Lessons From the Fyre Festival: How NOT to Run an Event

This was the cautionary tale of what happens when you push logistics to the bottom of your to-do list. Let’s take a look at 5 lessons event organizers can learn from the debacle.

Lesson 1: Don’t Pour ALL Your Energy Into Marketing

Fyre’s marketing campaign took Instagram by storm. Thanks to Ja Rule’s involvement, supermodels like Bella Hadid posting promotional bikini shots and glamorous videos shot on a Caribbean island, 95% of tickets were sold in just 48 hours.

The trouble was, CEO Billy McFarland was only interested in the image. To him, marketing was everything: get people hooked on the image and the rest would fall into place. He forgot the first rule of a successful event: never over-promise and under-deliver!

Lesson 2: Don’t Lose Sight of Your Budget

Novice luxury brands sometimes cast shade on budgeting. You’re part of the world of glitz and celebrity, right? Won’t quibbling over a few $1000s make you look amateur?

Er, no. However fancy, you’re still running a business - and you need to stay in control of finances. Fyre created the impression of bottomless pockets, agreeing to pay artists, influencers and anyone else whatever they asked for, even if it was well over their normal rate. When they couldn’t pay, people fled (or sued them). Without a healthy cash flow, you don’t have a business or suppliers. Never agree to what you can’t afford!

Lesson 3: Listen to Your Experts

No one can run a large-scale event singlehandedly. You need partners and suppliers you trust - and you need to listen to their advice.

Fyre’s logistics guy pleaded with them to pay attention to boring basics like sewage management, buying toilet units, and tents overheating. What did they do? They fired him. Don’t make that mistake. If experienced people tell you there’s a problem, listen!

Lesson 4: Infrastructure Comes First

No matter how amazing a concept is, it only works with the right infrastructure. You need to tackle challenges like getting utilities and facilities into a site first.

The island that Fyre booked had limited WiFi, and no lights, electricity or running water on the beach. There was a literal ocean separating them from robust infrastructure, yet vendors were given just weeks to build stages and accommodation. It was impossible - but by then, Fyre had already sold the tickets.

Lesson 5: Plan Properly!

Developing a festival from scratch takes at least 12 months. By the time the Fyre team got their act together and booked a location, they had around 6 weeks to go. Not only that, they hadn’t accounted for seasonal pressures, low accommodation availability or even rain.

A successful event takes risk assessments, contingency plans, backup utilities and careful management of visitors from start to finish. Leaving it until the last minute means jacked-up costs, chaos and a total disregard for safety.

Final Thoughts: The Nuts and Bolts Stuff ALWAYS Matters

The exciting thing about digital businesses is that you can ‘fake it til you make it’ – and if something doesn’t go well, you can tweak and adapt in real time.

Not so for real-life events.

The Fyre organizers believed that a positive attitude could fix anything. Even when their first location rescinded the contract. Even when caterers pulled out two weeks beforehand. Even when they ran out of money and tried to sell things that didn’t exist.

Events are about cold, hard logistics as well as perception. You can’t fake that. You can’t spin it. You have to care about mundane details as much as a glamorous image. Because what’s the worst that can happen? Just ask Billy McFarland…If you visit him in prison.

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