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Post by Dave Maynar on Dec 29, 2016 15:05:05 GMT -5
I feel some people on here could make some dazzling entries into this. A post from The Big Capp Dogg on his vision for the future of Bonnaroo's community would be priceless.
I feel some people on here could make some dazzling entries into this. A post from The Big Capp Dogg on his vision for the future of Bonnaroo's community would be priceless.
Maybe (and it's a huge maybe) I'd be interested in this if they actually paid me. Sorry, but I'm not gonna work on my annual vacation short of some serious perks.
So basically, they'd like to crowdsource art installations and Solar Stage/Planet Roo programming. That is, they'd like to pay for less of it and have you do it, presumably for free.
Five years ago, I wouldn't have been so cynical and thought it was an authentic call to the community to make the festival more vibrant. I was naive, the festival's changed--some combination of both--but as much as I want to respond constructively, I don't think I can this time.
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Providing an outlet and a voice for music lovers to unite under the common theme of music for all. Join The Pondo Army to show your allegiance to musical freedom! Fighting for no censorship of the arts & music education in schools, The Pondo Army will triumph! The Pondo Army Movement
Follow me on twitter@Pondoknowsbest
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So basically, they'd like to crowdsource art installations and Solar Stage/Planet Roo programming. That is, they'd like to pay for less of it and have you do it, presumably for free.
Five years ago, I wouldn't have been so cynical and thought it was an authentic call to the community to make the festival more vibrant. I was naive, the festival's changed--some combination of both--but as much as I want to respond constructively, I don't think I can this time.
I was thinking on this the other day too. Five years ago, there would have been tons of input from inforoo. Now, not so much.
So basically, they'd like to crowdsource art installations and Solar Stage/Planet Roo programming. That is, they'd like to pay for less of it and have you do it, presumably for free.
Five years ago, I wouldn't have been so cynical and thought it was an authentic call to the community to make the festival more vibrant. I was naive, the festival's changed--some combination of both--but as much as I want to respond constructively, I don't think I can this time.
I was thinking on this the other day too. Five years ago, there would have been tons of input from inforoo. Now, not so much.
Hell, even three years ago I could imagine Inforoo bein'all over this!
I finally got around to filling this out. My response to how to build the community was essentially just me telling them why I think people abandoned the festival and what might get them to return. I don't know that they'll read it but at least I got it off my chest.
As stated above, a large part of who I am today (especially my online footprint) is related to Bonnaroo. It is the reason that I have been patiently hoping that the trends of the last several years will reverse but that goodwill is probably spent at this point. I purchased a presale ticket this year because a friend was convinced - based on my regular advocacy over the six years that I have known her - to buy a ticket for her fiance to attend the festival for the first time this year and asked that I accompany him. This purchase was despite 2016's underwhelming experience.
Honestly, my vision for the community is based around the original ethos of the festival: a diverse collection of artists performing in a special atmosphere, performing longer sets than other festivals, performing later than other festivals, collaborating more than in other festivals. I think that this brought together a special group of attendees who were there for the love of the music, willing to endure brutal heat, sun and, sometimes, biblical rain and mud. People who were willing - if not eager - to travel a thousand miles to a farm in Tennessee, giving up a week of pay or using a week of vacation to share a near-utopian musical environment unlike any other in America.
The difference between 2011 and 2016 is striking:
* Sets started an hour and twenty-four minutes later in 2016 (average start time of 2:01 vs 12:37) * Late Night ended an hour earlier in 2016 (average end time of 2:57 vs 3:57) * Sets were an average of six minutes shorter in 2016 even including the traditionally short Sonic Stage sets in 2011 (average set length of 57 minutes vs 63 minutes) * The cost of attending increased over 85% in that time (Tier One pricing increased from $224.50 in 2011 to $334.50), plus the festival added on camping/parking fees
If you do truly want the Bonnaroovian community to grow together, these trends need to be radically reversed. Your attendees are dictated by the product that you put out on The Farm. Increasingly, it appears that the festival seems to be losing out on exciting bookings to Shaky Knees or to European festivals. Taking a Moneyball-esque approach of booking the same acts that are extensively touring and playing festivals, maybe not spending as much money but being more profitable even if attendance dips is a bad look. It tells the "community" that they're not important, that they don't need to travel to the festival and that they'll be replaced by first-time (one-time?) attendees. Ignoring your base (e.g., Inforoo) has taken a huge toll and was reflected in last year's attendance.
My suggestions for getting the community to come back to the fold are as follows:
* Make the day full of music. Start music at noon again. Go till dawn again. And, no, Kalliope does not count. Virtually nobody regards it as anything other than an excuse to not go to bed. * Give bands time to play. One of the edges that Bonnaroovians used to give to the festival over Coachella was that acts would frequently be given near headliner length sets (an hour-twenty plus) while Coachella's acts played forty or fifty minutes. There is now virtually no difference. * Book outside the box. It's really easy to find out who potential attendees are clamoring for, just check out Inforoo or Twitter. (Don't go to Facebook, that's just a dumpster fire.) Is a band playing Coachella and Lollapalooza and Governor's Ball and Outside Lands and Forecastle? Maybe skip them this go-round. Instead, book somebody that's not on their radar. Give people a reason to drive to Manchester. Give them something to brag about. * Go back to being THE diverse festival. There should be alternative, world, hip hop, country, folk, pop, singer-song writer, etc. all competing against each other for attendees attention. Acts from 2017 and acts from 1987 and acts from 1967. Celebrate tomorrow's artist and legacy acts. 2016 was programmed like a local radio station music festival. That does not encourage community. * Reward loyalty. You tried this very briefly with the Krewe of Roo and quickly abandoned the concept. You should be encouraging community by finding ways to keep your attendees invested. Discounts, downloads, merchandise, upgrades, etc. would all go a long way to helping us have some skin in the game. This is how hotel chains, airlines, restaurants, etc. build loyalty. Perhaps work with the Live Nation overlords to create a loyalty program. As someone who has attended thirteen times, I know that it would be nice to feel valued more than a first time attendee.
You had floated the idea of a focus group during the 2016 wrap up survey. As far as I know that never happened and I really think that it should. (Please tell me that this is not what you meant with this short survey.) Show your attendees - your advocates - that you give a damn.
I finally got around to filling this out. My response to how to build the community was essentially just me telling them why I think people abandoned the festival and what might get them to return. I don't know that they'll read it but at least I got it off my chest.
As stated above, a large part of who I am today (especially my online footprint) is related to Bonnaroo. It is the reason that I have been patiently hoping that the trends of the last several years will reverse but that goodwill is probably spent at this point. I purchased a presale ticket this year because a friend was convinced - based on my regular advocacy over the six years that I have known her - to buy a ticket for her fiance to attend the festival for the first time this year and asked that I accompany him. This purchase was despite 2016's underwhelming experience.
Honestly, my vision for the community is based around the original ethos of the festival: a diverse collection of artists performing in a special atmosphere, performing longer sets than other festivals, performing later than other festivals, collaborating more than in other festivals. I think that this brought together a special group of attendees who were there for the love of the music, willing to endure brutal heat, sun and, sometimes, biblical rain and mud. People who were willing - if not eager - to travel a thousand miles to a farm in Tennessee, giving up a week of pay or using a week of vacation to share a near-utopian musical environment unlike any other in America.
The difference between 2011 and 2016 is striking:
* Sets started an hour and twenty-four minutes later in 2016 (average start time of 2:01 vs 12:37) * Late Night ended an hour earlier in 2016 (average end time of 2:57 vs 3:57) * Sets were an average of six minutes shorter in 2016 even including the traditionally short Sonic Stage sets in 2011 (average set length of 57 minutes vs 63 minutes) * The cost of attending increased over 85% in that time (Tier One pricing increased from $224.50 in 2011 to $334.50), plus the festival added on camping/parking fees
If you do truly want the Bonnaroovian community to grow together, these trends need to be radically reversed. Your attendees are dictated by the product that you put out on The Farm. Increasingly, it appears that the festival seems to be losing out on exciting bookings to Shaky Knees or to European festivals. Taking a Moneyball-esque approach of booking the same acts that are extensively touring and playing festivals, maybe not spending as much money but being more profitable even if attendance dips is a bad look. It tells the "community" that they're not important, that they don't need to travel to the festival and that they'll be replaced by first-time (one-time?) attendees. Ignoring your base (e.g., Inforoo) has taken a huge toll and was reflected in last year's attendance.
My suggestions for getting the community to come back to the fold are as follows:
* Make the day full of music. Start music at noon again. Go till dawn again. And, no, Kalliope does not count. Virtually nobody regards it as anything other than an excuse to not go to bed. * Give bands time to play. One of the edges that Bonnaroovians used to give to the festival over Coachella was that acts would frequently be given near headliner length sets (an hour-twenty plus) while Coachella's acts played forty or fifty minutes. There is now virtually no difference. * Book outside the box. It's really easy to find out who potential attendees are clamoring for, just check out Inforoo or Twitter. (Don't go to Facebook, that's just a dumpster fire.) Is a band playing Coachella and Lollapalooza and Governor's Ball and Outside Lands and Forecastle? Maybe skip them this go-round. Instead, book somebody that's not on their radar. Give people a reason to drive to Manchester. Give them something to brag about. * Go back to being THE diverse festival. There should be alternative, world, hip hop, country, folk, pop, singer-song writer, etc. all competing against each other for attendees attention. Acts from 2017 and acts from 1987 and acts from 1967. Celebrate tomorrow's artist and legacy acts. 2016 was programmed like a local radio station music festival. That does not encourage community. * Reward loyalty. You tried this very briefly with the Krewe of Roo and quickly abandoned the concept. You should be encouraging community by finding ways to keep your attendees invested. Discounts, downloads, merchandise, upgrades, etc. would all go a long way to helping us have some skin in the game. This is how hotel chains, airlines, restaurants, etc. build loyalty. Perhaps work with the Live Nation overlords to create a loyalty program. As someone who has attended thirteen times, I know that it would be nice to feel valued more than a first time attendee.
You had floated the idea of a focus group during the 2016 wrap up survey. As far as I know that never happened and I really think that it should. (Please tell me that this is not what you meant with this short survey.) Show your attendees - your advocates - that you give a damn.
I finally got around to filling this out. My response to how to build the community was essentially just me telling them why I think people abandoned the festival and what might get them to return. I don't know that they'll read it but at least I got it off my chest.
As stated above, a large part of who I am today (especially my online footprint) is related to Bonnaroo. It is the reason that I have been patiently hoping that the trends of the last several years will reverse but that goodwill is probably spent at this point. I purchased a presale ticket this year because a friend was convinced - based on my regular advocacy over the six years that I have known her - to buy a ticket for her fiance to attend the festival for the first time this year and asked that I accompany him. This purchase was despite 2016's underwhelming experience.
Honestly, my vision for the community is based around the original ethos of the festival: a diverse collection of artists performing in a special atmosphere, performing longer sets than other festivals, performing later than other festivals, collaborating more than in other festivals. I think that this brought together a special group of attendees who were there for the love of the music, willing to endure brutal heat, sun and, sometimes, biblical rain and mud. People who were willing - if not eager - to travel a thousand miles to a farm in Tennessee, giving up a week of pay or using a week of vacation to share a near-utopian musical environment unlike any other in America.
The difference between 2011 and 2016 is striking:
* Sets started an hour and twenty-four minutes later in 2016 (average start time of 2:01 vs 12:37) * Late Night ended an hour earlier in 2016 (average end time of 2:57 vs 3:57) * Sets were an average of six minutes shorter in 2016 even including the traditionally short Sonic Stage sets in 2011 (average set length of 57 minutes vs 63 minutes) * The cost of attending increased over 85% in that time (Tier One pricing increased from $224.50 in 2011 to $334.50), plus the festival added on camping/parking fees
If you do truly want the Bonnaroovian community to grow together, these trends need to be radically reversed. Your attendees are dictated by the product that you put out on The Farm. Increasingly, it appears that the festival seems to be losing out on exciting bookings to Shaky Knees or to European festivals. Taking a Moneyball-esque approach of booking the same acts that are extensively touring and playing festivals, maybe not spending as much money but being more profitable even if attendance dips is a bad look. It tells the "community" that they're not important, that they don't need to travel to the festival and that they'll be replaced by first-time (one-time?) attendees. Ignoring your base (e.g., Inforoo) has taken a huge toll and was reflected in last year's attendance.
My suggestions for getting the community to come back to the fold are as follows:
* Make the day full of music. Start music at noon again. Go till dawn again. And, no, Kalliope does not count. Virtually nobody regards it as anything other than an excuse to not go to bed. * Give bands time to play. One of the edges that Bonnaroovians used to give to the festival over Coachella was that acts would frequently be given near headliner length sets (an hour-twenty plus) while Coachella's acts played forty or fifty minutes. There is now virtually no difference. * Book outside the box. It's really easy to find out who potential attendees are clamoring for, just check out Inforoo or Twitter. (Don't go to Facebook, that's just a dumpster fire.) Is a band playing Coachella and Lollapalooza and Governor's Ball and Outside Lands and Forecastle? Maybe skip them this go-round. Instead, book somebody that's not on their radar. Give people a reason to drive to Manchester. Give them something to brag about. * Go back to being THE diverse festival. There should be alternative, world, hip hop, country, folk, pop, singer-song writer, etc. all competing against each other for attendees attention. Acts from 2017 and acts from 1987 and acts from 1967. Celebrate tomorrow's artist and legacy acts. 2016 was programmed like a local radio station music festival. That does not encourage community. * Reward loyalty. You tried this very briefly with the Krewe of Roo and quickly abandoned the concept. You should be encouraging community by finding ways to keep your attendees invested. Discounts, downloads, merchandise, upgrades, etc. would all go a long way to helping us have some skin in the game. This is how hotel chains, airlines, restaurants, etc. build loyalty. Perhaps work with the Live Nation overlords to create a loyalty program. As someone who has attended thirteen times, I know that it would be nice to feel valued more than a first time attendee.
You had floated the idea of a focus group during the 2016 wrap up survey. As far as I know that never happened and I really think that it should. (Please tell me that this is not what you meant with this short survey.) Show your attendees - your advocates - that you give a damn.
