At the end of their 10th season producing festivals and events, The Fair team share their learnings, insights and take-home tips for those looking to progress their career in the industry
A lot can happen in 10 years, especially – as we all know – in the world of events. From event production to licensing, operations and health and safety, independent festival production company The Fair has worked across thousands of festivals and events, delivering experiences that are not only unforgettable for audiences, but for event professionals too.
What started as a two-man team in Birmingham, has since grown to a team of over 30, producing the likes of Eastern Electrics, Maiden Voyage, RecFest UK & USA (the world’s largest TA Festival), Boiler Room (London and Miami) and Jazz Café Festival in 2024 to name a few. Developing two further sister agencies – outdoor event production agency We Are Placemaking, and female-led event operations and safety agency We Are OPS has also enabled The Fair, now one of three pillars of We Group, to expand its expertise beyond the festival fields, and into other realms – offering event safety training for global marketing companies, and producing summer celebrations and sports activations for some of the UK’s leading property developers.
Of course, producing festivals and events of this scale comes with hurdles: getting 30,000 festival-goers home smoothly amid rail strikes, battling severe weather on site, and existing in an industry with a significant lack of government support, to name a few.
Ultimately, however, the team show resilience on and off the festival site – remaining genuinely passionate about the events industry, and constant in their fight to keep it thriving. In the last 18 months alone, The Fair has released a behind-the-scenes festival documentary, ‘It Takes A Village’, highlighting just how much hard work goes into producing events, launched The Advice Line, offering chats with those looking to fuel their career in the events industry, and created the ‘Your Festival Needs You’ campaign – celebrating festivals in a bid to gather vital support for independent events.
Nick Morgan, CEO, tells Festival Insights: “I’m so proud of what we have built at The Fair. We started as two-man team and have developed into a team of over 30, expanding to deliver events across Europe and USA, but staying committed to the industry here in the UK.
“We Group is about family, and we simply wouldn’t be where we are today without the knowledge and insight adopted by the wider team. Reflecting on the 2024 summer season, and many seasons before, here are some key learnings from them.”
1. Never assume. Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups
“Even the most basic elements of an event need to be checked so that everyone knows what’s happening when and who’s responsible for it. If you assume that someone else is doing something, you can guarantee they’re not. And that will be the one thing that comes back to bite you…”
Rob Dudley, Director
2. Everyone on site is needed to build the village
“From the Event Director to the cleaners, security managers to stage techs, and bar staff to site crew. It takes a village to build a festival – to ensure your village is kind and everyone is enjoying their time on site! We all get stressed and tired, but these are the people you lean on when you need the support to build the party!”
Millie Devereux, Production Director
3. Never underestimate events that seem simple on paper…
“…they often turn out to be the most challenging! Maintain a positive attitude even when it’s really tough, there are always people who can offer support, and a solution is never far away even though it can seem impossible in the moment.”
Sarah Tew, Account Director
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
“You’ll be surprised how quicker things get done and problems get solved when you’re not trying to do it on your own.”
Hanna Davis, Account Director
5. Our field is unique in its unpredictability
“If things don’t go as planned, it’s not a failure. We excel in our ability to troubleshoot on the spot, in an environment where many factors are beyond our control. We can’t always predict what will happen, but as long as we can come up with a solution, it’s a successful event.
Jan Rankou, Senior Operations Manager
6. Produce an event as if you’re not going to be there
“It sounds strange, but it means you have your documents saved, schedules done, and everything printed out. Something will always happen on site that hasn’t been planned for but with this way of planning, it means you can give your time to the current thing that needs to be solved. Oh, and always remember… smiles, respect and kindness go a long way!”
Will Garner, Senior Event Producer
7. Respect is key
“If you don’t treat people with respect, your career in the industry is likely to be very short lived.”
Cornelia Hammarlund, Senior Production Manager
8. We never work in isolation
“Use the wealth of knowledge around you to find solutions. What may appear to fit on paper and in advance might not work in practice. Use your plans as a base and prepare for things to shift off course. Finally, don’t forget to invest in some comfy boots!”
Liberty Taylor, Production Manager
9. There is strength in agency
“One thing I’ve always been aware of is promoters rushing to bring production in-house, but one of the greatest strengths when using a production agency is that we learn things over the course of the year/season and implement change as we go along, rather than having to wait a year to put learnings into practice. Add the fact that The Fair work closely with OPS; and draw on We Are Placemaking’s year-round experience; it allows the base knowledge of our team to continuously expand and share our learnings with clients.”
Nick Dann, Junior Production Manager
10. Our industry is full of curveballs…
“So, it’s important to stay open-minded and calm when things don’t go as planned.”
Louis Bloomberg, Production Assistant
11. Keep Innovating
“Innovation keeps your festival fresh and exciting. Stay updated with industry trends, experiment with new ideas, and take calculated risks. Adapting to changing audience preferences will ensure festivals stay relevant and successful.”
Nick Morgan, CEO
