It’s tough to stay on top of trends — especially when you’re in the throes of planning your next festival. To help you keep your finger on the pulse, we’ve looked at data compiled by the Eventbrite team in the US, informed by surveys, expert interviews, and conversations with thousands of festival-lovers. Read this blog post for four essential takeaways and the seven key stats driving them. You’ll learn what attendees look for in festivals today — and what they want from festivals tomorrow.
Trend #1: More payment methods means more spending
In a US survey spanning 5,000 people who regularly attend music festivals, food festivals, arts events, and cultural expos, 17% of them are accustomed to using an RFID wristband to enter festivals and make cashless purchases. Nearly a third would like the option to do so, except that a lot of festivals don’t give them the option. The US research also indicated that attendees spend up to 20% more when using cashless options on-site, which is good news for your bottom line.
RFID is more common in the US, but is becoming more readily available to the local market and SME’s. To learn more about Eventbrite’s RFID solution, read more here.
Trend #2: Instagram is the most powerful platform for amplifying word of mouth
When it comes to advertising, no medium is as powerful as word-of-mouth. In fact, 83% of people surveyed say they trust the recommendations of friends and family. Since friends and family are so easy to communicate with on social media, it makes sense to amp up your social media efforts. Your job? Make it incredibly easy for your loyal fans to share excitement about your event. Every webpage, blog post, and email announcement you create should be filled with content worth sharing.
An important stat to note here is that Instagram is the platform inciting the highest rate of interaction. A 2016 study by TrackMaven reported that for every 1,000 followers an Instagram user has, between 50 to 70 of those followers interact with every post by that user. Of course, you want to be on all social media platforms, but consider expanding beyond Facebook for your promotion. For help on boosting your social media efforts, check out our latest Britepaper, with tips from the pros at Buffer:
Free download: 9 simple steps to master social media for events
Trend #3: It’s all about the food for millennials
Eventbrite’s US survey revealed that 80% of millennials had attended three or more food, wine, or beer events in the past year, with more than half of them considering themselves “foodies.” Australia certainly has a similar food-driven culture and food offerings are becoming more sophisticated at local events.
It’s easy to conclude that the more food and drink options your event has, the happier attendees will be. However, there’s also a more strategic reason to offer food at your festival: 84% of food festival-goers are likely to post pictures of food while at an event. That’s priceless social media marketing and helps link to Instagram amplifying your word of mouth.
There’s also good news for sponsors of food-based festivals: After attending a food and beverage festival, a staggering 99% of millennials surveyed said they’d recommend a winery, brewery, restaurant, or food purveyor afterward.
Read more: Why event organisers should care about craft beer
Trend #4: Livestreaming events
There’s a reason music festivals are so keen to livestream bands to the crowd at home: because research has shown that 30% of those people will choose to attend next year. Livestreaming also has applications far beyond music. Festivals of all kinds are livestreaming everything from cooking demos to contests. Livestreamed video is a great way to spread hype about your festival for next year. For tips on how to livestream your next event, check out our two blog posts on top platforms to help integrate live video content into your social media strategy:
- 5 myths about livestreaming – busted
- Facebook Live: the next big thing in livestreaming
- 3 simple ways to livestream your event for free
Interested in more global trends that could spark new ideas for your local festival? Check out all the international event trends you need to know.
