Outdoor concerts are great fun for all ages throughout the summer and fall, but planning a great concert can be a lot of work! Before planning a community concert or music festival, check out these helpful tips on how to put together a great event:
- Killer Lineup
- Food, Drinks, and Merchandise
- Plenty of Bathrooms
- Fan Experiences
- Enough Staff to Control the Event
- Good Weather
A concert is only as good as the talent that’s brought in to perform. Having a solid lineup of bands or artists is a surefire way to host a concert that people will remember for years to come. This is also a great way to keep people coming back for annual events!
Having a variety of music genres represented will allow you to appeal to a wider audience and put together a full-day, weekend or week-long event. To accommodate lots of acts multiple stages are usually erected in the same vicinity or nearby venues are used to host musicians so that performances can overlap during the schedule. This keeps an audience entertained with lots of things to do and maintains a high energy level, which equals more fun.
It’s important to provide food and beverages for purchase so that fans stay hydrated and fed throughout the event, which is especially important for longer events. Thirsty or hungry fans can spell disaster, especially in hot temperatures. Plus, vending is a prime opportunity to make money off of concertgoers!
Event and band merchandise is also a great seller and fantastic revenue opportunity! Fans love collecting t-shirts, hats, posters, stickers and other merch. Plus, if any bands are planning autograph sessions, then fans will need things for them to sign. Providing this gear for sale lets fans be prepared for all of the event activities.
Having adequate restrooms for concert attendees is essential to maintaining proper sanitation. But aside from the basic cleanliness element, plentiful bathrooms make fans happy because it means they get to spend more time enjoying music instead of waiting in line to use the facilities. Less time in the bathroom line also encourages fans to stick around longer and frees them up to spend their time buying items that are for sale.
In the case of a multi-day music festival, showers are also much appreciated by concertgoers. Some festivals offer paid passes to use luxury restroom trailers with showers.
Offering autograph sessions, audience Q&A’s, and “meet the artist” opportunities are the types of experiences that fans love! Promoting exclusive opportunities can boost ticket sales and spreading them out throughout the day is likely to keep fans around before and after concerts. These can either be offered free of charge or included in premium pass purchases.
Always follow normal safety guidelines when it comes to hiring and training qualified staff because keeping control over the event is of paramount important from a safety perspective. It will also help fans to have fun and enjoy the overall event even more. Having enough staff and volunteers will allow you to provide the fan support needed when people are lost, need information, have questions, require medical attention, etc.
Obviously you can’t order up good weather, but planning a concert for a time that typically has more optimal local weather is always a good idea. Don’t plan outdoor concerts for the hottest or coldest time of the year and try to avoid precipitation where possible. Having items in place to lessen the effects of the weather is always a good precaution to take. Tents can help shield fans against direct sunlight and from rain, while providing heaters or indoor areas to warm up helps in cold temperatures.
Kerkstra Luxury Portable Restroom Service Inc. provides portable restroom service across Michigan and luxury restroom trailers for all of the states surrounding the Great Lakes. We provide portable restroom service for construction sites, agricultural applications, concerts, weddings and events!
