A festival is a great way to bring people together, raise money for a cause or just have a good time. Whether you're throwing a small festival for your school or a large-scale event that people will attend from miles around, use this checklist to make sure your festival runs smoothly.
Six (or More) Months Out
- Set the Event's Goals - Are you celebrating the end of the school year? Hoping to attract more people to attend your church? Raising money for a cause? Your goal will help you determine potential number of attendees, where to advertise your festival and more.
- Round Up Your Committee - Assign people to a festival planning committee — you'll want folks with a variety of strengths, such as fundraising, event planning and communications.
- Decide Ticket Sales - Determine whether you're going to sell tickets and, if you are, set a price point. This is also the time you'll want to start researching potential ticket vendors if that's the route you want to go. Genius Tip: Sell festival tickets with an online sign up.
- Select a Theme - You can base it on the season, like a traditional fall festival, or make it creative, like an end-of-school circus.
- Estimate Number of Potential Attendees - If you're in your first year, this can be trickier to figure out. Look at similar festivals around the area as a starting point. Remember, it's better to overestimate than underestimate.
- Determine Your Demographics - Figure out what age groups will likely be represented. This will help as you begin planning what activities and entertainment you'll offer at your event. Carnival-style game booths? Music stages? A mixture of both?
- Create a Fundraising Plan - More than likely, your goal is at least partially to raise money for a good cause. Festival sponsors are in demand, so begin soliciting donations early. Finding a title sponsor to help with costs can be particularly useful.
- Set a Budget - You may have to do some guesswork if your festival is new, so don't hesitate to start small and be realistic. Determine the sources of your budget (fundraising, sponsors, donations, annual fund, etc.) first and see if there are any ways to get creative.
