Photo Credit: Edward Clynes
As another festival season winds down to a close, industry professionals gather at the annual XLive Conference in Las Vegas (December 10-13, 2017). With three packed days of speakers, spotlight sessions, and keynote addresses, the schedule for the conference has something for everyone. Here are the panels that Music Festival Wizard will be checking out during the 2017 edition of XLive.
The Future is Female – How Women are Playing a Crucial Role in the Creation of Extraordinary Live Events
Wednesday, December 13
10:30am-11:15am
Nearly every music festival lineup reveals a major gender gap, a trend that continues throughout our industry. This panel will explore some of the hot button issues that face women working in live events.
A 420 Phenomenon – Understanding Cannabis Within the Live Event Marketplace
Monday, December 11
4:10pm-5:00pm
With a number of states legalizing recreational use of marijuana, we’re on the forefront of a new type of festivalling where attendees can expand their horizons in new ways at festivals. It’s time to listen to industry experts like Jim McAlpine (420 Games) and Jim Baudino (Merry Jane) explain what’s coming along.
Turn it to 11 – Elevating the Fan Experience
Tuesday, December 12
3:00pm-3:50pm
We’re all about the fans, so we’re down with any panel that focuses on the true heart of music festivals. The moderator, Stephanie Rosa from Festival Squad, is a true festie who is bringing together an entertaining panel group to discuss how to make festivals better for all of us.
We Want More! – Creating More Boutique Destination Festivals Catered to the Rising Demand
Monday, December 11
2:10pm-3:00pm
A common complaint I’ve heard from festies around the world is their favorite fests have grown too large and too corporate. This panel will explore the new trend of destination boutique festivals which are scratching that itch.
Photo Credit: Edward Clynes
Beer Fests – Understanding What It Takes To Produce a Beer Festival
Tuesday, December 12
3:00pm-3:50pm
We like beer and we like festivals so the next logical step for Music Festival Wizard is to start covering beer festivals, strictly for business reasons, you understand. I’ll be stopping by this panel to soak up all the information I can on the fastest growing segment of live events.
An Iconic Retrospective on Festivals & Touring – How It Will Tell Us Where Our Industry is Headed
Tuesday, December 12
3:00pm-3:50pm
Before I took on the mantel of editor-in-chief of Music Festival Wizard and covered 65 festivals in 30 countries, I used to work as a mobile marketing tour manager. Over the course of a decade, I worked at over 1000+ live events in just about every capacity you could imagine including plenty of music tours. Touring and festivals was where this website was born, so I’m always interested in where the industry is heading next.
Evolving the Experience – Building Brand Loyalty With The Festival Guy
Wednesday, December 13
12:00pm-12:30 pm
Another of our favorites. Tucker Gumber has evolved over the last half decade from the ultimate fan to the ultimate fan expert. Plus, he’s one of the only people in the world that makes my summer festival schedule look like I’m slacking off.
Photo Credit: Edward Clynes
Planning for the Unpredictable – What To Do When Mother Nature is Uncooperative
Monday, December 11
1:40pm-2:30pm
I have enough trouble planning for the weather when it’s just my tent and a rainy weekend, so I’m always fascinated how organizers handle these traumatic weather obstacles that Mother Nature throws at them.
2017 Data & Analytics Workshop
Monday, December 11
9:00am-12:30 pm
When we started Music Festival Wizard in 2009, there was a decidedly massive lack of data online about music festivals. Fast forward nearly a decade later and we’re swimming in millions of data points. It should be interesting to see how to wrangle some sense out of these numbers and get some tips on strategies and tools.
Closing Party at LIGHT Nightclub
Wednesday, December 13
9:30pm-10:30pm
It turns out the people behind your favorite music festivals are quite a bit of fun. The closing party is always a blast at this convention.