Health and safety is a major part of performing live and we all must understand what risks we can prevent
Tripping hazard – loose cables on the floor someone will trip themselves over if they are not careful of their surrounding area
Crowd control – mosh pits, crowd surfing, riots,
Hight risk – working in high places, risk of falling in high places
Collapsing – stage collapsing due to a high amount of wind or the stage not being properly secured in place
Electrical hazard- Exposed wires
Hearing loss – exposed to a high volume, the limit for a concert is 107db, the same amount of volume as a chainsaw or jackhammer.
Case Study: Fyre Festival 2017
The Fyre Festival was organized by Billy McFarland, an entrepreneur, and Ja Rule, a rapper. Promotion for this festival began in late 2016. They enlisted celebrities, influencers, and models such as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski to promote their Fyre booking app.
Fyre Festival promised an ultra-luxurious, exclusive experience on a private island in the Bahamas once owned by Pablo Escobar, called Fyre Cay. The event was marketed as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The festival’s main offerings included a VIP experience endorsed by celebrities and promoted by influencers like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid, a private island venue, luxury accommodations, gourmet cuisine, top-tier musical performances including Major Lazer and Blink-182, yacht parties, beach activities, and networking and socializing opportunities with celebrities, influencers, and models, creating the atmosphere of a highly exclusive social gathering.
Before attendees arrived at Fyre Festival, Many experienced flight delays as part of the disorganized travel arrangements. The festival had chartered flights from Miami to the Exumas in the Bahamas, promising a seamless luxury experience. However, even before attendees reached the island, there were reports of delayed departures from Miami due to mismanagement and logistical issues.
The delays added to the growing frustrations, as many attendees had already paid thousands of dollars for a VIP experience. Upon arrival, their disappointment deepened when they saw that the festival was far from what had been promised. So, the travel chaos began even before they reached the failed event.
In the marketing for the Fyre Festival, they mentioned ‘Fyre Cay’ as the supposed location for the event. However, ‘Fyre Cay’ does not exist; it’s actually Norman’s Cay, which is associated with George Jung, not Pablo Escobar. The attendees were sent to the Exumas, which is not a private island and has a population of over 7,000, contradicting the promised secluded paradise..
When attendees arrived they were transported to the site on yellow school buses and shortly they saw their luxury accommodations.
Attendees of the Fyre Festival were given disaster relief tents instead of the promised luxury villas. These were basic, white geodesic tents typically used for emergency shelter, with thin mattresses inside. The conditions were far from the high-end accommodations that had been advertised in the marketing, leading to more significant backlash and contributing to the overall chaos of the event. Additionally, attendees weren’t assigned specific tents, leading to a chaotic scramble as people rushed to claim any available tent.
As tensions mounted due to the lack of food, some staff members began distributing free tequila, which only added to the chaos of the situation.
After a long wait, the attendees were shocked by the disappointing food that was served at Fyre Festival. Instead of the promised high-quality meals, they received basic and unappetizing food. One particularly memorable example was a plain cheese sandwich served in a Styrofoam container with a small side salad. This lackluster meal came to symbolize the festival’s overall failure and was widely circulated on social media, contributing to the public outcry. This marked the end of the Fyre Festival.
As the situation deteriorated, many attendees sought to leave, resulting in over 70 flights being delayed or cancelled. Stranded and frustrated, some attendees even had to sleep at the airport. Ultimately, the U.S. government had to step in to help facilitate the evacuation of those stuck on the island.
Later, the festival became a cultural phenomenon, prompting documentaries and articles that examined the events. It highlighted the risks of luxury event marketing and the dangers of failing to deliver on promises to consumers.
The Fyre Festival serves as a cautionary tale for the event planning industry. It highlights the critical importance of transparency, effective communication, and thorough logistical planning. The festival’s failure illustrates the potential consequences of misleading marketing practices and the need for accountability in the age of influencer culture. As a result, it has sparked discussions about ethical standards in marketing and event management, emphasizing the necessity of aligning promotional promises with actual experiences.
I used this video and the Netflix documentary of Fyre Festival to assist me throughout this case study.