-goer in conversation. Make your presence known on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Promptly upload photos to Facebook after the festival. Festival-goers will be anxious to see photos of every aspect of the festival, not just the main stage. Give them a sneak peek of backstage happenings, etc. Encourage them to tag themselves in photos and share theirs as well. Upload video footage of the festival experience as a whole to your YouTube channel. Yes, you should have a YouTube channel by now. Share the videos through social media outlets. This will have the festival-goer remembering everything from the delicious Fudgiewudgie they indulged in to their favorite act on the main stage.

A conversation is a two-way street. After you’ve done your part to initiate the chatter, encourage others to join the conversation. Give festival-goers something to talk about. Ask them who their favorite artist was that graced the stage, who they hope to see next year, what food vendor they found irresistible, and even what you can improve on as a festival. All of these ideas will spark conversation amongst those who matter most along with giving you valuable feedback. It is a simple way to keep the experience fresh in the mind of the festival-goer.

So… about that YouTube channel…

As I sat and watched President Barack Obama last night via online streaming as he rallied in Madison, WI, the power of interactive advertising was once again instilled in my mind. From the comfort of my home, I watched Barack Obama live. Although I wasn’t there physically, it was as if I could feel the energy of the crowd and the passion in the President’s voice despite being hundreds of miles away. As I sat and watched, I wanted nothing more at that exact moment than to be in Madison, WI. I wanted to be in that crowd of Badgers. Although… I was doing the next best thing. It may seem as if this post is headed in a political direction real fast, but it’s not. Don’t worry.

The real message I want to convey to you has nothing to do with politics, President Obama, or the messages he drilled into the minds of the young people in the crowd last night. It has everything to do with the power of live streaming. And what it can do for you.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, lets think about it in terms of your festival.

Remember the feelings I described in the first paragraph? I said it was the next best thing to being there. I couldn’t be in Madison, but I could still feel the energy of the crowd and passion in the voice of President Obama. It made me want to be there. Switch gears to your festival. Imagine someone across the country or a couple hundred miles away being able to watch your festival. LIVE. Imagine the excitement they’ll feel when they’re favorite artist hits the stage or when they catch a glimpse of something going on backstage. At that point, the individual will already be thinking about purchasing their tickets to the festival the next year. They’ll want to be a part of what they’re witnessing. I promise.

How do you get the word out about this live stream? Stalking my friend Tehera on Twitter led me to the link about the live stream from Madison. Another fine example of the power of social media. Use social mediums such as Twitter and Facebook to mention the live stream to your friends and followers. Some may ignore it because they already have their tickets. Others, however, will tune in. This is their free ticket to the show. But after witnessing all that goes on, they’ll probably be willing to spend a little money on an actual ticket next year.

Finally, make sure the content of the live stream doesn’t just focus on the main stage. In between acts, show shots of the fans (they can be a major source of entertainment), campgrounds, vendors, and the festival grounds as a whole etc. This will give the potential festival-goer a glimpse of their future festival experience.

And after being able to experience all your festival entails, they will most likely be a future ticket buyer and may be the fan “streamed” in your next festival broadcast.