August 31, 2010 | British Columbia

As summer winds down, event coordinators look to the 2011 summer festival season

Abbotsford, BC - August 31, 2010 - Visions of busy hamburger stands, a parking lot of towels and beach blankets, and tanned, boho-styled visitors immediately come to mind when wistfully thinking about summer festivals. For the event planner, this somewhat romantic idea of a festival is mentally replaced by a laundry list of To Do's:

     "Have the sponsors all been confirmed?"

     "Has media all been informed of the details?"

     "Will people come?"

By starting the planning process early, it's easier to take a more zen approach and cross these worries off the event planner's mental list early on. As summer winds down for 2010, event coordinators should look ahead to the 2011 summer festival season.

Summer Festival Planning Tips

• Nail down the reason for the festival - will it include musical entertainment? Will benefits go to a specific charity?


• Create a committee to help with the specific duties, as there are many facets involved in planning a large festival.


• If needed, the local government, civic organizations, or tourism board will have to be involved. Delegate anc individual to liaise with these organizations to ensure they are all on board and enthusiastic.


• Choose a date and location, keeping in mind the number of people that are expected to attend and statutory holidays.


• Establish a budget - will sponsors be involved? Or will ticket sales be the main source of income for the event?


• Marketing and advertising - how will people find out about this event? Will it be promoted via radio or newspaper ads?


• Other miscellaneous points include securing vendors, entertainment, security, and volunteer coordination. 

Annual Summer Festivals

For future event coordinators, often the best place to learn about the in's and out's of event planning is to volunteer with a summer festival event committee or to help in some capacity the day of the event. Organizing a summer festival can be a daunting task but if pulled off successfully, they can turn into an annual event that guests look forward to year round!

Fill out the form to your left to find out more about the Event Coordinator and Management program at CDI College.