Common Costs Overlooked by Music Festival Organisers.

Festival organisers often invest huge amounts of time, effort and funds in bringing a music festival to market. Despite meticulous planning there can be additional costs that get forgotten or missed pushing the event into a loss. What are the most common costs overlooked by festival organisers.

Most financial planning for music festivals is performed well in advance of the event dates and costs and revenues are usually based on historical data. Using an experienced team can help build a robust plan but even with these it is not unusual for something to get missed or be severely underestimated because of unforeseen situations. Here are some of the most likely cost centres that go overspent.

Artist Fees and Riders. 
The contracts with artists can sometimes be particularly complex and may include numerous clauses that result in organisers paying compensation. The riders specified by some artists can be extreme and bizarre and may incur huge costs for organisers. The easiest way to prevent these unexpected costs is to insist on standard contracts and riders for all performance artists that get booked. This may not be possible for some headline acts who could insist on their own contract and rider specifications, these may be acceptable, but organisers should fully understand the financial implications of some clauses.

Waste Management. 
Estimates of the number of festival-goers expected to attend can help calculate the volume and type of waste that the event will generate. Organisers sometimes factor in the volumes of waste that festival-goers will take home and how much can be recycled. Suppliers tasked with collection and disposal of waste (general rubbish and waste water) will provide quotations based on organiser's estimates of volumes and type of waste but if these estimates vary the supplier will charge additional fees. Organisers would be wise to over estimate the volumes of waste or negotiate with suppliers on how much the charges will be for additional volumes over and above quoted amounts.

Infrastructure Suppliers.
Suppliers and contractors for temporary structures like fencing, stages, power generators and backline equipment will be contacted for quotations early in the planning cycle. This can be months or years in advance and costs quoted will be based on requirements established at that time. However, circumstances change, particularly regarding estimated visitor numbers and contractors may increase their charges accordingly. Some suppliers may include clauses that allow them to pass on additional costs that they incur and can include variable costs related to staffing and fuel for example.

Event Insurance. 
It is essential that festival organisers have a good understanding the different types of insurance they need to obtain. There will be public liability Insurance that is usually a mandatory requirement for any incorporated or limited company. Additional insurance should always be purchased to cover specific event protection in case of accidents, injuries, or cancellations.

Licensing Applications.
Some festival organisers are guilty of making late or poorly prepared applications for event licences. Given the investment of time and money in planning a festival, organisers should focus of producing a timely and professionally presented licence application. There are experienced consultants who can perform this on behalf of the organising entity to ensure a smooth process. A rejected applications can have implications for costs already incurred.

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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