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The Trail of Lights Austin is Back!

Combo Platter is proud to work with BrightBlue Marketing in bringing back Austin’s beloved holiday tradition, the Trail of Lights, back to the community after a 1-year hiatus.

The event was put on hold after 46 years of being produced by the City of Austin due to budget shortfalls. In the Spring of 2011 the City issued a Request for Proposals to outside event producers for the outsourcing of this event. The request said that the “Holiday Event” could be just about anything, anywhere in Austin. Only one proposal was received! And that one proposal happened to come from Combo Platter and BrightBlue Marketing. We know and appreciate how meaningful the Trail of Lights is to Austin, so we put together an 85-page proposal to bring the original event back to Zilker Park. Among the exciting ideas envisioned in the proposal: a snow patch, flash mobs, a 5K run, an added live music stage, one free night for military servicemen and -women, an Austin Trailer Food Court, an I Live Here I Give Here Circle of Charities, an Adopt-A-Display refurbishment program, and of course the Trail of lit displays.

The process to work with the City is a long one and the event was officially okay’d by Austin’s City Council on August 4. So we are, as of this writing, just now able to ramp up production plans for the event, which leaves less than ideal time to implement many of those elements. What WILL happen: the Trail of lit displays, Circle of Charities, Austin Trailer Food Court, flash mobs, and a single entertainment stage which will feature a mix of live local music and community group performances.

An admission charge will depend on the amount of sponsorship revenue that is raised, but as of now we are planning on $5 per person 11 and older, with kids 10 and younger free. One dollar from each ticket sold will go to the City of Austin. (To find out more about sponsorship, email sponsors@trailoflightsaustin.com)

Follow the Trail of Lights Austin on Twitter and Facebook!

Go here to see coverage by Austin’s KVUE.

We hope to see you there in December! (Firm dates will be announced soon.)

UPDATE

Posted Friday August 5, 2011
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Another Reason to Sponsor Music Fests & Artists

My mission this year is to get brands to see value in sponsoring emerging talent in the creative fields of music and art. This article gives yet further insight into why joining in partnership with music – be it festivals and/or with artists and/or indie labels – is something all brands should consider. For more reasons why, go here, here, and here.

Think your brand is ready to explore the possibilities? Contact Combo Platter now!

Posted Monday January 10, 2011
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How to Make a Festival Great

Booking the right talent and having good vendors is crucial, but everyone knows that. Here are some other tips for making your event great.

1. For key staff positions, such as managers of production, vendors, security, and marketing/PR to name a few, hire people who are experienced in those roles. If that means putting things off in order to raise enough money, then do it. Do not rely on volunteers, interns, family or friends to handle critical elements if you want your fest to have a shot at repeating. This is item #1 for a reason.

2. Start planning early. If it’s a first-time event, start planning VERY early. Depending on the size of the event, this could mean anywhere from 4 to 18 months or longer.

3. Pay attention to details. Well-crafted signage, clear and ubiquitous directions, snappy graphics, plenty of trash cans, extra supplies, lots of entrances and exits (or one big one), just to name a few. And make it all look nice and inviting.

4. Anticipate: weather, traffic volume and flow (both vehicle and foot), tardy vendors or artists, lost or malfunctioning equipment, staffing or volunteer shortages, injuries, security & staffing needed, visits from fire marshals and health inspectors (make sure all permits are in order).

5. Take care of your people. Not just the audience, but that also means the artists, vendors, suppliers, sponsors, staff, volunteers, media, road crews, and anyone else that is necessary to run a great fest. Treat them with respect, feed them, pay them competitively and on time, do what it takes to make sure everyone wants to come back next year.

6. Plan to lose money for the first year or two at least. Even the biggest, most famous fests have lost money in the beginning only to become hugely popular and profitable, including Bonarroo and Coachella.

7. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. As with any business, which is what an event is, start with what you can handle and plan to grow from there. Trying to be everything you want from the get-go has led to more failures than successes in every business, especially festivals.

8. This is not a comprehensive list. Think for yourself. Consult with other organizers. Do your research. Plan for the long term. And be sure to check out the blog tags and the rest of this site for more info.

Have other input? Share!

Need an expert for your festival or event? Check out the About page then Contact Combo Platter.

Posted Monday August 30, 2010
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Another Music Festival is Born

Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, will host its inaugural HullabaLOU Music Festival next summer in an effort to create new revenue for the venue, no doubt trying to duplicate the success in recent years of other nationally known destination festivals such as Austin City Limits Music Festival, Coachella, Stagecoach, and Bonnaroo.

Is the U.S. saturated with festivals yet? Is a startup festival a wise move in this economy? Time will tell, but here’s hoping there’s room for all the current fests, the new ones on the horizon, and those that are still just a gleam in many dreamy eyes.

Posted Tuesday December 1, 2009
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SXSW '10 Initial Showcase Lineup Announced

Music business networking and showcasing festival grandaddy South by Southwest has announced the first round of acts confirmed to showcase during the music portion of their 2010 event. (They also have a film festival and an interactive fest.) As always, it’s a heady roster that will only swell until the last minute when the event takes place in March of 2010.

Combo Platter has attended SXSW for many years and no doubt will be there again next year. How about you?

Posted Tuesday December 1, 2009
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What a Sponsor Wants

I often hear or read questions that go something like this: “How can I find a sponsor that values my (cause, industry, etc.)?”

Like individuals, sponsors want to know what’s in it for them. If they “like” your cause, it’s because your cause lines up with what the sponsor’s customers like, and sponsoring your cause will help them to reach those customers. So to find a sponsor, you have to create value that will give them great ROI – “Return on Investment”. Sponsorship is strictly a marketing decision, and they want marketing benefits in exchange for their money.

Go here for more information to give you some ideas about what to offer a potential sponsor.

I strongly advise you, if you are seeking a sponsor, to hire a professional such as Combo Platter that understands your industry, the sponsor procuring process, and how to speak the language of marketing decision-makers.

Posted Wednesday January 2, 2008
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