Festival Implementation Plan

I. First Steps
A. Gather corps volunteers
1. Establish goals for each individual (finances,
advertising, design, entertainment)
2. Partnerships- local non-profits interests,
groups, schools
B. Discuss fundamentals
1. Strengths/weaknesses
2. When would be the best time?
3. Mission of the festival?
4. Realistic time frame
5. Determine the financial value of the project
C. Gather ideas into a notebook/binder with the following:
1. Mission Statement and Goals
2. Budget
3. List of Volunteers and Staff
4. Individual committee responsibilities, time lines
and collateral pieces
5. Meeting Minutes
6. Notes
II. Selling concept to the City of Surprise
I. Find Key Players
A. Convince important people within the community of the
validity of the festival
1. Gather the support of school boards,
community chairs, council members, art groups
II. Convince people of the finance portion
A. Appeal to heavy donators, sponsors, or interested money
figures to display the potential investment opportunities and benefits for
the festival
1. Gain appeal from school boards, community
chairs, council members, art groups, etc.
B. Be prepared
1. Establish an accurate and credible
presentation
2. When presenting to the city, ask for what they
would be willing to give you, and work around that
a) Ask for volunteers
b) Ask for a building

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Vital Partnerships
A. Identify partners
1. Chamber/convention and visitors bureau
(emphasize publicity value, economic impact)
2. Media (emphasize economic impact)
3. Local businesses (emphasize economic impact
or environmental impact, depending on circumstances)
4. City government (emphasize economic impact,
positive publicity value)
5. Volunteers (emphasize it all-and make it fun)
Media a.k.a. Advertising
A. Establish a positive relationship with the media outletsnewspaper, news station, radio
1. This is KEY: If the newspaper, radio and
television give attention to your event, it will not only receive
invaluable exposure to potential attendees, but will also add to the
credibility of the festival for potential sponsors and partners.
B. Create a press release/media conference
1. Well-scripted, have their be guest speakers
2. Discuss sponsors already signed on,
anticipated economic impact, more info contacts, etc.
C. Publicity
1. Social media
2. Attracting a celebrity headliner (local or
national)
The Festival
A. 1st thing, establish duties of workers
1. Assign somebody to be the secretary, treasure,
and establish one or multiple committee chairs
B. 8 things to remember
1. Decide on the elements of the festival.
a) Music
b) Food
c) Art elements
d) Entertainment and education
e) Decorations
f) Locations
g) Speakers
h) sponsors
2. Develop a mission statement, goals, budget,
timelines. Be realistic.
3. Develop a logo and use it consistently.
4. Decide on the target market.
5. Decide on program format and fee structure.
6. Appoint/elect an executive committee.

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7. Appoint/elect a steering committee, all

committee heads & other major positions.
8. Decide on individual committees: seminars,
registration, publicity, sponsorships, incorporation of art and
cultural, technical, education, planting, historian, hospitality,
signage, communications, novelties, transportation, financial,
volunteer etc.
Fundraising
A. Ask for corporate sponsors that are community-minded, or
ones that are trying to improve their images.
B. Look for in-kind sponsorships. The festival will need printing;
speaker travel, meals and accommodations; rental equipment; publicity;
graphic design; a location; what else? The festival will have publicity
value. Use it to your advantage.
C. Research grants. Large foundations and corporations often
have seed money for programs that encourage artistic awareness.
Beware its time-consuming nature and the amount of
paperwork/significant documentation
D. Establish fundraising events meant to raise money.
Education
A. INclude students and schools
B. Sponsor and promote art contests/ events and/or have them
perform/contribute to the festival in an artistic way
C. Talk to teachers, and establish a panel of judges for the
artwork/performances
D. Incorporate informational workshops, activities, within the
festival to inform people about art, mental illness, and cultural awareness
Establish art theme
A. Get up-and-coming artists to promote their work in the
festival
B. Have live art lessons and demonstrations
C. Have the food revolve around the theme

Timeline
I.

One Year
A. Decide on the date and location of the festival. Negotiate for
building, maintenance, security, technical assistance, etc. Will there be
parking concerns?
B. Decide targeted number of attendees, and how best to reach
them.
C. Develop exhibitor invitation to exhibit.
D. Decide on rules, registration fees, hours, number of people
allowed at booth, security procedures.

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E. Plan layout of booths. Take into account electricity

requirements.
F. Develop list of businesses to invite to exhibit.
G. Decide on merchandise
1. T-shirts, caps, patches, pins, water bottles,
books
H. Consider developing a childrens program during the festival
for elementary-aged children.
1. Consider including games, songs, crafts.
Decide if you will include a meal.
I. Consider developing a program before the festival geared to
older students.
1. Ideas could include art, essay, sculpture,
photography competitions, creative writing.
11/10 months
A. Develop sponsorship presentation: include
1. mission statement and goals,
2. anticipated economic impact information,
3. program details,
4. any publicity
5. resolutions
6. letters of support,
7. list of sponsors already committed,
8. list of sponsorship levels and what they
receive.
B. Contact potential sponsors and procure commitments
9 months
A. Make all advertising expenditures
B. Start developing registration form
1. Proof form
C. Decide before the festival where directional signage needs
to be displayed.
D. Procure necessary permission from property owners.
E. Order merchandise
F. Develop and distribute a newsletter several months before
the festival for interested people
8 months
A. Publicity
1. Setup calendar of media releases announcing
festival
a) Include in media release:
economic impact, specific speakers, VIPs expected to
attend, childrens involvement, volunteers
B. Develop adverts for the newspaper, radio
C. Create exclusive social media accounts

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7/6 months
A. Mail out registration info.
B. Make sure important cultural diversity and art organizations
are on board, and are publicized
C. Create posters, advertisements, banners
5/4 months
A. Work with all committee heads to determine the number of
volunteers each will require. Work out a schedule of shifts.
B. Begin searching for volunteers and get commitments and
telephone numbers.
C. Send out letters inviting selected businesses to display
information (coupons, fliers, menus, etc.) on a hospitality table.
D. Begin reserving and procuring equipment (speakers, tables,
decorations)
3/2 months
A. Plan a media conference to announce the festival.
B. Give the newspaper a list of story ideas for them to pursue
before and during the festival.
C. Contact local media for specific coverage.
D. Make accommodations for guest speakers and guests
E. Construct signs
1 month
A. Develop attendant feedback evaluation form
B. Double check speakers
C. Reconfirm with volunteers
D. Develop sponsorship signage.
E. Develop any special signage- concessions area, hospitality
table, novelty sales signs, etc.
F. Prepare slides to use before seminars thanking individual
sponsors. Deliver to technical chair.
G. Contract a photographer