Music Festival After Parties.

The After Party concept has been around ever since organised events took place. In more recent times they have developed into more sophisticated and organised events in their own right. What are music festival organisers doing to maximise opportunities from running an official after party event.

The prospect for fans of meeting famous musicians and artists backstage after a concert has always been a popular concept. In previous decades the after party was usually held back stage in the green room. Attendance was strictly controlled and only a group of select individuals would be allowed to join performers to share a few drinks and party. The demand to get access to the after party has been so great that the concept has now evolved into a sub sector of organised events.

Informal After Parties. 
The informal after party still takes place and the format will depend on the venue type and availability of space. This can limit numbers to no more than 25 people for example and the attendance will be limited to the artist, their crews and perhaps family and friends. Any food and beverages available will probably be those specified on riders and time may not extend beyond an hour or so.

Formal After Parties.
The official after party at many music festivals is usually limited to VIP ticketholders and organisers will allocate a specific tent along with copious amounts of food and beverages. The official after party may last several hours and organisers will arrange for DJs to provide music too. The demand for the after party has spawned even larger events with dedicated venues and increased capacities catering for up to several hundred. These events may have well known DJs along with ticket availability outside of the usual VIP packages.

Revenue Generating Opportunities.
Obviously festival organisers can generate additional ticket sales revenue by putting on an official after party event and the prices will usually be quite high. However, even with ticket sales revenue this may not cover the costs of hosting the event due to limited numbers. Income can be supplemented by bringing in sponsors, particularly drinks related as they can often provide stock at greatly reduced prices. Other sponsors common at after party events are fashion brands who are keen to be associated with wealthy party-goers and famous artists.

With so many well organised after party events it's possible that the appeal is waning as they are no longer the intimate affairs they once were. The common format now consists of expensive tickets, mediocre DJs and famous musicians and artists who only attend for a limited time, if they turn up at all. The original small informal backstage after parties still take place but the chances of a regular ticket holder gaining access are slim. The well organised after party event is perhaps turning into an expensive event that bases its success on an element of exclusivity.

For festival organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering. 

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