Innovations and developments in the music festival industry

¶ … business today, the music industry has seen rapid and extreme changes. Not least of these is the change towards the digital media and the Internet. These have changed the face and nature of the music industry, as well as the development and purchase of music by the public. In addition, the current drive towards more green technologies has also created changes in the way music products have been developed and provided to consumers. The same is true of music festivals. Music festivals create the need for large spaces and quantities of products and infrastructure to be successful. At the same time, trends in the music industry are often at the heart of creating these festivals for the purpose of attracting as many consumers as possible. As the industry develops, music festivals have become an increasingly global phenomenon, where it has had a particular effect on the economy and the tourism industry. These effects can be seen in terms of the trends in the music industry and music festivals in general, in the economy, and in the environment.

Trends in Music and Music Festivals

According to Warman (2010), music festivals have thrived over the last 25 years, even when taking into account the economic turndown in recent years. In Britain alone, there are more than 670 events, of which the top 200 contributes £450 million to the country's economy in terms of ticket sales, travel, accommodation and food. The UK is probably that country that is currently most famous for its music festivals. Visitors from both abroad and locally have increasingly made music festivals part of their vacation getaways. Today, there is even a luxury option for those who do not want to camp out in traditional "Woodstock" style.

Warman (2010) ascribes the rise in popularity for these festivals, at least in part, to the downturn in album sales. Today, artists make more money from their live performances than from the music products offered in stores. This has affected the marketing efforts related to the music industry. According to the author, marketing support for musicians would have been substantial with every album release. Today, however, the trend is to focus live performances instead.

Because of their nature, marketing for these events then also includes much more than just the music itself. It is a package that is being promised using music as the focus point. Anxiliaries such as food, beverage, and merchandise form part of the experience being offered. The challenge is to create an economic balance between the expense of the festival and income from ticket sales, which forms the majority of revenue for such events. Indeed, whereas ticket sales fluctuate and are subject to uncertainty, payments to service providers remain constant.

Regardless, the industry continues to grow, apparently independent from any economic woes plaguing the rest of the business sector. One of the reasons for this is the industry's response to demand changes. Camp Bestival in the UK, for example, is aimed at families, where babysitting services, a circus, and adventure park, and other family-focused features are provided.

The international tourism industry has also benefited from music festivals, where Europe has become a popular destination for festival goers, especially from the UK (Train, 2011). According to Train (2011), festival-going tourists spend about 25% more than other travelers, which make them a profitable target for tourism marketers.

Increasing festivals and marketing are not the only trends that have changed over the last decades of the industry. The social and cultural roles of music festivals have also grown in importance (ITineraryforvision, 2011). Woodstock might be seen as on of the first music festivals with major cultural and symbolic meaning, promoting the "hippie" lifestyle and culture. Since then, there have been vast improvements in the organization and management of music festivals, especially when it comes to sizable events, as seen above. To this end, the International Music Festival Conference (IMFCON) is the largest international organization that represents the industry. The IMFCON supports needs such as networking, partnerships, and trend research in the music and festival industry in order to help organizers and musicians provide the best possible customer experience.

Sustainability and Environment Trends

Because of their nature, much attention has been given in recent years to the extent to which music festivals are conducted in an environmentally friendly way. In response to the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report claiming that the music festival industry has been a major contributor to the carbon footprint left by the general music industry, organizers have made the effort not only to reduce the footprint by means of better organized events, but also in so doing to educate festival goers themselves (Music Week, 2008).

Particularly, organizers have implemented measures such as stages lit by pedal power, hydrogen fuel cells, or the distribution of biodegradable tent pegs. On a more official level, the music industry lawyer Ben Challis has co-founded the non-profit British organization A Greener Festival (AGF). This organization focuses not only on strategies to implement green strategies at the sites of festivals themselves, but also on strategies to eliminate associated environmental damage, such as transport travelers use to reach these sites. Indeed, this is a specific focus for AGF. Once solution is to encourage festival goers to use public transport to events by including the cost of such transport to tickets. Glastonbury in the UK has introduced 22,500 tickets of this type, being linked to coach and rail travel. According to the organizers, however, they were the slowest to sell. Another effort is to lobby the country's government to change its transport policies to encourage more use of the public transport system. Despite the apparently slow progress of these efforts, the industry has nonetheless shown itself to be willing to become more responsible for the environment.

Another example of the organization's effort is its Greener Festival Award scheme, by means of which festival organizers are encouraged to complete questionnaires with the aim of having their events being recognized as green. In response, many have opted for low-energy or solar power for their stage events.

Indeed, there are examples of UK festivals that have successfully reduced their carbon footprint. One of these is The Big Chill, where the effort includes combined festival and coach tickets, as well as a project to run its Body & Soul area entirely on solar and pedal power. In fact, that area is being used as a testing ground for various green initiatives to determine the best green power effort for use across the entire festival.

This is a good beginning, but not yet enough by far to reach the worldwide target of a 60-80% reduction of emissions by 2050. A significant challenge to this is competition. With the increase of festivals across the world, the temptation is often to reduce costs at higher costs to the environment. In addition, many prominent artists are increasingly demanding in terms of the management of, access to and suppliers for festivals, which also presents a challenge to increasing green and reducing carbon. This in itself creates pressure in terms of the balance between competition and creating a green festival.

Another challenge is the condition of the environment left behind after festival goers and musicians have left. This is another environmental concern that must be effectively tackled if a greener festival environment is to be ensured. Discarded items and field damage are among the top concerns to be addressed (Music Week, 2008).

In addition to encouraging better behavior in audience members, strategies to combat this include recyclable plates, cutlery and drinking utensils and campers' waste kits. Other measures include prominently displayed slogans and "green police," who encourage respect for the environment.

Nevertheless, an important component in the equation of environmentally friendlier festivals is the people attending the concerts. To make for successful green efforts at festivals, it is essential that the audience participates. While many today are more aware of the impacts of human activity on the environment, it is unlikely that this is at the top of the list for festival goers, especially if it takes some effort on their part. This is something that only time and organizer effort will likely remedy. Environmentalists will, however, find it encouraging to see how many organizers are indeed aware of the need to make an effort and are responding by implementing significant efforts.

Worldwide Industry

While the UK might be considered as the country with the most significant among of music festivals in the world, others are not far behind, which is evident in the quality of worldwide music festivals and the numbers of tourists attending them.

White (2011), for example, mentions the 2011 Essence Music Festival, an annual event in New Orleans. This in itself is an event that offers a range of platforms for the various cultures represented in the city. The festival has been showing exponential growth over the years of it existence, as indicated by the Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street, which has been sold out earlier than it ever has. Ticket sales have also increased from year to year. Indeed, neither weather nor economy concerns appear to have deterred travelers to the event, a trend that is apparent for festivals across the world, as mentioned above.

The Essence Music Festival runs for three days and includes features such as entertainment activities and seminars at the Convention Center during the day, while the nights are punctuated by concerts. It started in 1995 in celebration of Essence magazine's 25th anniversary. In terms of the economy, it has become a significant supplement to the hospitality industry, during a time of year when revenue is generally slow. There are also several sponsors for the festival, including Ford Motor Co. And Coors, as well as Verizon, Walmart Food and State Farm, and Coca-Cola. These sponsorships have enabled the festival to create and retain its competitive edge by including many extra features beyond music. From the sponsorship point-of-view, the festival also offers the opportunity to showcase product and reach a certain demographic, such as African-American women for Ford Motor Co. Other sponsors also host events that relate to the festival but are not part of it, providing increased revenues for nightclubs, restaurants, bookstores, and other businesses.

Music festivals have become so important and prominent that they are also beginning to extend to the developing nations, such as the SADC countries. This creates a number of additional challenges as well as opportunities, especially in terms of the economy and environmental concerns.

According to Ambert (2003), Music as an art form lends itself particularly well to global expansion, including the festival form. In terms of culture, festivals can be used for bands to promote certain cultural ideals, views, values, or simply music from a certain region. Music has always been part of humanity, where culturally inspired music can be particularly rich and inspiring to local and international attendees alike.

Festivals in the SADC countries and other developing nations particularly can then be used as a vehicle for raising awareness about the plight of certain animals or groups of people in a particular country or simply about the nation and the beauty of its art. At the same time, international artists can bring the accumulated musical expertise and knowledge to developing countries, helping them to develop further. As Ambert (2003) puts it: "Music is both an instrument of change and a symbol of tradition." And music festivals may be the one best way to ensure that both these dichotomous trends continue to exist side by side.

The way in which music festivals can affect and enhance the economy is particularly important for the SADC countries as well as other developing nations. They provide employment, for example, support other industries, and provide exposure for local musicians. They also provide a valuable opportunity for artists of all types to network across the world.

Before the full benefits of these festivals can, however, be made a reality in these countries, a thorough understanding must be obtained of the infrastructure, economic processes and development in the country, and the industries involved in similar processes. In other words, local development levels and processes must be investigated for the viability of integrating them for organizing music festivals, whether this be at the national or international level.

The recording industry is an important component of this. Since the late 1990s, the industry has expanded from the main recording bases in South African and Zimbabwe to several small-scale independent labels across the SADC region. This represents the birth and sustenance of a formal music industry, where such countries as Malawi can participate in the economy of creative endeavors and entertainment, where this had not previously been possible.

In terms of music festivals, this means that the industry can support and be supported by artists and other industries in the country. To make a success of this, the performance industry also needs to be understood in very clear terms. In the SADC countries, as in Europe, the UK and the United States, income for musicians is usually generated from live performances. Unlike the more developed regions, however, the reason for this is that the recording industry in these countries is still at a limited level of development. This is an important consideration in terms of how the recording and performance industries work together. In the case of festival organization, festivals can then be used to enhance the prominence and abilities of the recording industries in developing regions, thus furthering the ability and prominence of both industries, along with other artists and service providers that participate in the festivals.

Cultural industries form an important component of the SADC economy. What is known as the "multidisciplinary sector" can therefore serve as a good platform for musical performances. Indeed, the relationship among the media often forms a mutually beneficial endeavor. Music, for example, is required for cinematographic production, soap operas, and commercials. Corporate identities and musical production therefore often go hand-in-hand. Because of this relationship, musical artists expose their work and generate income. This occurs not only locally, but also on the international platform, such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo's music for the Heinz baked beans commercial. Beans sales increased while the band gained enough exposure to top the UK music charts (Ambert, 2003).

The relationship between music and local cultural products is therefore a close and beneficial one for all parties involved. This is also a rich field to exploit for musical festivals in the area. Music is at the core of these events, and provides a platform to expose local music and artists to new and international markets. On remote locations, they can also be used to promote countries and regions for their tourist attractions. Ambert (2003) mentions the two example of the Celebrate South Africa Festival, held in London, and the Zimbabwe Music Festival in the United States.

To judge by the music festival industry and the potential for tourism worldwide, the SADC region therefore appears to be rich for exploitation. Audiences can be drawn to specific locations in the region while also enhancing domestic tourism. Visual arts and crafts can also form part of these festivals, both enhancing the experience of those attending and for the artists who participate. Indeed, organizers can use the highly cultural and regional nature of the arts and crafts in the region to promote these festivals to the world. A range of art and artists can be displayed, at the same time enhancing multiple artistic platforms in the region.

One important aspect of music, which probably features at all musical festivals, is its potential to bridge gaps otherwise created by culture and nationality. Musical festivals bring together a wide range of cultures and nationalities in the celebration of sound and rhythm. As such, music is perhaps one of the most powerful tools to overcome conflicts of all types.

Ambert (2003) uses Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as an example of the uniting abilities of music. The conflict- and poverty-afflicted societies in these regions found a uniting force in music, of which one example is the collective peace song by Angolan musicians, "A paz e que o povo chama" (The people are calling for peace). In addition, musical efforts have been and are being made to alleviate HIV / AIDS, poverty, and ignorance regarding important social and health issues. Music festivals, especially in regions where such concerns are closest to home, can be a rich platform for social and cultural commentary, even while people also simply celebrate the music and art for what they are.

The nature and role of local music should also be taken into account, along with the dynamics of economic development and infrastructure when organizing a musical festival even in a developing country. In the SADC region beyond South Africa, for example, great focus is placed upon the importance of local music and its meaning and relationship with cultural paradigms. This is an element that can be used both in the organization and promotion of these events. On the local level, cultural paradigms can be used in festivals not only to enhance the region's economy, but also its collective cultural spirit and identity, which it can share with the world by means of its artistic endeavors.

History has demonstrated the success of music festivals across the world, enhancing the local economy and providing a way for thousands to forget their differences and simply enjoy what the world of sound, rhythm, art, and local lore have to offer. Perhaps this could also then be a platform for a wider significance; helping those who are underdeveloped to become independent and self-sufficient by means of their own creativity and art. Nevertheless, infrastructure will certainly play an important role in this.

The Relationship of Music Festivals with Customers

One of the most important things about music festivals is their ability to promote not only big artists and their work, but also those who are relatively unknown to customers. Mitchell (2011), for example, mentions WOMAD, a festival at which a number of relatively unknown musicians created a platform for themselves to be discovered and enjoyed in ways that the recording industry cannot do. These artists have the opportunity to discover their own strengths and marketability while also establishing a relationship with potential fans.