Duties of a Music Festival Production Coordinator

The coordinator knows what budget he is working with and allocates money to specific areas. If the music festival is for a nonprofit cause, companies will donate to support the cause for their name on a banner displayed and other promotional materials. Musicians will often play for free, but in some cases have to pay the band members. The coordinators secure as much sponsorship as possible by selling ad spots.

The coordinator considers the type of festival and the anticipated crowd when choosing the size and type of venue. Music festivals are usually held at outside venues, but can be held at indoor facilities. He works out a contract with the venue. The coordinator finds out what insurance is required and who supplies the security.

Now that the coordinator has the venue secured, he makes a list of the performers for the event. He does a schedule of how many slots are available and how long each should last, including set up and tear-down. The coordinator contacts the performers’ management and makes arrangements. A signed contract is important to avoid misunderstandings on the day of the festival.

The coordinator lists every aspect of the festival. He knows how many workers are needed in each area and assigns them to a specific location. Event tees or name tags are made for staff and volunteers. At least one meeting is held with the workers before the event and one on the morning of the music festival. The staff usually has a three or four workers designated to giving breaks.

The coordinator oversees promotions. If the coordinator is fortunate enough to have a lot of volunteers, he can delegate someone to contact the media and get the word out. Sign companies make posters and banners, and volunteers put the signs up. Press releases are sent out to all media outlets. Follow-up calls are made to make sure they will announce the event. Local radio stations may be involved and will announce it often.

The coordinator has to schedule vendors to be at the event. The vendors pay to set up and sell food, drinks and other items. The festival goers will not stay long if there are no food and drinks available. The music festival coordinator handles the contracts and vendor fee before the start of the music festival.

On the day of the music festival, the coordinator has to be everywhere and make sure everything runs smoothly. He also takes care of last-minute fiascoes or cancellations.