“I’m pickin’ up good vibrations…”
It’s been 50 years since the Beach Boys put some music to the feeling of summer, but those vibrations are picking up again. It’s almost June and Summer Festivals are already starting. Sun, music, relaxation- and big crowds. People at those festivals will be looking for fun, engaging things to see and do. If you’re in charge of staffing, here’s what you need to do to make your summer festival experience full of good vibrations, not nervous agitation…
Staffing a Summer Festival
1. Get to it early
That means start now. If it’s a big festival, the best talent is usually booked fast and early. It’s never too soon to start looking for good staff. Make a list of the people you’ve worked with in the past that you’d like to hire again and call them. Don’t send emails, call them. If you know your dates and have an established relationship with those staffers, you can lock those people in. If you don’t have your dates nailed down yet, you’ll at least have an idea of who has the most open availability.
2. Know your audience & staff accordingly
Most summer festivals are based around a theme – be it food, sports, culture or music. Make sure the staff you book fir the look and lifestyle of that particular theme. Just as you would never hire a biologist who loathes sports to work a March Madness promotion, the science of staffing dictates that you want people on your team who not only know, but live, the game they’re playing.
Also, if it’s an outdoor festival, find staff that is comfortable in outdoor environments. Your typical tradeshow spokemsmodel might not be the best fit here, as working a corporate conference booth is a lot different than working the booth at a rock concert or a Volleyball promo.
3. Go After Influencers
Everyone at a summer festival is there to have a good time, but not everyone there is of equal value to what you’re promoting. Train your staff to spot and seek out the influencers in the crowd- with thousands of people passing by your promo staff every day, they need to make quick and informed decisions about who to focus on.
4. Consistent Coverage
If a Summer Festival events covers a span of several days, make sure you’re booking talent who are available to work each and every shift in its entirety. Having to retrain a new crew every day will lead to confusion and disconnect. Having someone who clearly knows their responsibilities and the event goals will only increase their loyalty to the program.
5. Be Interesting!
Summer festivals are packed- do something that makes you stand out, not the same thing that the promo staff every other booth will be doing. You need to give the people walking around at the festival a reason to stop by and talk with you, not another reason to walk by another booth.
Summer is the season of staffing, and hopefully good vibrations. If you want help or advice, staffing is what we do- just ask. [Contact us]
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