Music Festival Volunteer Recruitment for the 2023 Season.

It was widely reported in the media this year that many music festivals struggled to recruit sufficient numbers of volunteers for their events. This may be an ongoing trend going into next year's festival season, what can organisers do to ensure they recruit enough volunteers to successfully run their events in 2023.

There is probably no single reason why volunteer recruitment was considered problematic in 2022. More likely it has been the combination of numerous factors including uncertainly post pandemic plus financial pressures on potential volunteers. Many festival organisations had shortened their planning periods in 2022 to get their events live making it difficult to quickly recruit volunteers at short notice. Rising prices and concerns about the economy or employment has also impacted on those considering volunteering at a music festival.

Estimating Numbers. 
The largest music festivals may rely on up to 1,000 volunteers to make their events run smoothly and even the smallest boutique festivals may need up to 100 volunteers. Examining previous events and identifying any issues can help to highlight areas where volunteers need to be concentrated. It is also vital to understand the percentage of no-shows and the number who disappear mid-event. If organisers identify a requirement for 500 volunteers perhaps they should recruit and confirm 550 to allow for such occurrences.

Early Recruitment. 
Many festival organisers may passively provide volunteer recruitment applications forms on their website at an early stage in the planning phase. A big push on social media to recruit volunteers is then made closer to the event dates but this approach can leave organisers exposed to having insufficient numbers. It is becoming more common to now make a concerted effort to recruit and confirm volunteers a year in advance. This early recruitment push can help find the numbers required but with such long lead times the risk is that a high percent will drop out before the event dates. Constant communication with accepted volunteers and regular training sessions will keep them engaged and reduce drop outs. 

Incentivising Volunteer Recruitment.  
Volunteer recruitment is competitive with hundreds of festivals occurring on the same summer dates. Many of the benefits given to volunteers has traditionally been quite poor with no more than free event entrance but providing good benefits can make the difference when potential volunteers are comparing what is on offer. The provision of accommodation, meals and transportation can make a huge impact on decision making when potential volunteers are considering which festivals to apply for.

To avoid any shortfall in volunteers in 2023 festival organisers should start their recruitment as early as possible and keep them fully engaged in the run up to the event. Providing more incentives and better packages can help differentiate between alternative festivals that a potential volunteer is considering. Volunteers remain the backbone of all music festivals and organisers should provide an easy application process with good benefits. Ongoing engagement is key to securing the numbers they need at an early stage and reduce the number of drop-outs and no-shows.

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 including a dedicated volunteer management module. 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.

Photo Anna Shvets via Pexels

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