Judging criteria
These are the elements that Festival Awards Judges will be considering when at festivals:
Communication
Pre-event communication:
Does the website/app reflect what actually happens “on the ground” at the festival? Does the website reflect the spirit of the event? Is information about the event/tickets/transport sufficient?
At event communication:
Is there a good festival programme or app with real information? Is it value for money/does it have good content and is enjoyable to read, informative, useful, etc? If there are changes to the programme, is this communicated effectively onsite by staff/signs/notices/update to app etc? Are stewards well-informed and do they communicate well with audiences about the festival?
General communication:
Is there a sense that the organisers are listening to and responding to the customer? What are the communications standards with public like? Are the forums well moderated? Is the complaints procedure clear?
Post event communication:
How good is the communication with festival-goers after the event? Does it provide a good summary of the event? Does it engage and make you want to return the following year?
At the festival:
Rate the options for travel to the festival:
Is it easy to get to the festival if you don’t have a car? Does the festival make efforts to encourage and facilitate other means of getting to the events?
Rate the Arrival process:
How easy is it to get on-site – are there major queues to get into the car park/at the gates? How easy is it to pick up tickets and get into the site once you get off the coach, car park etc?
Rate the Campsite:
Is it well organised, clean, safe, friendly? Is it adequately staffed? Are the campsites close enough/too close to the arena? Do staff engender a spirit of caring among campers to produce a positive experience at the event, or is the campsite intimidating?
“A great festival experience”:
How smoothly does the festival run? Is there good onsite information for customers? Is information presented in an interesting or original way? How friendly are the staff and stewards, and how knowledgeable are they?
Rate the toilets:
Are there enough, or are there long queues? Are they clean/emptied regularly? Is the experience as pleasant as can be expected?
Rate the security:
Are security staff/stewards visible and friendly? Does the festival feel safe?
Rate the Police presence:
Too heavy/too light/not visible/too visible/reassuring presence
Rate the service level for mobile phones:
Was service good or patchy?
Rate the planning for hot, dry or cold, wet weather:
If it rained, or was very hot, or cold – was the festival ready? Did it adapt the site for the conditions and help festival-goers cope?
Rate the creative content:
Apart from the stages, what else there is at the site to enjoy and enrich the festival?
Rate the Line-up:
Is there any originality or is it the same artists as everywhere else, but in a different order? Are there opportunities for unsigned or emerging artists? How well is the programme organised in terms of getting to see the “headline” artist, or does it all clash? Does the programme suit the audience?
Provision for families (if relevant):
Many festivals are family events even if they are not just targeting families. What are the facilities like for children, and what is there for teenagers to do?
Rate the facilities for people with disabilities:
(Look out for the following key elements: Is the website useable by people with disabilities? Is the website information the same as what you find onsite, and are the facilities as promised? Is the booking system accessible for people with disabilities? Does it offer a 2-for-1 ticket deal to enable a carer to accompany? Are there viewing platforms/walkways for people with mobility problems? Is information available in a variety of alternative formats? Are facilities monitored (such as toilets, to ensure they remain clean and fit for use)? Is use of strobe lighting clearly signposted? Are stewards prepared and properly-informed about facilities? Is the disabled camp site in the right place considering the layout of the site (eg not at the top of a hill if the arena is at the bottom) Are disabled people made to feel included and welcome at the event (meaning could you/they access all the general facilities that everyone else accesses and was the crowd welcoming to you)
Rate the quality of traders (clothing shops, accessories etc):
Variety, presentation and value for money – are there enough?
Rate the provision and quality of merchandise stalls/products:
Variety, presentation and value for money. Bear in mind there is a limit to what can be provided as people don’t want to be carrying around bulky items or things which can easily get wrecked at a festival.
Rate the quality and provision of food:
Variety, quality, presentation, value for money – are there enough outlets or are there often big queues?
Rate the quality and provision of the bars:
Variety, quality, presentation, value for money – is there enough or are there often big queues?
Rate the general cleanliness of the site:
How much litter is there, general cleanliness?
Sponsor Branding (if relevant):
Is it overkill or subtle? Bear in mind the audience for this rather than your personal opinions! Some events are much more focussed on sponsorship, while others shy away totally from it, because the audience wouldn’t like it. If it does have sponsorship, is the activation useful and adds value to the experience, or is it just branding plastered up in an unimaginative way?
Rate the Size/Scale of festival:
Does it feel overwhelming/just right/too small? Does it feel crowded, or is there enough room onsite – bear in mind the size of the audience: at many events there are always going to be peak times when there are queues and large amounts of people moving around
Rate the after-hours entertainment:
Bearing in mind licence restrictions will mean that there is a limit to what can be provided after a certain time
Was the festival good value for money?:
Not line-up vs. ticket price – this must take into account variety of entertainment on offer and all the things you get for your money.
Additional elements
Rate the “Extras”:
Is there enough additional entertainment outside of the mainstage activities? Is the content on the screens by stages (when bands aren’t playing) entertaining/dull? Is there on-site art or installations?
Local Connection:
Does a festival create long-lasting links with the wider community and actively give something back to local people?
Green/recycling facilities:
What is the festival doing to minimise the impact on the environment?
Summary:
In summary a festival needs to look and feel special. It has to be more than stages in a field, it has to have a relaxed “vibe” that is reflected by staff and other punters but more than anything it needs to have its own feel and be enriched by the unexpected. Making the provision for X factor – is it zeitgeisty, does it zing? Does it have that extra something? Something of a surprise/captures your imagination/memorable? How well does the festival fulfil the “brief”? – does it do what it set out to do? Did it meet the perceptions/expectations you had as a result of the pre-event marketing?
