Festival Management:
An Overview
prepared for the participants of
Seminar Workshop on Tunay na Pyestang Pinoy
May 7, 2008/Angeles City
by Riya Brigino Lopez
Management
Functions/Processes
PLANNING
ORGANIZING
LEADING
CONTROLLING
WHAT TO PLAN?
Defining the nature and scope of the festival. Is it about…
1.
ARTS
2.
CULTURAL FESTIVAL
3.
LOCAL PRODUCE/PRODUCTS
4.
HEROES/HEROINES
5.
NATURE FESTIVAL
6.
HISTORY, MYTHS AND LEGENDS
7.
IMPORTANT EVENTS
8.
LOCAL VALUES, CUSTOMS ETC.
9.
HERITAGE
10. CELEBRTION OF FAITH/THANKSGIVING
* REFER TO CULTURAL RESEARCH DATA
But before you go into any planning,
it is necessary to:

Conduct an evaluation
 Environmental scan
strength, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats
 Cultural Resource Mapping
 * Cultural Research
 Data Organization and Analysis
How to Plan?
1. brainstorm on the concept (dream
on…please)
2. categorize the outputs of the brainstorming
(activities, objectives, design, marketing
strategies etc. )
3. list the reasons why you want to mount a
festival (from the simplest to the most
noble reason)
cont.
How to Plan?
4. Separate the objectives which could be
fulfilled through a festival
5. Prioritize these objectives
6. Choose the festival activities based on the
objectives (not the other way around)
7. Categorize the activities (presentations or
performances, exhibit, street parade etc.)
*this will help organize the festival events more
efficiently (hindi halo-halo)
8. Calendar the events (the choice of date will
depend on the nature and objectives of the
festival and the cultural calendar of the
people)
9. Decide on the venue/s of the festival
(festival site/s)
10. Review the plan, revise if necessary
11. Internalize the plan
Components of Festival Planning
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Name of the Festival
Objectives
Date and venue
Listing of the activities/events
Calendaring the events /schedule
Drawing –up a budget
Designing a structure
•
Promotions plan
- image of the festival to project
- designing logo, posters, letterheads etc.
- drafting promotions plan
(slant and angles of releases)
• Marketing plan
- marketing objectives
- creating marketing packages
- selling the packages
- forging agreement with partners
BUDGET

A WELL PREPARED BUDGET
PROVIDES AN UNDERSTANDING OF
WHAT THE PROJECT IS ALL ABOUT
 WHAT TO BUDGET?
- LINE ITEM
- PER EVENT/ACTIVITY
Total Required
Budget
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Transportation
Communication
Supplies
Travel
Rental
Other Services
A. Food
B. Accommodation
C. Contracted Services
D. Awards and Prizes
E. Printing
Total Amount
Requested
Other Sources
ORGANIZING
what do we organize?
RESOURCES:
HUMAN
DESIGNING A STRUCTURE
MONEY
DRAWING-UP A
DETAILED BUDGET
MATERIALS
LISTING AND SOURCES
MACHINE ETC. LISTING OF TECH AND
PHYSICAL NEEDS
LEADING is the ACTUAL IMPLEMENTATION
OF THE PLAN
LEADING does not only mean
- DELEGATING THE TASKS
- PUSHING PEOPLE TO WORK
- ENSURING THAT THE PLAN IS BEING
IMPLEMENTED NO MATTER WHAT
LEADING MEANS
* SETTING THE MOST CONDUCIVE WORK
ATMOSPHERE TO ENSURE THE
ACCOMPLISHMENT OF TASKS TOWARDS
the FULFILLMENT OF THE OBJECTIVES SET
* NURTURING THE PEOPLE AS WELL AS THE
PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION
*ABILITY TO SHIFT ROLES IF AND WHEN
NECESSARY (MICRO AND MACROMANAGEMENT)
CONTROLLING MEANS
* KNOWING THE STATUS OF THE PROJECT
AND ABILITY TO CHANGE COURSE IF
NECESSARY (Evaluation is the key to
“control”)
* CONFRONTING PROBLEM HEAD ON
AND LEARNING FROM IT
* SETTING APPROPRIATE RULES ND
GUIDELINES
CONTROLLING DOES NOT MEAN POWER
OR MAKING ONE’S POWER FELT
IN SHORT,
A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS
THE KEY TO OPEN THE DOOR
OF SUCCESS
 A comprehensive
plan not only
provides blueprint for the execution
of an event, but provides the basis
for analyzing the actual event
outcomes against planned outcomes,
enabling an event management
organization to deliver better events
in the future
Common barriers to effective
planning

Failure of managers to establish measurable
objectives (i.e. SMART objectives)
 If the outcomes of the events are not
measurable then there is no way to gauge its
success
As festival managers, keep in mind that …
* Festivals have the power to challenge
the imagination to explore possibilities
* Festivals can provide newness, freshness
and change which sustain local interest
* Festivals are catalysts for development
* Festivals can enhance the quality of life
* Festivals are definitely NOT about winning a
competition but a social responsibility
S A L A M A T P O!