This chapter in our lives has made us miss a lot of things that we were so accustomed to: hugging, handshakes, social gatherings of all sizes, etc. But the one big thing that event planners have been missing as much as the public is the never-ending-fun, high-energy life that comes from large-scale festivals! 

From Mardi Gras and Burning Man to Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, many event producers have been stuck between a rock and a hard place, asking themselves, “Do we pivot our event to an online platform or cancel the event entirely?” But don’t think those are the only options available! Wizard Studios has only grown in our capacity to create extraordinarily safe and momentous events, offering spectacular solutions that can safely bring people together to listen to music, enjoy one another’s company, and dance the night away! Here are our tried-and-true tips for creating an unrivaled - and exceedingly safe - festival in 2021!

1. To Start, Keep it Outside 

Festivals can come back strong in 2021, but to do so, they’re going to need to utilize all that the great outdoors have to offer. Open-air spaces and fresh air has been cited as a deterrent to spreading and catching the virus, so keep it as much outdoors as possible. 

But what if the event space isn’t built for a post-COVID world? Event producers have a keen eye for figuring out how to reduce crowding and direct traffic so that physical interaction is at an all-time low. That being said, enlisting the help of an event production company at the very start of your planning process would be a great thing to do!

1. Create a Highly Curated Experience

Curated experiences are quickly becoming the go-to solution for hybrid events, and for good reason! For in-person performances, allow Wizard Studios to provide everything from stages and trusses to lighting and audio to create an event anywhere you need it to be. For viewers tuning in from home, offer them an immersive, virtual reality experience that allows them to have autonomy in how they choose to interact with your festival and all of its branches. Offer virtual attendees the ability to jump between hangout rooms, performances, merchandise shops, and everything in-between. Simply put, the more user-friendly and curated, the better.

But what about those in-person? Remember to keep “COVID fatigue” in mind! People are more hungry than ever for fun, safe, and in-person activities, so offer a curated experience for an enjoyable in-person experience as well. 

If this feels like a lot, remember that you don’t need to do it alone. When you enlist the help of an event production company that is as well-versed in planning in-person events as much as planning virtual events, you’re able to curate your festival to exactly what you need it to be - in-person, online, or a hybrid of the two.

1. Prioritize Safety and Ensure it’s COVID-Safe

You probably saw this one coming, and for good reason. We’re not out of the woods yet, and even with vaccines getting approved, risk management and mitigation must be your North Star with your 2021 festival, guiding every decision you make. 

• In conjunction with offering plenty of hand sanitizer and face masks, ensure limited capacity by curating the space to ensure people are moving and positioned away from one another, and not towards a specific stage or section.

• Rapid COVID tests before entering, air quality control throughout, and plenty of room for social distancing is a must, but ensuring your staff is well-equipped to respond is the other half of the battle. Invest in more health staff, security personnel, and door staff to guarantee all in attendance are checked before entering or leaving.

• Plan for multiple sanitizing stations to be placed throughout the festival and offer signage that directs traffic and encourages healthy habits. Offering attendees the means to wash their hands, access important information, and limiting public spaces to eat and drink will encourage healthy behavior.

• Utilize QR codes for food, paperless tickets at entrances/exits, and more. This will also help collect data from your audience and help you collect feedback and metrics on how effective your festival was.

In full transparency, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how to best prepare your upcoming festival to promise all your attendees, staff, and performers that their safety is guaranteed. It’s a detailed undertaking, but one that is vital to a successful festival. If you’re looking for help in this endeavor, entrust in the risk mitigation pros at Wizard Studios. We will plan, assess, treat, and monitor your event from start to finish. We can deliver everything you need, offering deliverable metrics, and ensure your 2021 festival is an amazing celebration! We’ve written the rulebook of risk management in 2021, and if you’re ready to create the festival our world needs right now, contact Wizard Studios today!