Welcome to the latest Summerton ClubWHISKY REVEALED
Learning about whisky from the experts...
Dan Humphrey (Summerton Whisky Club founder) poses the question to industry expert and organiser of the English Whisky Festival, Richard Foster (Exploring English Whisky founder):
How do you put on a whisky festival?
“I’m desperately trying to not be facetious and say “just do it”, but there is an element of gutsiness involved in putting on any event, and you do need a certain amount of drive and self-belief to make it work. But as this article is designed to be more useful than that, here are some of my top tips.
- Check out the competition. Attend a couple of festivals and work out what you like / don’t like to incorporate (or leave out) of your own event. It’s great to try something new, but there’s a reason there’s a relatively tried and tested formula for whisky festivals.
- Don’t clash – there are lots of resources to identify existing shows across the UK (And world) so don’t clash with another event that will affect your ability to bring onboard brands – or potentially compete with your customers. It’s getting harder to do as the category gets busier, but at the very least try and avoid other local festivals at the same time of year.
Meet the expert
Richard Foster, Exploring English Whisky
- Start small. Year one of Croydon we only had 150 attendees and about 20 brands, but it was such a great atmosphere in a cute venue that it set the tone for the events to come. Better to have a waiting list year one that not sell out and cause yourself grief, you can always expand or run multiple sessions in future years.
- “You do you” – whilst the overall formula of the festival probably won’t differ greatly from others, the best events channel the passions and personalities of their founders / organisers. From the gritty urban coolness of the Indy Whisky Fest in Newcastle, to the passion and pride of the Welsh Whisky Festival, each one has a unique character that helps it stand apart from the crowd.
- Find a venue. This isn’t just about a space, great venues make your life easy (think about parking, access, facilities, equipment etc.) – if you want to be accessible, avoid venues with stairs and no lift. If you want to be central and close to transport links, think about where your exhibitors will be able to drop-off stock and then park for the duration. Sometimes what works for exhibitors doesn’t work for attendees and vice versa, so compromises may have to be found.
- Don’t forget the legal stuff. Public Liability insurance (are you operating as a business or sole trader?), licensing (usually venues will be licensed but never assume, always ask) and insurance (event insurance can be obtained for event cancellation in certain circumstances). It’s all rather tedious, but hugely important to the smooth running of your event and, in the worst case scenario, your safety net should anything go wrong.
- Build your brand. A great logo & website is just the starting point. Run some local tastings, work with local producers / bars / breweries and pound the pavements with flyers as much as you can. Great places to leave posters / flyers are barbers/hairdressers, cafes, libraries & community spaces (if they have noticeboards) and other businesses that let you display signage (don’t ask, don’t get). Some of my best leafletting has been outside stations during rush hour (and don’t for a second try to second guess who’ll take a flyer, offer to everyone and you’ll be surprised who takes them and who doesn’t!).
- Make sure you have plenty of water available on stands and in communal areas. Provide spittoons so people don’t have to finish every pour and ask your exhibitors to only pour 10ml serves to prevent people getting too drunk. It’s also great to have food and coffee options so people can take breaks and line their stomach / recharge. Seating also encourages people to take a break.
- LOOK AFTER YOUR EXHIBITORS ! I can’t stress this enough. Yes they want to be there, but often they’re on their own miles from home and so dedicated they won’t leave their stand unless they absolutely need to. Give them endless coffee, provide snacks, offer to watch their stand so they can pop to the loo. They’re not just suppliers, they’re your VIPs so treat them accordingly (I can attest to this as having been on the other side of the stand a lot this year exhibiting with our Adnams 9 year old bottling).
- Have fun. It will be a whirlwind and time will fly, but try to soak it all in and have fun. An afterparty is a good way of ensuring you get to let your hair down with exhibitors, staff and friends at the end of the day – if you have any gas left in the tank that is – definitely wear comfy shoes / clothes and record those steps, it will be a long, but hugely rewarding day.”
