• Audience retention focuses on continuing to build on the audience you have already captured. 

• Audience development is focused on those members you failed to get first (or second, third or 50th) time or new audiences that come into play e.g. migrants who need to be integrated, global audiences who may now be reached through digital technology, etc

It is important to create a database of attendees so that you can see certain trends: 

• Where most attendees came from. 

• Where most attendees bought their tickets. 

• Where most attendees got information about the festival. 

• Community vs local vs international attendance. 

• The difference between attendees from one festival to another. 

This data will feed into your analysis of marketing and publicity, which are the ways you can use to retain or build your audience (See section below on Marketing) 

Use SWOT analysis for your audience:

• Strengths

What did you do well? What unique resources can you draw on? What do others see as your strength?

• Weakness

What could you improve? Where do you have fewer resources than others? What are others likely to see as weaknesses?

• Opportunities

What opportunities are open to you? What trends could you take advantage of? How can you turn your strength into opportunities?

• Threats

What threats could harm you? What is your competition doing? What threats do your weaknesses expose you to?

Other activities that feed into retention and development of audience: 

• Monitor feedback after your event via social media. 

• Announce the next event at the peak of the show. 

• Create feedback opportunities for introverts: Suggestion boxes or feedback opportunities on website. 

• Create a Secret Shopper: an individual who can provide an unbiased option of your product after attending the festival. 

• Ask team members for feedback. 

• Send a survey event questionnaire, via newsletter or social media. 

• Change only what was clearly unsuccessful, after analysis.

Additional Resources: 

20 Attendee Retention Tactics to Keep Them Coming Back by Julius Solaris