What is a conference festival, and why is it gaining popularity?

The biggest challenge with a conference festival is the balance. Lean too far towards the conference and it feels like a dull conference with a DJ added on. Lean too far towards the festival and the content disappears into the noise.

The key lies in the programme structure. Divide your day into content blocks and experience blocks, with clear transitions. The morning can open with a powerful keynote in a plenary set-up. After that, the programme splits into parallel tracks: workshops in smaller tents and demos on open squares. Round-table conversations take place in small-scale rooms.

Between the content blocks, deliberately schedule a 'festival moment': a live performance and a food-truck lunch. An interactive installation or a moment of calm in a quiet corner belong there too. Those moments aren't the break in the conference, they're part of the programme.

Make the content festival-worthy too. Work with surprising formats instead of standard presentations: short eight-minute talks and campfire sessions. Circle conversations and idea sprints work brilliantly, and so do live experiments. The more unusual the format, the better it fits the conference festival concept.

Take a look at our article on booking a speaker for your event for tips on finding speakers who thrive in this format.

You don't organise a conference festival in a standard conference centre. The venue is a crucial part of the experience: it needs to be a place that surprises and inspires.

Think industrial heritage like factories and warehouses, or country estates with outdoor grounds. Festival sites with tent structures and theatres with outbuildings work excellently too.

The venue needs to offer several zones. A plenary space for keynotes (well over 500 seats), smaller rooms for workshops and breakout sessions. Outdoor space for food trucks and networking is essential, as are quiet spots for one-on-one conversations.

Flexibility is essential. At a conference festival, the space changes throughout the day: from plenary hall to dance floor and from lunch spot to festival square.

Check the technical possibilities. An industrial building looks great but may have too few power connections, poor acoustics or limited wifi infrastructure. Read our article on technical infrastructure at events for the details.

Accessibility matters all the more at unusual venues. Arrange shuttle buses from the station and provide clear parking instructions and directions. A venue nobody can find loses its charm fast.

The programme of a conference festival is more varied than that of a traditional conference. You don't offer one linear programme but several parallel tracks that delegates choose from themselves.

Keynotes are the anchor of your programme. Two to three a day at most, in a plenary set-up where everyone comes together. Choose speakers who are strong on substance and entertain. At a conference festival, a keynote should feel like a headline act at a festival.

Workshops and masterclasses provide the depth, with smaller groups of 20 to 50 delegates in a practical, interactive format. Delegates choose in advance or on the spot which sessions to attend. Offer plenty of choice but not too much; decision fatigue is an energy drain.

Unusual formats make the difference. Think of a campfire session where an expert talks freely and delegates ask questions. Or a silent-disco debate where delegates pick their speaker through headphones. Or a live experiment that makes the theory tangible.

Make the programme visual. Work with a festival map instead of a standard programme booklet: stage names, time slots and a 'now on' screen at the entrance. Use gamification to encourage session attendance. Read our article on gamification at events for practical ideas.

The festival atmosphere is what sets a conference festival apart from a conference with a party afterwards. That atmosphere doesn't happen by itself, you design it.

Start with the styling. Work with a coherent festival design instead of standard conference banners: an entrance gate and signage, stage names and promotional material. Wristbands and a programme app complete the festival experience.

Music is essential. It's a deliberate part of the experience, not a background tune. Think of a DJ who regulates the energy between sessions and a live band at lunch. An acoustic performance at the opening sets the tone straight away.

Food trucks are the catering standard at conference festivals. Three to five trucks with a varied offering, positioned on a central square that becomes the natural meeting point. Read our article on food trucks at corporate events for the practical detail.

Interactive installations strengthen the experience, such as a photo corner with props or a social media wall. An interactive artwork or a VR demo that ties into the theme works well too. These are the elements guests remember and share.

Dress code plays a part. Communicate that the event is more informal than a standard conference. Informal or even casual. Speakers in trainers on stage. That signals: this is different from what you're used to.

A conference festival is more expensive than a standard conference. The production value is higher, the venue is often more special and the experience elements cost money. But the return is higher too: more satisfaction and brand experience. And more social media attention.

The biggest budget items are: venue (30 to 40 per cent of the total) and AV and production (20 to 25 per cent). Catering and food trucks account for 15 to 20 per cent. Entertainment and styling cost 10 to 15 per cent, communication and marketing 5 to 10 per cent.

Sponsorship is a natural revenue model for conference festivals. The festival set-up offers sponsors more activation options than a standard conference. Give sponsors their own stage or a brand experience. A food truck in the sponsor's brand styling or a joint workshop works well too.

Work with sponsorship packages on several tiers: a main sponsor with stage rights and prominent brand presence. The secondary sponsor gets their own activation spot on the grounds, the knowledge sponsor facilitates a workshop or masterclass. The more creative the activation options, the more attractive it is for sponsors.

Ticket sales can be an additional revenue stream. A conference festival has a higher perceived value than a standard conference, which justifies a higher ticket price. Early-bird pricing and group discounts encourage early registration. Combine this with the tips in our article on invitations for your event.

A conference festival isn't a one-off experiment but a format you refine. The first edition is always a learning moment. The second edition is where the concept matures.

Measure everything. Delegate satisfaction per session and NPS score. Social media reach and sponsor satisfaction. Measure attendance per track and dwell time too. The content-to-experience ratio in the feedback tells you the most. That data determines what you adjust for the next edition.

Ask specifically about the balance. Ask whether delegates felt there was enough content and whether the festival atmosphere added value. Which formats scored highest and lowest? Read our article on evaluating your event for a complete evaluation approach.

Document everything for the next edition. Alongside the figures, the operational lessons matter too. Document which venue layout worked and which technical problems came up. Where did the walking routes get congested and what did suppliers report back?

Build your community. A conference festival that returns each year creates a brand of its own and a loyal group of returning delegates. Use photos, videos, quotes and lessons to feed that community all year round. That's how your conference festival grows from an event into a platform. Read our article on social media for your event too for tips on building that online community.

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