In any industry the introduction of new technology can revolutionise how business is done and the live events sector is no exception to this. Whether it’s music festivals, live concerts or tours the industry has seen the introduction of technology in just about every aspect of planning, managing and implementing live events. 

Every music festival will have a green room or at least a variation of one located backstage. What is the purpose of the green room and how can festival organisers and venue mangers organise their green room to provide a stress-free transition to the stage for performance artists. 

The coronavirus pandemic has had a severe effect on the life and careers of many musicians and performance artists as the live events industry essentially shut down for the last 2 years. The impact on musicians can range from financial to mental health issues and the industry is now coming together to support musicians in a variety of ways, the New Noise Festival on 4th April 2022 is a key part of that.  

Anyone proposing a music festival at a new UK site venue will have to submit a premises licence application to their local authority well in advance and it's an essential part of the event planning process. What are the requirements for submitting an application and what types of information need to be included to gain approval.

As music festivals get ever larger in size and the logistics become increasingly complex the management of guest ticketing and accreditation is becoming more challenging. A large music festival must adapt to ever changing priorities and event developments and need to get a handle on managing guest ticketing at an early stage in the planning process. 

Most music festivals taking place anywhere in the world now have sustainability high on their agendas. Single use plastics have almost been eliminated but organisers are now looking at just about any material used during the festival that can be made eco-friendly. What everyday utility products and merch are organisers looking at to convert to alternative materials?

As festival season starts to pick up for this year there will be some underlying challenges for food and beverage vendors and music festival organisers. Numerous macro-economic and other influences will mean that vendor’s businesses are going to have to adapt and change to survive.

The provision of live online content for music festivals has become an essential part of the event’s operations and organisers are now recruiting talent to manage this. What has driven this explosion in live content and how can festival organisers manage the logistical challenges of providing quality live content.

With the coronavirus pandemic having a significant impact on the business operations of most music festival organisers have had to seek out new business opportunities. Many organising entities have wisely diversified their business activities to spread the risk and create new profit centres to ensure long term survival.  

There has been a significant growth in the number of wellness festivals in many countries over the last decade. The provision of yoga and meditation services at established music festivals has been an important part of the organiser's whole offering to potential ticket buyers. What should festival organisers do to offer the right balance of activities to festival-goers.   

Every music festival relies on an army of volunteers to make their events happen but there are often some volunteers with more responsibility sometimes referred to as volunteer ambassadors. The ambassador will have a different set of duties and festival organisers use them in a variety of ways to perform additional tasks not done by volunteers.

Part of the sustainability objectives of the music festival sector is managing their waste which has been well documented by the numerous organisations over the last few years. One area that is gaining momentum is more intelligent management of food waste generated during a festival so that surplus edible food can be collected and redistributed rather than ending up in landfill.

With mental illness becoming more topical many music festival organisers are providing welfare services on-site during events. Providing access to welfare services during a multi-day festival can help provide an invaluable service to festival-goers prone to a variety of mental health issues that can be compounded by the festival experience. 

Many music festivals have their roots in small family run affairs on a local farmer's field or a simple garden party. Such small events are generally run on an ad-hoc basis with friends and family helping out in a variety of ways that bring all the operational aspects together. As an event expands over the years the organisation is going to need a more formal structure. 

One of the most concerning impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this year has been the impact on fuel costs around the world. This could have a dramatic effect on the running costs for powering music festivals this year, what are the options organisers can consider in this new and ever-changing climate of uncertainty. 

A new code of conduct is being coordinated by Vision: 2025 to provide clear minimum environmental standards for all UK outdoor events. The consultation period was completed at the end of January 2022 and a revised draft code of conduct has been released. What is the Green Code of Conduct and what will be the impact on the music festival sector?

From small manageable events to huge mega festivals some well-known music festivals have grown out of all recognition form their roots. Like any commercial business that experiences rapid growth and expansion a music festival that grows in size will probably experience growing pains. What are the usual pain points and how can they be managed?

There have been some iconic beach-based music festivals and a number of infamous ones too. Selecting a beach as a music festival venue may be very appealing but the logistics of organising an event located on a beach location brings with it a whole new set of logistical parameters that can easily make or break the event. 

Most big music festivals take place in large open spaces often in remote locations and for the festival season in the UK the weather can be unpredictable. Many festival organisers now use a combination of open spaces and covered marquees to provide some shelter should there be inclement weather.

After BREXIT there were numerous changes to UK immigration rules regarding the free movement of performance artists between the EU and the UK which at the time was unclear. For UK festivals that wish to curate overseas artists to perform at a UK festival the government created the Permit Free Festival List.  

Music festivals in the UK are generally safe environments and the majority of festival-goers have an enjoyable experience. There is unfortunately an element of criminality that still occurs at every event to a lesser or greater extent and festival organisers must continue to take all matters of security and safety of festival-goers seriously.

Volunteer work at music festivals is always popular and demand from organisers remains high. Many festival organisers recruit their volunteers directly while other applicants may prefer to go the charity route. Numerous festivals have direct deals with selected charities that allow the charity to have pitch space and fundraising volunteers on site.

The food vendor business is a key element to any music festival providing a welcome source of revenue. Vendor pitch spaces at festival sites are always in demand and organisers invest considerable time in promoting and managing their vendor operations. What is likely to be trending in the food vendor sector this year that will impact on organisers and festival-goers?

During the coronavirus pandemic many artists and festivals turned to live streaming as a way to reach audiences. With COVID restrictions being lifted in many countries organisers are looking forward to a festival season that is almost back to normal in 2022. It is likely that live streaming will increasingly have a role to play in reaching audiences.

The risk of cyber-attacks in all aspects of society is ever increasing and music festivals are no expectation to this. Cyber-attacks can take many forms and is usually conducted with financial crime as the objective. What are the key aspects of this phenomenon that festival organisers need to be aware of?

All festival organisers like to encourage use of public transport like rail and coach to festival-goers when considering getting to and from festival sites. Use of public transport helps reduce a festival’s overall carbon footprint and supports their sustainability objectives. How do festival organisers work with transport suppliers during festival season?

Use of mobile apps has rocketed in recent years with millions of apps available for just about any purpose. Music festival organisers have been embracing this technology for their own app development to satisfy festival-goers demand. What is the festival app landscape looking like for this year's festival season.  

Many music festivals have evolved over time from grassroots events with a reputation for muddy fields and a back to basics feel. Technology is advancing at an ever-increasing speed and new innovations are being adopted by festival organisers to make their operations more efficient and provide greater convenience to festival-goers.

Since tickets have been sold and used for entry to music festivals ticket touts have existed and while advances in technology have eliminated many the professional ticket tout still prevails. How are ticket touts operating in the current environment and what can festival organisers do to overcome this unsavoury activity. 

Every festival will usually have a core team of full-time permanent staff who are probably paid a monthly salary. In addition, organisers have to consider the number of seasonal contract staff and contractor suppliers who also need to be paid. What do organisers need to know when it comes to paying staff and how can they make their processes efficient.