Mini-Festivals: An Activities Solution for Tourist

Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33530608
06/06/02

Mini-Festivals: An Activities Solution for Tourist Communities

Source: Kentucky
Author: Worms, Allan J. Ph.D.
Year: 1995

Preface

The Mini-Festival Idea

Festivals and special events provide excitement, fun,
and great cultural entertainment in communities and
other recreational settings throughout the nation.
While festivals have historic roots from long ago, they
have enjoyed a tremendous growth in popularity in
recent years. Additionally, they often contribute
strongly to local identity and community pride, not to
mention economic benefits at many levels.

But, for all their benefits, festivals have
limitations. First, they typically involve weeks or
months of planning and preparation by local
organizations even when professional help is employed.
Second, partly because of their huge commitment of time
and labor and also because of their very nature they
are of interest and can typically be repeated only
annually. Further, they may be immensely successful--or
they can result in failure, economically and socially.

During the spring of 1993--an idea was born in response
to a request from a Kentucky tourist community. They
asked if there wasn't some way to put on a festival or
event which could be repeated throughout the tourist
season and that would be of continuing interest to the
constantly changing tourist market. Further, they were
looking for a festival idea that could be staged
repeatedly without totally exhausting local organizers
and that still provided some of the economic, social
satisfaction and leadership education benefits of
"normal" festivals?

Well, Why Not?

This brief publication sets out the solution to that
problem and shares with you some of the vital and basic
techniques for planning and conducting festivals and,
then, mini-festivals. It provides these basics that are
necessary to success, however large or small the event.
It then illustrates the assets of mini-festivals.
Finally, it provides many different kinds of theme
choices, community needs options, and mini-festival
potentials for varied settings.

If your community, resort area, or neighborhood has an
existing tourist industry with changing visitors
throughout the season and if you seek new ways to
entertain these visitors without huge investment and
labor commitments, mini-festivals may be the solution
for you!

Allan J. Worms, Ph.D.

Primary Elements

Mini-festivals have a few basic characteristics and
benefits which make them unique.

Primary Characteristics

* They are often generated or put together to support
an existing flow of trade. Thus, they contribute
entertainment after tourists or other recreational
visitor traffic is already established in the area.

* They enlarge on the appeal of the established
tourist attractions and additionally supplement the
existing tourist industry.

* They require less preparation time. Consequently,
they can be organized and prepared within a few weeks
or, often, even within a few days. Many mini-festival
examples can be staged when a need for a new and
exciting program is evident even during the on-going
tourist season.

* Their actual conduct will usually last for a shorter
period of time. Frequently, they can be fit into a
weekend, a holiday rush period or similar limited time
frame in order to provide for tourist entertainment
almost "on demand."

* Generally, they cost less (usually much less) for
preparation, both in time and dollars.

* They are easier to conduct, usually can be conducted
by fewer people and they are far less likely to
generate the "burnout" more typical of larger, longer
festivals that are repeated year after year.

* They can be planned, organized, and conducted by
local tourist bureaus, chambers of commerce and many
other community agencies and even neighborhood groups.
Because of their reduced cost, they offer much greater
flexibility than larger festivals and events.

The "Pluses" of Mini-Festivals

Further, many of the benefits realized by conventional
festivals maybe shared by mini-festivals. For example,
they provide an opportunity to involve people in
community activities who haven't previously been
active.

Second, they create opportunities for local civic,
religious, youth and other organizations to operate
fund raising booths and conduct other activities
serving their purposes. And, of course, they may be
used in many cases to generate new revenues in the
community or among business groups.

Third, the excitement and enjoyment of mini-festivals
also provides recreational benefits for residents.
Mini-festivals, just as with their larger festival
relatives, should be fun! Closely related to this is
the "pride of place" arising from a community with
exciting, interesting cultural activities. The
community celebration essentially calls residents'
attentions to their own positive "community" assets.

Fourth, and perhaps most important, both mini-festivals
and festivals provide an opportunity to involve and
train new leaders in the community, organization or
neighborhood. Festivals and events involve many actions
associated with the event's planning, organization, and
marketing which usually are performed by volunteers
with little or no prior experience in such activities.
Working with experienced team or committee leaders,
these individuals often learn new skills which they may
apply in other aspects of their everyday life or
occupation.

Successful Events

Mini-festivals share a number of characteristics with
full sized festivals. These characteristics are
important to identify and understand since they are
fundamental to success. They include theme selection,
site selection, good money management and elements of
the overall operation and management process.

Theme Selection

Selection of a theme is an aspect of festival planning
that contributes greatly to the success of the event.
The theme establishes the primary identity, and serves
to attract visitors and the umbrella of interests under
which other activities can be carried out. A bland, or
dull theme or one which is the same as that being done
everywhere else will ensure that visitors stay away. A
good theme will have some or all of the following
characteristics:

* it will immediately identify what the festival is
all about (you know what an "apple festival" is about,
and you expect it to be held when there are ripe apples
and apple products available);

* It will be held at an acceptable time (optimum warm
weather seasonal periods seem to be during the months
of October, September, May, April, June, July and
August, but of course there are exceptions);

* it will suggest and/or utilize excitement, fun,
music, nostalgia, an interesting and genuine component
of local history/heritage or some other powerful
motivation to participate;

* it will be unique or have its own singular character
(curiosity sometimes is a strong attraction for
festival attenders, but it must be genuine in its
promise of a good time);

* it will involve popular foods, presentations and
activities such as parades, competitions, or other
enjoyable and interesting supporting events which
attract people.

A good theme also uses a festival name or title with
strong appeal. The "Whole Enchilada Festival" or the
"World Chicken Festival" are titles which suggest food,
a lot of fun and/or a huge event. If it is unique and
one of a kind (which these are), all the better. But
merely being unique is not enough. It must convey some
strong appealing image or quality that entices
prospective participants.

The ".... County Peach (or Apple or Cherry, etc.)
Festival" are names which all herald an event which is
obviously centered on food and is usually seasonally
limited. But unless these examples are presented very
colorfully or have other supportive descriptors, one
apple festival may be perceived by the consumer as
being much like another. Is there some really
compelling or appealing reason to go to this event?

Operation and Management

Operation and management of a festival is much like a
small government. First, there must be a responsible
individual and/or controlling organization which
relates to each committee chair and all committee
members. Closely associated with this is a clear "chain
of command." In other words, everyone must know who
makes which decisions---about contracting for services,
about approving expenditures, about releasing marketing
information, and so on---and who is to do what, when.

All the steps in planning a major event must be
completed. Often these include:
* advance planning of entertainment features of the
festival and their timing during its duration;
* contracting of rides and other amusements;
* pricing of booth space;
* design of parade or contest qualifying criteria;
* advance estimation of feasibility; and
* design of a marketing plan.

Planning of most large festivals should begin many
months in advance of the expected festival date.
Because people often have difficulty meeting deadlines
for contracting, or in getting their committee
assignments completed, large festivals frequently have
problems "coming together."

The matter of clear direction and responsibilities is
no less important in mini-festivals, but the shorter
preparation times are often a great asset to mini-
festival committees. Also, volunteers may find mini-
festivals less time consuming and less interruptive of
their other occupations and personal lives.

Choosing a Site

The site for a festival must have each of several basic
ingredients. They are:
* a central space for all the activities, booths,
displays, first aid, toilets, and elbow-room that the
festival will require;
* adequate, nearby parking;
* simple, direct accessibility to an easily and
naturally found site; and,
* all the necessary utilities, security and safety
considerations including water supply and electrical
service, and manageability by local police, health and
fire departments.

The Elements

Mini-festivals should each have their own personality.
Additionally, a structure that is easy to manage, a
time frame that fits tourist's needs, and a high
interest level for visitors and workers are all vital
elements which relate to each other.

Structure

Mini-festivals are usually generated or put together to
support an existing flow of tourist trade. Indeed, they
should be designed, not to attract new visitors to one
major festival, but to provide high quality
entertainment to existing tourist visitors. Thus, they
usually provide one strong draw; set of interests or
appeals centering on a relatively singular activity or
event.

Because they are designed to serve existing audiences,
they should relate to the interests of the audience at
hand. For example, a large audience of motor coach
visitors seeking out historic attractions of a
community or nearby historic battlefield might be best
entertained by historically related programs or
nostalgic events. In contrast, their interest in a
stock car race or rock concert might be limited.

Time Frame

The mini-festival is typically designed to be staged
over a much reduced time frame. Most are put on during
one day, a weekend or even during an afternoon or
evening. Consequently, they usually do not offer the
variety of activities, merchandise, and other
supporting sub-events as do other larger festivals.

With a reduced time frame, a smaller array of
arrangements and a generally more limited scope, the
number and complexity of tasks is intentionally
reduced. The mini-festival should be easier to stage on
shorter notice. It should usually be designed with a
more limited budget and with fewer, hopefully simpler,
tasks both in its planning and operation.

However, none of this excuses the need for high quality
presentation. Any mini-festival must have a strong,
appealing theme, be colorful and/or exciting and
(unless it is an intentional "loss-leader") be
economically feasible.

Repeatability

One of the primary assets to using mini-festivals in
settings where the audience changes consistently is
that they can be repeated without any loss in their
entertainment value to the participants. If, however,
your community or resort area enjoys visitation of two
or more weeks or strong repeat visitation throughout
the year, a somewhat more complex menu of mini-festival
options may be an asset. This will require a gradual
buildup in your program or schedule of options, but
carries great potential for constant variety. Moreover,
with an increased number of programs, the mini-
festivals can greatly reduce satiety among your
audiences when they are changed from week to week.

Repeat successes of your mini-festival agenda carry
with it the responsibility of knowing how long your
visitors stay in the area, and if any of them are
likely to have attended a particular festival before.
Simple surveying of the tourist audience to determine
their arrival and departure times, their length of
stay, and also, if they attended a particular festival
and enjoyed it can provide you with valuable
information.

Remember, even though repeatability of mini-festivals
is an important asset, constant presentation of the
same activities can get old to workers and especially
to local residents who will be aware of the programs
even if they are not in attendance. The result may be
weakened performance and possibly poor public relations
and an undesirable attitude within the community
support system.

Volunteers

Volunteers can be vital to the success of festivals and
mini-festivals because they do the bulk of the work,
provide new ideas and inspiration, and may be the
source of new leadership. Using them improperly,
however, may lead to problems as severe as poor money
management or a poor theme or site. There are a few
primary concerns you should attend to in enlisting
volunteers.

First, the program should be of genuine interest to
your volunteers. If it isn't they will either reserve
their help (say no or they're too busy) or will work
halfheartedly. Their belief in the purpose(s) of the
mini-festival will help sustain them through many hours
of work.

Second, volunteer assignments should be interesting and
even fun to perform. Festivals should be fun not only
to the tourist visitors but also to the people putting
it on. A good guide to follow in any festival or mini-
festival is:

If its' not fun, don't do it!

Next, volunteer "burn out" is a big problem. There are
many techniques that help avoid this. Committee leaders
who understand what has to be done, give clear
directions in a friendly, and supportive manner, and
who appreciate their volunteers are a fundamental
necessity. It follows that the volunteer also should
have a good understanding of the "why," "how" and
"when" of their jobs.

Don't overwork volunteers. If you don't have enough
people working on a program, longer hours once or twice
may be acceptable, but overworking the few volunteers
you have is not the solution. Rethink the program. Are
you having difficulty attracting more volunteers? Is
it really fun? Is it really worthwhile?

Occasional changes in assignments will keep people
interested, especially if they are learning something
new that may be useful in their lives and they
recognize it.

Always show volunteers that you appreciate their work.
It is best to occasionally reward them publicly. Naming
them and the useful roles they played in local news
media can carry a lot of weight in sustaining their
future cooperation and in attracting new volunteers.

Finally, be sure everyone---volunteers and other
support groups as well---knows they are part of a
program of value to the community. People like to be
part of something that is important, worthwhile, and
which as credibility in the eyes of the rest of the
community.

Examples

The following examples illustrate mini-festival themes
that might be used during brief time frames and with
repeatability for a changing audience, such as is
encountered in established tourist areas. Each must be
tested to determine if it is "right" for your setting.

Balloon Racing

Characteristics

* very show, colorful, and interesting;
* take advantage of their colorfulness, showiness, and
activities in the air;
* not necessarily a downtown event but can be located
such that people have to go through the town or to the
town (within reasonable location of the races);
* be sure to tell people about the time, calendar of
events, location to best see balloon races;
* need right weather, and timing.

Balloon racing requires access to a group of people who
already have balloons which are easy to put in
operation. Get them to help you put a program on that
you can take advantage of and market. You must make it
easy for your visitors to see and enjoy. You create a
situation whereby their seeing and enjoying this
balloon race also generates local activities, sales in
restaurants, shops, and implements the overall menu of
things you have to do and see in the area.

Music Fest

Characteristics:
* can be large or small;
* there must be entertainment;
* it must be in the right place;
* it should be the right fashion;
* there should be high motivation for entertainers
and--- high entertainment for visitors.
* no high costs or difficult programs should be
engaged.

Advantages
* people or groups good at some form of country music,
bluegrass, classical, jazz, etc. (assess resources and
find a way to motivate them to perform in public; on
stage, or in a setting such as downtown).

* contests featuring these people would especially be
an opportunity to cut a tape;
* playing them on local radio stations can be a strong
motivator to some types of talent;
* must be tied in with:
* food service
* plenty of parking, and
* possibly other types of displays, dancers, etc.
within same context and not taking away from the
music event.

A music fest could even be done one night a week, on
succeeding weeks if it is in a comfortable location for
evening performances, with prizes and awards given at
the end of the season. Be sure that when prizes and
awards are given, it is at the end of the performance,
on state and in front of a group.

Style Shows

Characteristics
* sporting clothes or other clothing appropriate to
the tourist audience interests can be a strong draw;
* never should be operated with females only or males
only;
* usually best not to involve professional models;
* always try to use local people and/or tourists;
* locate changing stations and preparation areas in or
around shops so that clothes are returned, manage
security;
* summertime events meet some drawbacks due to warm
weather (perspiration, etc.) but offer strong appeal in
sporting areas;
* each show has to be marketed in local resorts, at
attractions, etc.;
* they need to be done in compatible settings and
surroundings (outdoors, in a public park site, at a
spacious marina, or in other complementary indoor or
outdoor settings);
* they need to be done at a time when both local
residents and tourists can be attracted to enjoy them;
* a quality operation is a basic necessity;
* if an event is repeated during summertime that was
held earlier in the year for the general public and/or
tourists, it can be advantageous to put it on outdoors,
weather permitting.

Dramas and/or Class Plays

Characteristics
* are sometimes problematic;
* can provide economical local talent;
* also attract local parents, friends and others to
the event and contribute to a useful "mix" in the
audience.

Note: If the local drama teacher or coach knows in
advance that an upcoming tourist season may provide the
opportunity to make presentations to tourists or other
audiences, they can prepare youngsters involved in
school plays and programs in a manner that is
appropriate. This recognition and related advance
planning is important because youngsters have a
tendency to graduate from secondary or elementary
school or college and leave town or become otherwise
unavailable. If you expect to have them around to do
their part (memorize their lines), some motivation and
advance enthusiasm is necessary.

Other Things to Consider
* pageants are a lot of work, but offer a lot of
excitement;
* dress up circumstances (costumes) are great if they
are repeatable;
* can utilize colorful sets and decor and dramatic
music;
* can be highly marketable.

Big advantages to pageants put on before a tourist
audience:
* since the audience changes, you can repeat the event
over again with a different audience;
* you can use a variety of programs (from local ideas
or history as well as published scripts) and a wide
variety of local personalities as "actors," street
walkers, and the like.

Park Shows and Fairs

Characteristics
* local talent, or invited regional talent (changing
talent groups, regular art programs) are a plus;
* having art auctions can be an asset;
* antique programs and auctions are interesting
(again, you are marketing to the tourist audience which
can provide other valuable exposure).

Basic Requirements
* economic feasibility (they should involve less cost,
less time, less effort);
* good judgement in tasteful themes;
* themes which appeal to your tourist audience are
vital.

Choosing Judges
* any 20 customers (or any manageable number) you or
local businesses nominate, can be picked out as judges;
* name the Judge or Commission for a particular
festival event from a tourist business' clientele;
* make up a sheet that says "Honorary Tasting Judge;"
* the tourists may be required to come to town and
taste at least five different pieces of pie (small
pieces of pie, cake, etc., one or two inch squares);
* they are judge for the day;
* give them discount coupons and/or prizes, to
encourage circulation through the shops, etc. (get them
involved in and exposed to local color).

Advertising
The more people that come to the marinas, resorts,
campgrounds, etc., because of the signs and
advertising, the better.
* it offers a new way to communicate to tourists;
* right timing (people at resorts and marinas may be
looking for other activities, not when waterskiing or
boating, but at a time when you can bring them into
town (Saturday morning, midday or evening);
* expose them to the town, food, people in shops;
* if things are running well, keep the shops open late
one night;
* hold it in a place you want them to find easily and
to be exposed to;
* good directions are a must. For tourists, directions
to easily found, attractive locations are fundamental
to the process.

An Event Within an Event

Characteristics
Some events, like storytelling and joke telling won't
stand on their own, but when carefully organized,
managed and presented within another event can be a
great additional dimension in entertainment.

Storytelling
* organizers will need a procedure for weeding out the
second-rate (and off-color) stories and story tellers;
* they can be an indoor, and comfortable event or an
outside campfire event;
* they work well at campgrounds;
* also, story reading works well especially for
children, but not usually for adults.

Joke Telling
* during breaks between musical presentations work
very well;
* use competitive events in schools and in other
places to screen in the people who have the best jokes;
* you may have to divide people among age groups (it
is difficult to imagine the mayor of a community being
involved in telling jokes unless he was assuredly not
below his status);
* if you get started with high school youths, you may
never get it above that level;
* this type of event within an event needs to be
multi-aged, multi-individual, lots of fun.
* disguises may help to get them on stage, especially
in a fun environment;
* procedure: "Step up to the line, tell your joke,
step back." This type event must have good master of
ceremonies management.

Child Contests
* child costumes, beauty shows, ball-throwing, parent-
child combinations, but avoid anything too hokey;
* crazy hats and get-ups or anything like that, add
color, excitement, and a different personality to the
event;
* such contests may very well coincide with a theme
such as a country, a cartoon character, or the like.

Putting it Together
The key to a smoothly operating, enjoyable and
successful festival is good organization!

Organization

Unless an agency or business group is already organized
with adequate personnel, a good festival committee is
the first thing to establish. It should be composed of
people who care or can come to care about the purposes
of the mini-festival. They do not have to have a vested
interest in the event, but it is wise to involve widely
representative segments of the local tourist industry.
They will be knowledgeable of the audience, its
prospective response to the mini-festival and will
normally be supportive.

The committee make-up can vary according to local
interests, however diverse talents, competencies and
interests are usually an asset. Such diversity helps to
generate program ideas, necessary funding or political
support and broadened community support.

The mini-festival committee will ordinarily be composed
of enough subcommittees to provide for division of
efforts and to represent each distinct type of effort.
Subcommittees for overall event planning and
coordination, budget and finance, site management,
marketing, and security and safety are typical. Unique
events may require unique subcommittees, but only when
they are clearly justified.

Often, you will find you must broaden the base of
workers. Find one or more interesting, appealing
activity and then get people involved in it. The
enthusiasm this generates will ordinarily attract
others, but one or two people at a time will also work
provided there is time to get the physical amount of
work done prior to start-up.

Part of the process of organizing and conducting a
successful event is managing people. Sometimes people
can be disheartening to work with, but on the whole it
will be a very rewarding experience. Some common
problems, personal problems or attitudes are useful to
recognize. For example, a common expression community
leaders encounter is: "...people just won't help; they
won't come to a meeting because they think they are
going to be asked to work." Of course, they won't!
The objective is not to involve them in work, but to
involve them in activities that are worthwhile,
important to them and that are fun.

Many kinds of predictable personalities are found in a
community. Some are long suffering heroes who do much,
who work hard, and then put themselves on a pedestal,
and complain that no one else is working. Others are
just too busy to get to meetings on time. Some have to
"test" every new idea if it isn't theirs. Try to
recognize such personality characteristics and deal
with them fairly, gently, but firmly. Sometimes it is
best to move dominant or conflictive individuals into
activities where they are less likely to cause
disruption. Never support or participate in conflict---
it can only reflect badly on leaders and the overall
effort.

Some people may show only weak or limited interests.
They may be shy, concerned with their potential
failure, or uninterested in a particular task area.
Sensing useful enthusiasms and encouraging people's
support because you believe in their potential is far
more rewarding than ignoring their concerns. One mini-
festival leader suggested at a meeting: "...let's stop
doing things for ourselves. Do more things for others
and others will want to do more for us."

Remember, a festival/mini-festival should be a
democratic organization. They can be a very real
exercise in democracy and the learning accompanying it.

Profile of Festival Committee Personalities
* The leader(s)
* The good idea person
* The follower
* The enthusiast
* The hero
* The listener
* The penny pincher
* The nay-sayer
* The complainer
* The doubting Thomas
* The last one at everything
and,
* The one who just does it!

You can find most of these in every community!

Timing

The first concern of timing has to do with one of the
most important elements of scheduling...start early!
Even though mini-festivals are often easier to put
together, an agenda which is rushed may be doomed to
failure. If you haven't left enough time to put all the
pieces together, particularly an adequate marketing
program and entertaining events, swallow your pride and
adjust the start-up date to a realistic time frame.

Don't be discouraged over things that don't get done on
time. Or if you are, 1.) don't show it!, and 2.) set
about fixing problems quickly. When you run into a
barrier, try to understand why it is a barrier, how it
can be changed, avoided, or eliminated and do it
quickly!

Never Procrastinate

Try to plan mini-festivals and events so that they make
sense in terms of seasonal conditions, limitations of
weather and other circumstances. An event planned for
outdoor conduct which gets rained out (or rained on)
should not be over-encumbered with expensive acts that
lose money due to cancellation, or decorations, which
can be damaged. Also be sure that your event doesn't
conflict with other major events being planned by other
people, businesses or organizations. Check out
everybody else's calendar first.

Also, plan the mini-festival so it makes sense in terms
of tourist/visitor timing. Is it a time when tourists
are really looking for something else to do? Or is it
at a time that conflicts with the peak periods of your
established tourist businesses?

Marketing

Many people think of "advertising" as an activity that
tells people about your event. Marketing, however, is
the whole process of identifying prospective guests or
customers, their locations or origins, and how to reach
them with the correct message delivered through the
proper media. Marketing includes:
* Advertising---the purchased message often placed in
media such as local newspapers, radio or television, or
in brochures, or posters. Determination of cost
relative to the benefits and budgetary limitation is
paramount;
* Promotions---controlled high appeal actions which
get people's attention and which usually involve great
color and human interest. Promotions may be conducted
in as many forms as can be afforded by organizers or
the marketing committee's imagination, and they may use
all of the media above as well as location attention
getting actions;
* Publicity---the uncontrolled high-interest
activities which appeal to people's curiosity, but
which may not serve your purposes. Usually bad
publicity is the norm instead of good publicity;
* Direct Mail---the process of sending a controlled
message (letter, circular or brochure) directly to your
intended audience;
and,
* Direct Contact---is most typically one-on-one
communication between two people, and is most often
useful in making the most vital communication with
supporting funding sources, media executives, or other
individuals important to the activity.

Marketing the mini-festival in a community or area with
an established tourist industry may involve
conventional means such as advertisements in tourist
"point-of-origin" media. Usually, however, this is less
appropriate or necessary since the tourists are already
on their way to you. It is often more successful to
reach them through local lodging destinations, resorts,
campgrounds, marinas and other attractions.

Determine where you can contact prospective mini-
festival attenders most successfully. What media will
be most useful. And, if this involves reaching the
visitor at local businesses or attractions, who can
help in the process. Most importantly, be sure the
mini-festival is helping diversify entertainment
offerings and length-of-stay, and that the local
tourist industry is aware of its prospective benefits
to them.

Communications to tourist audiences which are
constantly changing require brightly presented
materials with clearly and easily understood wording
which immediately presents the appeal you desire. Your
audience is being bombarded by all the other business
efforts of the area. They must be able to understand
what the event is about and be attracted immediately.
Be sure each message is well directed, well placed and
professionally presented.

Another characteristic you must deal with is the
longevity of your messages. Even if they are placed
such that frequent replacement is not necessary, they
still must be checked regularly. Even repeat electronic
media (radio and television) and most print media
including newspapers should be checked for content
accuracy and changes in the festival agenda. Posted
messages often get damaged or taken as souvenirs.
Further, they can deteriorate due to sunshine, dust or
other causes. Always remove old posters when the season
or term of the mini-festival is completed.

Managing Money

Mini-festivals which are dependent on profits for their
success should follow a few simple but absolutely
unbreakable rules.

First, as in overall management of the event, there
should be a clear chain of command or line of
authority. Everyone must understand who approves
disbursements, and this responsibility should be
limited to one budget committee chairperson.
Expenditures will be necessary by many committee
chairpersons and others, but not if they are not within
the limits of an approved budget with the disbursement
type and amount clearly delineated by the responsible
budget chairperson.

The overall budget should be set early in the planning
process and approved by the budget committee. Each
subcommittee chair's request or estimate should be
submitted by an adequately early date, evaluated and
acted upon to benefit the successful work of the
subcommittee without jeopardizing the overall fiscal
success of the mini-festival.

One useful step often taken by festivals with sound
histories is to develop a projected cost/return
estimate far in advance of any program actions. Such a
cost/return estimate should be a highly detailed
estimate of real expenditures to be encountered for
every activity and action, and all revenues that may be
realized. it is far wiser to err conservatively in the
matter of revenues and to overestimate the costs.

Unbreakable Rules

* There should be a clear chain of command or line of
authority.

* Everyone must understand who approves disbursements.

* Expenditures must stay within the limits of an
approved budget.

* The overall budget should be set early in the
planning process and approved by the budget committee.

Doing It Again?

The most fortunate action successful mini-festival
leaders take after their first effort is to do an
honest and thorough evaluation of what happened. This
should be done immediately following the first mini-
festival or even while it is progressing.

Each phase of planning, fund raising, budgeting,
marketing, program and entertainment management and
revenue generation should be scrutinized individually
and thoroughly. Each subcommittee chairperson should be
encouraged to come forward with an operational critique
and suggestions for improvement in operation,
marketing, money management, security/safety, and
enjoyment of the visitors. What worked---and how well?
What didn't work---and why not? What can be done
better---and how? And what should not be repeated.

This is a key stage in long-term planning, and can help
identify and strengthen a variety of successes within
the community---the businesses who benefit from happy
customers and repeat visitation, the tourists who were
entertained and the mini-festival committee who should
be proud of their work and had a good time bringing it
off. It is the stage which will lead to improvements,
continued satisfactions and, importantly, opportunities
to publicly reward the committee and all the
organizations, entertainers and other workers who had a
hand in the event.

Finally, remember:

If it's not fun, don't do it!

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