Looking for some feedback and input from the paddling community!
FESTIVALS
1. What do you like?
2. What do you dislike?
3. What do you expect / what is important to you?
4. What have you seen that you'd change and how?

All comments appreciated!
Thanks,
Christian

I bet someone went to a festival sometime and had some thoughts...
Please share...

chris71 wrote:

1. What do you like?
2. What do you dislike?
3. What do you expect / what is important to you?
4. What have you seen that you'd change and how?

Hi Christian,

I’m not sure why you want to know but I’m assuming that you want to organise something of your own and would like some guidance, advice, ideas? Well, here is my

I’ve written 3 articles on festivals that I’ve attended:

Blyde X-Fest, South Africa: adrian.playak.com/index.php?option=com_c...p;id=26&Itemid=3

Thrombi X-Fest, South Africa: adrian.playak.com/index.php?option=com_c...p;id=25&Itemid=3

Euro Cup Boater Cross, Sweden: adrian.playak.com/index.php?option=com_c...p;id=52&Itemid=6
(there are two more articles on this event, the team boater cross and the freestyle event)

Perhaps by reading through these (if you have the time/inclination) you can pick up a few things. But as for your list, here goes:

1. I like to pay a solid entry fee and then get something in return like a hot dog, t-shirt, maybe some stickers, a water bottle? Don’t we just love ‘free’ stuff.

2. At the Thrombi X-Fest they played music full tilt from morning to late at night. There were many people that thought it was great and added atmosphere to the event but I personally didn’t like it. Almost as many people didn’t like it too. So different strokes for different folks. I prefer at least some peace and quiet, especially in the mornings.

3. Proper organization and also have a timetable and stick to it. At the event in Sweden people would often not know what was going on and information was spread by word of mouth. If you know what is going on then you can plan your day and maybe hit the river in the morning because you know your event is only later on at midday or in the afternoon. Know what I mean. Use a loud hailer if necessary but don’t go mad on it like some dude at the Thrombi event who just couldn’t get enough of hearing his own voice. A non-kayaker and someone they clearly hired for the job.

4. Keep the race course short. Thrombi X-Fest had a very long course and the walk back looked hectic. Blyde X-fest ran 3 races at 3 different rapids and the person with the least time won. Of course we only found that out after the first race but I guess we should have asked. This worked well but naturally there are no ‘spectators’ except for those paddling other kayaks or inflatable rafts. On this particular river there is no other way to host the event due to the fact that the river is only accessible by river… The boater cross in Sweden was a techincal but crappy course. Not that action packed and they avoided using the better rapids for some unknown reason. Even the spectators commented on this when I spoke to them. Maybe next time..

And that’s my opinion considering I’m not a fan of events and have only actually attended 3 so my experience is very limited. I hope it helps in some sort of way for whatever your end goal is. Good luck and have fun

AT

Thanks Adrian, I will be sure to read your reviews...
Yes, I have been tasked with organizing the 50th Anniversary 'event' for our Club, and a 'festival' camping weekend of sorts is our plan...
Appreciate all feedback!

No worries. Another thing. Ask the people if they be prepared to pay for photographs and then hire a professional who would do the job. Then people can buy DVD's right on the spot. Maybe the same thing for making a video/DVD of the trip/event. That's a nice touch.

Set up a communal tent too which is a good idea, especially if it rains..



Cheers,
Adrian

Well, I've been to a couple of festivals in the U.S. a couple in the Czech Republic and some events in the Netherlands that come pretty close to my definition of a festival.

If there is no music or other entertainment, I don't necessarily feel the need to pay an entrance fee so that I can get to a place where I can only purchase paddling gear and expensive food, *unless* that paddling gear is considerably cheaper than normal. Call me a cheapskate, but I'm not all that motivated to donate money to an organization in another country that I don't paddle in more than once or twice a year.

What I like:

Participation in a lottery with your entrance ticket, having an anonymous bidding on donated gear (like Gauleyfest), having live music that more than one age category can relate to, seeing some white water porn on a big screen, having manufacturers sell blems (boats, paddles, helmets whatever) or older models for a discount price.

Having several paddling gear stores at the same festival also helps, in part because that increases the chance of any of them having what I'm looking for, but I also get the impression that it makes it more likely for any of them to have some bargains.

I also like the idea I came across in the U.S. of getting a free T-shirt if you help out for a certain amount of time as a volunteer. I still have several nice T-shirts from (for example) Tallulah and Gauley Fests.

Having a boat repair shop at the fest also has its charm. I think that even having one plastic welder around would already make a difference for some boaters to go there, especially if it's announced beforehand.

Announce beforehand which shops or brands of paddling gear will be at the festival!

chris71 wrote:

Looking for some feedback and input from the paddling community!
FESTIVALS
1. What do you like?
2. What do you dislike?
3. What do you expect / what is important to you?
4. What have you seen that you'd change and how?

All comments appreciated!
Thanks,
Christian

1. girls, beer, and free shuttle services
2. guys, wine, and paying for shuttle services
3. some sort or oganized area for camping, food

I have been an organizer, vendor, and normal festival attendee.

Since everyone is different (as Adrian already pointed out), you must carefully consider how each person enjoys their experience on the river and what they value about that experience.
People are going to a festival to get together on some level. It could be with the intention of just having a mellow gathering around a small campfire with some friends they always are boating with, or it oculd be to get wasted around a huge bonfire that is just barely far away enough to keep from burning down the band stage that will rage at 180db all night long surrounded by manufacturers reps screaming sales pitches all night long.

If you can designate a party zone and a quite zone you will have some good success at keeping many people happy.

If you charge a fee then people must feel like they are getting something for their money. I certainly enjoy tshirts, but I also feel good about donating $10 for conservation efforts or getting dam releases too.

Both pro and amature events are a good attraction. If you have difficult whitewater then you'll have some success getting lots of people to watch an pro event (as long as it's easy to get to). If you have easier water then you might want to have an amature event with many categories for people to try, and also consider getting pros to put on free demos and clinics (that always creates a good buzz)

for the festivals I have attended:

Gauley Fest:
I love the river. I love meeting all my friends from down south because it's in the middle of the east coast U.S. so a bunch of us come from up north and a bunch drive from the south.
I absolutely hate how big the festival is. It is almost unmanagable and the party goes on alll night long so the only way to escape is to just leave at midnight and sleep in a hotel.

Deerfield Fest:
it is small enough to manage and big enough to be fun. The organizers are smart because they let the party rage with bands, music, beer/food vendors, manufacturers and retailers until about midnightl. Then they shut off half the light and tell the vendors to start cleaning up. There are, of course people who stay up later but they are quiet or go somewhere else to party.

I'll leave it at that because I\"m sure others have some to say.

Thanks for all the feedback folks!
We are looking into the feasibility of all the comments... even beer and girls

I too have experienced big and small, and party and quiet... I have a preference for some quiet time, but understand the need to entertain...

all thoughts appreciated!

If anyone ever needs any designs doing then please give me a call.


www.kayakcapers.co.uk