British media recently reported on an increasing number of twinned festivals. For instance, the Summer Sundae festival in Leicester, UK, recently linked with Bergenfest in Norway in a move that is designed to share ideas, knowledge and talent in a increasingly competitive and international market.

The Bergenfest (held this year April 30 to 1 May 1) is a city-based festival featuring a dozen venues from small clubs to concert halls, while the Summer Sundae Weekender in Leicester is a three-day festival in the surroundings of De Montfort Hall, held in August.

Based on the "twin town" concept, festivals seek to push their presence abroad and perhaps attract new customers, but the reciprocal benefits may include shared programming, staff and volunteer exchanges, and joint international marketing.

Other British festivals have twinned with intenational counterparts. ”Big Session” in Leicester is paired with the ”Tønder Festival” (Tonder, Denmark); and the ”Eden Sessions” (Cornwall, UK) enjoys partnership with ”Airwaves” (Reykjavik, Iceland), to name a few. Other partnerships are listed below.

Let us know if you have partnered internationally, and what you are gaining from it. We would love to feature your thoughts in future newsletters or conferences.

Twinned festivals include

• Tønder Festival, Tønder, Denmark, 26 - 29 August (founded in 1975, focuses on traditional and modern folk music, highlights 2010 include The Chieftans, Arlo Gutherie, Runrig), twinned with Big Session, Leicester, UK, 18 - 20 June (family-friendly folk festival, featuring (2010) The Proclaimers, Kate Rusby, Dreadzone.
• Eden Sessions, Cornwall, UK, 26 - 27 June (a series of one-day festivals in the Eden project, Cornwall, highligts i.e. Vampire Weekend, Calvin Harris, Mika), twinned with Airwaves, Reykjavik, Iceland, 14 - 18th October (Icelandic and international music)
• Nozstock, Herefordshire, UK, 9 - 11 July (Live music, DJs, comedy and theatre, highlights The Blockheads, Gabby Young and Other Animals), twinned with Italia Wave Love, Livorno, Italy, 16 - 19 July (rock, electronica, techno, folk etc. held at the Armando Picchi Stadium)
• Glade Festival, Winchester, UK, 15 - 18 July (non-mainstream dance music), twinned with Symbiosis, California, USA, 17 - 21 September (featuring "synaesthesia of art, music, transformational learning")
• Melt, Ferropolis, Germany, 16 - 18 July (held in an industrial museum, in the city of Gräfenhainichen; highlights 2010 include The XX, Groove Armada, Sigur Rós; twinned with Bestival, Isle of Wight, UK, 11 - 13 September (a fancy-dress music festival run by DJ Rob da Bank, featuring The Prodigy, Flaming Lips, Dizzee Rascal)
• Field Day, London, UK, 31st July, a one-day festival in east London, twinned with Øya Festival, Oslo, Norway, 10 - 14 August Festival in the Medieval Park in Oslo
• Standon Calling, Hertfordshire, UK, 6 - 8 August (at the Hertfordshire manor house, with Buena Vista Social Club and Gilles Peterson), twinned with Calvi on the Rocks, Corsica, France, 2 - 3 July  (presenting Hot Chip, Carl Craig, Joakim), and
• Leefest, Bromley, Kent, UK, 13th - 16th August (Grassroots Festival Award winner in 2009), twinned with GetExited, Croatia, 1st - 4th July, held in an open-air beach club

The February edition of the International Film Festival Summit newsletter provided readers with a thought-provoking list of marketing strategies needed in today's market. Originally developed by www.marketinginspirations.com, the list addresses the fact that it is harder than ever to connect with consumers.  Budgets and time are limited, media is fragmented and attention spans are short, and consumers are bombarded with options. Marketing Inspirations write: "In the past, Media Planning was about picking individual media.  New Media Planning is about picking the right combinations of media.   It’s important to keep in mind that some media may communicate better than others based on consumers’ lifestyle and media consumption habits.   Avoid doing something new for “newness sake”, but rather, determine the best time and method for connecting to your potential customers. Mixed exposure across various media platforms tends to provide a greater response. But how do you get started?  It might be time to go back to the basics"

• First, really ask yourself, who you trying to target?  Can you further segment your target?   Segmenting by lifestyles, values and preferences will increase the likelihood of the desired action.  Tweaking your communication points and focusing on relevant attributes of the individual films, key areas of interest or the overall experience may be appealing to different target segments. 
• By invitation only: Today’s customer wants to feel unique and important.   It is up to them to invite you into their space and to determine when to receive your message.  It’s up to you to make sure you are present and communicating in the correct way.  Different life groups interpret brands in completely different ways.  Understanding how each group internalizes your experience will help you to devise appropriate messaging and determine the appropriate media placement.  
• Create Individual Strategies:  Creating individual strategies to speak to various segments, i.e. the general market, Downtown Residents & Employees, Universities, conventioneers, Tourists, the Gay & Lesbian Community, Young Professionals/Singles, Culturally Sophisticated and International and Multi-Cultural groups, is proven to be effective in driving attendance. 
• Finding the magic bullet:   An integrated marketing campaign capitalizes on the strengths of individual media to reach target segments.   Now more than ever it is important to marry marketing and public relations initiatives. Remember that not only is messaging important, but media consumption is different for each of your target segments.  Different media play different role in the mix.  For example, digital ads leading to your website can carry deeper content and more complex communication than many media forms, while outdoor ads give a quick punch of information.   
• A State of Mind: Additionally, as a potential customer moves through the sales cycle, they may be motivated by different marketing methods.  Cold prospects might respond to mass media such as broadcast, print and publicity.  Hot prospects might respond to direct mail, promotional events, grass roots, email and pay per click ads.   By choosing your prospects favorite cable network, TV show, radio station, website and newspaper, for instance, allows you to maintain consistent contact without boring them. It allows you to connect with them in different spaces throughout their day, taking advantage of multiple touch points.  Of course, digital cannot be ignored.  Online is a “must buy” channel to reach a high concentration of elusive 18-34 year olds.  Bottom line:  The combination of traditional, non-traditional, and digital media is the key to successful marketing campaigns that garners the best results. 
• Setting the Stage:  Finally, we cannot overlook the benefits of a long-term social media strategy as an integrated and ongoing marketing initiative.  Marketers often experience a lot of pressure to operate both reactively and tactically.  A carefully designed social media strategy is a must before any significant programs go live. Without it, marketers can't effectively evaluate vehicles, figure out how their contribution to the mix builds the business, or measure their effectiveness.  In such a vacuum, tactical programs can at best hope to be dismissed or deemed failures internally or worse, by your fans.  Here are a few hints to avoid some social media pitfalls. It is important to be authentic and real.  Don’t speak in “ad speak.”
• Back Stage Pass:  Remember it is a two way conversation.  Your attendees are looking for is added value, juicy insights and behind-the-scenes access.   Be a part of their conversations.  Add to their conversations.  Ask questions.  Learn what they want and expect from the festival experience.  Social media should be thought of like electricity and should always be on.  It shouldn’t be thought of as a Hollywood marriage, but yet an indefinite commitment.   Strategy should be aligned with the basic tenets of the social media sphere -- transparency, authenticity, and dedication to conversation. 
• Collective effort:  All these media should result in millions of impressions to improve brand identity, awareness, engagement and ultimately ticket sales.

How about getting together with colleagues in Copenhagen to talk about these, and many other "best practice" ideas?

IFEA EUROPE is currently seeking NATIONAL and REGIONAL NETWORK COORDINATORS

At a time when festivals and other public events are becoming increasingly more important to cities, regions, and countries throughout the continent, there is a growing need for IFEA EUROPE to be an organisational frontrunner, exchange partner, and source for knowledge and inspiration not only on a European level, but also nationally, regionally and locally. Therefore, IFEA Europe wishes to build and engage a network of highly motivated individuals who can act as regional or national representatives of the organisation.

The role is intended to mutually and reciprocally benefit the Network Coordinator and IFEA Europe.

Reponsibilities:

As Network Coordinator, you will have three primary responsibilities and opportunities:

1. To plan and host in your country or region one annual conference (or as agreed) for local festival/event organisers, to which IFEA Europe lends its name as a host or partner organisation, and at which IFEA Europe will deliver one or more subject-relevant guest speakers. The conference budget and general parameters shall be set to ensure low risk and enable shared revenue earnings from the conference
2. To grow the regional/national membership numbers of IFEA Europe on the basis of shared revenue earnings. Depending on region and ressources, you may do so through structured sales or more informally, but membership numbers should seek to reach agreed goals in the contract period. and
3. To maintain an updated contact database of regional/national event organisations and those related to the industry, and supply IFEA Europe with updated contact information on a regular basis.

Qualifications

The succesful candidate is entrepreneurial and already has a network among festival/event organisers, city officials, educators, tourism managers and others involved with festival/events, and/or wishes to establish and grow such a network through the opportunities offered by associating with IFEA Europe. We imagine the coordinator to be a graduate student of tourism, culture management, events management, or similar, yet may also be in an established position.

Benefits

The Network Coordinator will receive a percentage of new IFEA membership fees generated by the coordinator in his/her region; amounting to 20% percent of paid membership first year.  Addionally, the NC will receive 50% of net income generated through organisation of local conference events, as described above.

The Network Coordinator has personal, free membership of IFEA Europe and is offered free participation in the annual IFEA EUROPE conference, and can thereby expand his/her international network and grow professionally.

The position is by no means a full-time position, and IFEA Europe shall not be liable for communication expenses or other direct costs, yet such costs should be covered by income derived from the activities mentioned above.

The Network Coordinator is at first a two-year position, with the possibility of extension.

Countries/areas:

We are looking for Network Coordinators in the countries listed below. As countries vary in size and cultural traditions, you may specify in your application is you are interested in filling the NC role in a country, in part of a country – or maybe in more than one country. For countries marked with an asterix (*), we will be looking for regional coordinators. 

Albania - Austria - Belgium - Belarus - Bosnia - Bulgaria - Czech Republic - Croatia - Cyprus - Estonia - Finland - France * - Germany * - Italy * - Latvia - Moldova - Montenegro
Norway - Poland * - Romania - Russia * - Serbia - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain * - Switzerland - Turkey * - Ukraine *

Application procedure:

If you are interested in pursuing this opportunity, please send a message to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You will be then be sent a questionnaire to be completed along with your application. We also advise that we shall ask you to submit two letters of personal endorsement from teachers or industry professionals that know you well.

IFEA Europe - as well as IFEA World and IFEA affiliates - are now on LinkedÍn and Facebook. Both of these social networks will be used for member discussions, association and industry news, and hopefully also provide an opportunity for bilateral and group exchange among members.

However, the festivals and events industry covers a broad rance of organisations and individuals. Making a search on the keywords can be an important first step to link up with people and groups that can help your business: Artists, suppliers, agents, destination management professionals, music industry professionals, researchers, évent planners, and many, many others. 

Be selective, and set a strategy for your connection with people. Will you use the group actively, respond to messages, and start discussions - or will you just be an observer. Remember that maintenance of social networks can be time consuming.