Why Radio Stations Create Music Festivals.

Radio stations have become more diverse and specialised over the last few decades as alternative digital steaming planforms continue to reduce listenership. This has created a challenging commercial environment where operators face falling audiences and advertiser revenue. Is the creation of a music festival with the radio station brand a possible solution.

The growth in digital content has had an adverse impact on radio for years with falling audience numbers across many countries. The exception is north America and Europe which still has a relatively strong commercial radio sector where drivers covering long distances still prefer to listen to radio. There has also been an increase in specialisation with radio stations playing genres that appeal to specific audiences. A radio station that creates a music festival can extend its brand to live events increasing revenue generating opportunities.

Branding and Advertiser Appeal.
A physical music festival enables radio stations to generate engagement with their audiences, strengthening their identity and brand, especially if the festival is built around a music genre the station is known for. The radio format provides an ideal environment to promote a live event with interviews, competitions, and ticket promotions. This content can also be shared on the station’s own social media channels for additional exposure. Having a radio station closely linked to its own festival provides additional advertiser appeal because unique packages can be created. Potential advertisers don't just get radio coverage but also opportunities to access the festival's sponsorship packages where they can combine radio advertising with an event presence through stage branding, product demonstrations and hospitability, for example.

Audience Growth and revenue generation.
There will always be radio listeners who have never been to a music festival and festival-goers who never listen to the radio. The station’s own live event can increase audience reach through stronger engagement with both profiles. The festival environment allows radio presenters and DJs to interact face to face with listeners, enhanced through exclusive meet and greets, competitions and VIP experiences. The collection of ticketing and competition entry data also enables the station to gain an insight into their audience's demographics. This provides them with a greater understanding of their audience in terms of age, geographic location, musical preferences, and brand engagements. A radio station operating a music festival can get additional revenue generation opportunities through ticket sales, sponsorship and beverage sales profit sharing deals. In addition, selling VIP packages and merchandise can help contribute to incremental revenue. Commercial financial success can help position the music festival as a standalone profit centre if the radio station operator prefers less financial integration.

Facilitated Artist Curation and Networking.
Radio presenters and DJs often get access to artists through networking because of the station's connections with record labels and artist promoters. Whoever is responsible for the curation of the station's music festival can leverage these relationships to secure a genre relevant line-up. In addition, these close relationships can help facilitate exclusive artist interviews on air and help with the event’s promotion along with the generation of festival content for live or future radio broadcasts. For local up and coming artists they can get access to the curation process because radio stations are always keen to demonstrate their role in the wider music ecosystem by giving emerging talent access to their audience.

Operational Challenges.
Although radio stations may be keen to create a music festival, they don't always have the experience to implement live events. It is not unusual for the radio station to employ a specialist event management production agency to handle all operational aspects of the event. Inexperienced festival organisers like radio stations can easily be exposed to operational challenges they have not encountered before. An experienced professional festival organising company can help to manage multiple factors including weather and environmental risks, licencing, crowd management, ticketing, health and safety, vendor management and contractor management, for example. If the inaugural music festival is financially successful it may become a permanent annual fixture with radio station staff eventually taking over the operational management of the event. Numerous large scale music festivals take place every year, particularly in the United States, which are owned and operated by radio stations.

For festival organisers planning their next event 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, site planning, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

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