FAI Conference

From: Pam Robinson <pam@gsp.org>

Sent: Monday, March 04, 2019 12:24 PM

To: FP Full Board <FullBoard@folkproject.org>

Subject: Report to FP board on FAI

Report from Bob and Pam to the FP Board on Folk Alliance International.

the following and the attached are identical.

To give you a scope of the size of Folk Alliance International (FAI).Approximately 3,000 individuals were registered to attend (numbers were down slightly as the snow storms across the eastern half of the country on Tuesday night caused numerous flight cancellations.)

The conference ran for four days. Every evening (for a total of 14.5 hours) in 9 ballrooms/concert rooms, 200 Official Showcases were presented in 30 minute time slots. From 10:30pm till 3:30am each night, there were up to 81 Private Showcases going at the same time with over 700 performer/bands being presented in 15, 30 up to 60 minute time slots (many in the round).

This does not include any of the daytime programing of peer sessions, discussion panels, workshops, summits, speed meetings, board reports (both FAI and Regions) the exhibit hall and Music Camp. There were also several receptions where lots of networking happened.

While at FAI, Bob or I -

• Reconnected with two of the sponsors from NJUF2018 (Shubb Capos & DR Strings). Both have agreed to sponsor the fest again in 2019. I met with staff from Berklee Online who might be interested in sponsoring either the NJUF or even the Getaway. I am continuing communications with them to see what arrangements we can come to.

• Found out that Smithsonian Flokways is planning an entire weekend of worldwide events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Pete Seeger birth on the weekend of May 3, 2019. I have a flyer about how we, FP, can participate, I am trying to find online info about the event. Here is the text from the flyer, “On the weekend of May 3-5 2019, We invite musicians and music lovers of the world to congregate at a community gathering place near them…and perform your favorite Pete Seeger songs. Participants will upload photos and videos of their event to their Facebook page, using the hashtag #spiritofseeger. Smithsonian Folkways will document those events, and share with the rest of the world.”

• Met with Emma Walsmith, Founder & CEO of Tikly a small online ticketing company https://tikly.co/why-tikly/ They are working toward a setup similar to CC, but are not quite there yet. Worth looking into to see if Tikly can meet our needs. (Lisa)

• Spoke with several folks about Concert Window. CW is run by 1 guy and a techie. Most venues have seen a noticeable improvement in the last couple of months in the quality of their broadcasts. Recommendation was to keep trying to reach out to them for service. The only other similar service that any are aware of is YouTube Live, and it does not let appear to let venues charge a viewing fee.

• Time was spent reconnecting with agents, DJs, managers and artists that we met at prior FAI conferences and making new contacts as well. (ie. an agent I have worked with for several years and finally met this year.)

Performers to consider

For Minstrel

The Bombadils - Canadian Bluegrass

Ordinary Elephant - award winning s/s

Freddy & Francine - Americana

Jellyman’s Daughter - post rock, folk, soul

The Brother Brothers - s/s just signed with Compass Records

For Getaway

Hoot n’ Holler - s/s

Ordinary Elephant - award winning s/s

Freddy & Francine - Americana

Jellyman’s Daughter - post rock, folk soul

the Faux Paws - (members of Great Bear Trio + sax)

Swingin’ Tern

The Faux Paws (members of Great Bear Trio + sax)

Notes from two of the workshops I attended on Festivals

Curating festivals

Build trust with fans. Ie. sell out before even announcing artists.

Having a good Campground is one way to attract audiences

Is the music the draw or do you need to have bells n whistles.

Money to the music is preferable.

Adjust music style to reflect what audiences are looking for.

Have a good balanced lineup musically.

Diversity is good but the music is king.

The need to spend more on security. (many fests finding this is an issue)

Non financial incentives to the artists, so that they want to be at your event and might be willing to work for less $:

networking with other artists.

Friends played with previously.

Collaborative sets, let artists work out what they are going to do..

Chance to see friends they don’t get to see often as all are touring.

Cost of talent rising exponentially. Performer merchandise is where performer makes money.

Performer fees have grown by 3- 5 times more than they were 5-7 yrs ago.

Cost of headliner impacts the ability to pay the smaller performer.

Need to be Booking 2 yrs out for bigger festivals. Go for some perennial artists and rotate them over several years, but sill included the new/unique.

Ways to help subsidize your festival

Getting donations (non profit)

Getting sponsors to underwrite parts of fest.

How to run fest

Have a budget.

Explain to agent/artists what type of fest you are

Willing to book mixed genres, don’t always have “headliner”.

Book to stand out that your audiences wants to see.

Festival needs some artist exclusively. No other performances announced 60 days prior festival 150 miles.

***Get rid of the single use water bottles by giving performers reusable bottles and providing water in pitchers. (good way to help reduce garbage/plastic if possible)

There is No money in live streaming the event.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Festival Peer Session

Most festival organizers did not have a succession plan in place, but thought that it was important to do so.

Discussion regarding Canabis at festivals now that it is legal in many states. Some fests are concerned as to how it will change their festival and/or legal problems that might arise.

Discussion regarding flagging attendance, no solutions presented.