Calum Gray | Partnerships Manager | Elite Dynamics
A festival weekender isn’t just an event, it’s an opportunity to transform your park and they have become more and more popular in recent years. It drives revenue across food and beverage, activities, and reservations, all while extending the season, retaining great staff, and attracting a new, loyal customer base. But let’s be honest – getting it right takes more than booking a few tribute acts and hoping for the best.
My Experience in Festival Weekenders
I’ve introduced adult-only festival weekends at two different holiday park companies, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the details matter. A great theme sets the tone, but success is about data-driven decisions, from pricing strategies to getting the right headliners for your target audience.
The first two questions you need to ask yourself is:
- What is the standing capacity of the venue/s?
- How much sleeping capacity is available in the hire-fleet?
These two figures will determine the viability of your festival, fuel the pricing strategy and drive the expected ROI.
Picking the Right Theme and Talent
Your theme dictates everything—from marketing to ticket prices. But while a ‘90s throwback or indie weekender might seem like a winner, it needs to align with your customer base. Now you’re thinking… aren’t we looking for a new customer base? Yes… but we also need a baseline of income to get this off the ground. Be sensitive to your audience; you wouldn’t introduce a 60’s weekender to your park when your core audience are 00’s, you could but your marketing budget is going to be chewed up.
EliteParks booking data takes the guesswork out of choosing a theme that will sell. And when it comes to entertainment, I can’t stress this enough: vet your agencies! Keep digital records of contracts and past experiences – it’ll save you from last-minute disasters. Oh, and always check the rider before you sign. It’s not just about blue Smarties—the tech requirements alone can blow your budget if you’re not prepared – stage heights, microphone makes and models and even the speakers in your venue can be restricted by the rider. If you aren’t “entertainment tech” savvy find someone that is and who can support you.
Timing is Everything
Choosing the right weekend to host your weekender can be the difference between a sell-out success and a costly flop. Using EliteAnalytics, you can pinpoint off-peak periods where a festival will drive extra bookings without cannibalising existing demand. Once you have that weekend identified, it’s time for another question to help form your budget and expected ROI:
- What is the total revenue value available in your hire-fleet for that weekend?
Leave yourself at least six months from marketing launch to event day—trust me, marketing takes longer than you think, and your team need to sustain the immediate excitement the whole way to event day and beyond!
EliteAnalytics
Balancing the Books
Festivals can be a financial minefield if you’re not tracking costs in real-time. EliteFinance keeps you on top of entertainment fees, marketing spend, and operational expenses, while EliteParks can implement different pricing scenarios to help maximise revenue with tactical pricing and EliteAI supporting. I’ve been responsible for festival budgets before, and having full visibility over every penny makes all the difference (ask my old Finance Director… it was to the penny or not at all). Costs to take into consideration:
- Act costs inclusive of performance, travel, accommodation and technical support.
- Marketing expenditure: AD spend, print, design, merchandise
- Staffing costs for all departments, especially if the park hits capacity in off-season, are you going to rely on agency workers and how will that affect the projected ROI?
Marketing That Sells Out Tickets
A strong mix of digital and traditional marketing is essential. EliteCRM powers targeted email campaigns, while the My Elite App is a direct line to existing guests for exclusive updates and VIP offers. Social media tracking ensures you can tweak campaigns on the fly, keeping momentum going. From experience, early-bird pricing and personalised offers have been key to boosting pre-sales. Question time…
- What is the value of the allocated ticket numbers at early-bird sales vs the remainder?
- Do those values combined take care of your expenditure for the event?
Making the Weekend Run Like Clockwork
Smooth operations mean happy guests (and a happy team). You’re going to need the full team involved to make your weekender pop off. Get your HOD’s on board at inception. Communicating with your teams keeps everyone on the same page. Your schedule needs to run to the minute to avoid guests becoming disgruntled – acts need to be stage ready 15 minutes before they go on… you will need those 15 minutes, trust me.
- Have you got a large enough security presence to have all your ticket holders in the same venue at the same time and to support your normal operation?
- How are you getting the acts from their accommodation or hotel to the venue and returned?
Learning from Every Event
The event might be over, but the insights are just beginning. Financial performance, guest feedback, and social engagement all help shape future festivals. EliteCRM ensures attendees stay engaged and return for future events. Comparing actual results against forecasts has been my secret weapon for refining festival strategies year after year.
- How much was spent on average per person at the bar?
- Were daytime activities well enough supported to bring in additional revenue?
- Did ticket sales fund the expenditure of the event?
Ready to Make It Happen?
A well-executed festival weekender is more than just a revenue boost—it cements your park as a go-to destination. With Elite Dynamics solutions streamlining every department, you can focus on creating an unforgettable experience for guests and a profitable event for your business. With the right planning, tools, and a few lessons from those who’ve been there before, your next festival could be the biggest success of the season.
Book a demo of an Elite Dynamics solution, or schedule a call with one of The Elite Team.