Background
Home Farm Fest is the largest annual fundraiser for the charity School in a Bag, an organisation dedicated to providing educational resources to children in need. The event, held in Chilthorne Domer, Somerset, spans three days, from June 7th to 9th, featuring live music across nine stages with over 150 acts.
For the first time, School in a Bag partnered with CrowdComms to introduce an event app, designed to enhance the festival-goer experience and drive engagement throughout the event.
Event Goals
The event goals were:
- Develop a user-friendly app for festival attendees to access performer details, site maps, trader information, and charity details.
- Enable attendees to create personalised schedules by selecting their favourite acts.
- Increase engagement and communication during the event.
- Provide a free tool for festival-goers to enhance their overall experience.
- Ultimately, raise more funds for School in a Bag through improved event engagement.
Challenges
- Limited experience with event technology on the part of the organising team.
- Time constraints in learning and utilising the app’s full potential.
- Ensuring sufficient user adoption from attendees, traders, and performers.
Solution
CrowdComms provided extensive support and guidance to maximise the app’s use. Key app features included personalised schedules, interactive maps, and real-time push notifications.
A live feed allowed performers, traders, and attendees to share updates and images during the event. The event app enabled attendees to discover other bands and activities they may have otherwise missed, encouraging a broader exploration of the festival.
Effective management of the live feed ensured no inappropriate content was posted. Real-time communication enabled festival organisers to promote flash sales, boosting ticket sales for next year’s event.
Outcome
The introduction of the CrowdComms app at Home Farm Fest significantly enhanced the attendee experience, helping the event achieve its goals of greater engagement and communication. While there were initial challenges with adoption and time constraints, the app’s success in its first year has paved the way for even greater use in future festivals. With improvements planned for next year, including better integration with traders and performers, School in a Bag is excited to continue its partnership with CrowdComms to further grow the festival and its fundraising impact.