Christopher Barrett“It’s about finding that dance between a really solid operational structure and wild creative expression.”
Speaking on the main stage at the Event Production Show, that’s how Boomtown Fair co-founder & creative director Luke Mitchell summarised his creative approach to the hugely successful festival.
Mitchell was joined by Goodwood Revival general manager Sarah Bullen, Superstruct UK MD Mandy Johnson and STUFISH Entertainment Architects CEO Ray Winkler in a wide-ranging conversation that covered everything from the creative approach of the world’s second largest festival operator to Goodwood Revival, and tour production designs for the likes of Beyoncé and The Rolling Stones.
The session saw the panellists discuss how the look and feel of events is more important than ever, and how they are successfully captivating the hearts and minds of attendees by bringing highly creativity concepts to life.
Winkler has worked on many huge tour show production projects including Adele’s concert in Munich (featuring the world’s largest LED screen), Elton John’s Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, and Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour.
He spoke of the intensity of focus on creativity within the burgeoning stadium show sector: “It’s fair to say that the artists are in an arms race when it comes to outdoing their competitors, and so things are getting bigger and brighter, not necessarily cheaper, but I think what everybody’s looking for is a unique identity and a unique experience that pertains to the artist itself.”
“Artists are in an arms race when it comes to outdoing their competitors.”
When it comes to festivals, the move away from headliner-orientated events to the creation of more captivating full event experiences was also a focus during the discussion. Winkler highlighted the importance of creating unique, immersive environments, while Johnson emphasised the need for consistent, authentic experiences.
Bullen spoke of the need for sustained attention to detail throughout all aspects of Revival’s delivery: “It’s important to have a really strong identity and be clear about what it is that you’re trying to achieve. Our attention to detail is key to the event, and it’s what people come back for; they look forward to seeing what new things we’ve come up with.”
A key theme throughout the panel was the importance of human imagination and creativity over the use of cutting-edge technology.
“There are loads of great suppliers out there and there’s loads of great tools, but it’s more about how you use them, more about the curation, the integration, the people power that sits behind them; that ecosystem is where the special sauce is, it’s not a piece of kit,” said Johnson
Said Mitchell, “In this world that is becoming increasingly dominated by technology and AI that’s obliterating everything, these IRL [in real life] experiences continue to become ever more important.”