Planning for Operational Delays at Music Festivals.

The majority of music festivals take place without any noticeable delays or issues but there are occasions when something can go wrong which impacts on artists, festival-goers and vendors. What actions and plans can organisers implement to ensure a smooth operation even if delays happen.

Given the size and complexity of most music festivals it is sometimes seems inevitable that a delay will occur at some point during operational procedures. Although these delays may not be preventable there are things that organisers can do to mitigate them and reduce the potential impact and disruption to all site visitors. 

Typical Causes of Delays. 
For any outdoor festival the biggest threat is always the weather particularly wind and rain which can affect stage areas and electrical equipment. Adverse weather can make some site zones unsafe, and delays are unavoidable to ensure everyone's safety. Any technical malfunctions of backline equipment or artist’s instruments can delay a performance until any issues are resolved. Traffic congestion and delivery logistics issues can delay artist arrivals leading to significant delays in performances, vendor supplies and festival-goer arrivals. 

Impact on Artists. 
Artists can be delayed by flights or road traffic congestion which can result in them missing their scheduled set time or sound check. This can have a negative impact on how the artist is feeling with increased levels of stress which may affect the quality of their performance. In extreme circumstances a delayed artist may lead to cancellation or reduced set time and potential contractual issues. 

Impact on Vendors. 
Food and beverage vendors will arrive and set up their operations before a festival but some also rely on ongoing top up deliveries of produce. If supplies are delayed this can cause them to run out of food and beverages for festival-goers. Ultimately this can impact on the vendor’s profits and lead to festival-goer complaints or adverse content on social media.  

Impact on Festival-Goers. 
Any delays in accessing or leaving a festival site can result in adverse media coverage especially if festival-goers miss their favourite act. Delayed performances can have the same effect with thousands of dissatisfied festival goers. 

Contingency Planning. 
Festival organisers are well aware of the impact of delays on their operations and have learnt from historical experience that they need to have robust contingency plans in place for every conceivable eventuality. This means having documented processes and procedures for adverse weather protection for example. Equally important are back-up generators and backline equipment with experienced technical engineers that can switch over equipment if there is a technical failure. Stage mangers and producers responsible for artist set scheduling should have the ability to dynamically move artist's set times and stages to allow for late arrivals. This keeps the music flowing and ensures that every artist scheduled gets to complete their performances. Managing entry with dedicated gates for vendors and artists can help to expedite arrivals with rapid transit across the festival site right to the appropriate zone. 

When organisers are faced with any kind of delay during the festival operations it is essential to maintain transparent communications with all relevant parties. Festival-goer's expectations need to be managed to avoid poor media coverage so using apps, notice boards and video screens to display real time information can help them plan their visit accordingly. 

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.

Image by HubertPhotographer via Pixabay

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