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The New Way to Work With Fairs And Festivals

Introduction

Fairs and festivals are the comfort food of the event world—a slice of Americana you can't help but want to be a part of. Kid-tested, parent approved.

More than 2,500 fairs and festivals capture 180 million people annually, numbers marketers can't ignore. Individually, fairs represent a value proposition, but as a collective, they can cost a small fortune. "If we did a festival every weekend for a year, we'd be looking at $500,000 in fees," says Tom Page, marketing manager with Eastman Kodak Co. in Atlanta, currently in the midst of a mobile Picture Planet tour (Agency: CMI, New York City). "That's a hard number to justify."

Tips for Success

A few tips to help with the justification:
Expand the Deals: Save 20 percent by signing a two- or three-year deal. The venue wants revenue insurance, and brands want cost stability. Use this tack with established properties but stick with one-year pops for newbie or ailing venues.

Go for Cha-ching: Drive an actual purchase and move product and sales. Make that the ultimate goal and find an activation plan (and sponsorship package) that will facilitate.

Location: Fairs are getting packed with brands. Find out exactly what location you'll receive, who will be in proximity, and where competitors will be camped out.

Exclusivity: The cost of locking out rivals isn't usually worth it. Instead of a paid block, work with the venue to get competitors far enough away for you to have an area to yourself.

Go Custom: Demand a custom package after the venue pitches their Bronze, Silver, and Gold sponsorships. Returning sponsors note: Don't you dare accept that 3.5-percent escalator fee for "repeat partners," unless you're getting another nine percent in activation equity value.

Logistics: Sweat the small stuff. Before you sign, check your on-site location against the venue's water works and other nitty gritty factors. Mobile marketers should find out if the truck will fit—check entrance dimensions and power line height. Mobile marketing vehicles get charged around $2,500 per event, depending on space requested and the day (weekends cost more). Electricity adds about $150 to $300 a day, and garbage removal and table rentals another $75 daily each.

Site Fees: Stop bugging your agency—everyone pays site fees. While the properties respect the size of the brand, the excitement of the mobile tour, and the buzz you'll create for them, "A marketer saying they can bring loyal consumers to an event doesn't mean anything to a property that draws one million people," says Julie Pagenkopf, director of development and strategic planning with Milwaukee's Summerfest.

Quid Pro Quo: The venues will, however, sell their first born for some media dollars. Tag them in some spot radio or throw in a TV buy. Some will also cut a break for use of a brand's local database or in-kind products or services.