With winter officially over, the weather is officially getting brighter and sunnier (although obviously since we’re here in the UK, it’s taking a little longer than it might do in some other countries closer to the equator). That means you might already be midway through the arrangements for summer festivals, finalising site layouts, upcoming acts, and the positions of various facilities.
All this makes it an excellent time to consider what digital LED signage can offer your festival, whether it’s a large-scale music festival or a smaller local affair. As experts in LED signs here at Scanlite, this week we’ve rounded up some of the top ways in which LED signage can benefit your festival.
Display show details and navigation for guests
It goes without saying that you want people to have fun at your festival, and each of your attendees will probably all have their own individual priorities in terms of what they want to do, and the acts they want to see. If they end up getting lost or delayed and therefore not seeing the performers they came for, they’ll quite understandably be unhappy – and that’s the very definition of an unsuccessful festival experience, so there’s a very good chance they won’t come back next year.
That’s where LED signs come in – they’re perfect for letting your attendees know exactly who’s playing, where, and when. By the same token, it’s great for letting them know where to find important facilities, such as specific campsites, toilets, car parks, or food stalls.
Lineup changes and other vital updates
LED screens have several big advantages over printed materials, but one benefit in particular is especially tangible in a festival environment, and that’s their ability to be quickly and fluidly updated in response to changing circumstances – such as if one of the acts pulls out, or there are any last-minute venue changes.
Hearing about these as a reveller can be annoying, but that’s nothing like the frustration of actually turning up to the original stage, excited to see your favourite performer, only to find that their set has been rescheduled or even cancelled entirely. It’s particularly vexing if it takes time to cross the festival site to get there (as can often be the case with large festivals), as it wastes time that could have been spent seeing alternative acts.
LED screens give you a valuable opportunity to help head off that potential frustration by keeping your attendees informed, ensuring that they have a good time regardless – so that you can keep them coming back next year!
Safety and wellbeing
As well as navigation to general facilities like car parks, food stalls and toilets, LED screens can also be used to signpost revellers to vital safety facilities, like security headquarters and first aid tents. Increasingly, many large-scale festival organisers are implementing safe spaces and drug testing facilities too, as a measure to protect revellers who may be experiencing adverse effects, or even pressing medical emergencies.
Whether you’re planning on using those sorts of facilities at your own event, of course, is very much a matter of individual policy – but if you are, it’s always a good idea to make their locations as widely-known as possible, and that’s one of the many ways that LED screens can come in handy. Similarly, if any part of your event takes place inside a building, they can help to signpost emergency exits in case of a fire or similar emergency.
Interaction and engagement
So that’s all the serious stuff covered – now onto the more lighthearted elements! Every festival aims to cultivate a certain kind of vibe, whether that’s vibrant and energetic (such as an electronic music festival), or cosy and friendly (such as a family or local festival). Whatever kind of vibe you’ve chosen for your festival, LED screens can be instrumental in helping you to maintain it.
For example, you can screen pre-recorded ‘promos’ for upcoming acts, such as short interviews with headline performers, or let your revellers know of other acts around the site. And of course, things like social media walls can help keep your customers engaged, giving them new ways to connect with their favourite artists, the festival as a whole, and (perhaps most importantly) each other!
Seeing the performers
This is perhaps one of the single most widely-utilised aspect of LED screens, especially at large festivals. The bigger the crowd, the more difficult it can be for people at the back to see what’s happening onstage, so LED screens at strategic places around the performance area can ensure that nobody misses out on the action. Indeed, often digital LED screens can offer attendees a better view of what’s happening than simply looking at the stage themselves!
These are just a couple of our suggestions – you might be able to find that LED screens benefit your own festival in even more specific ways. Whatever you’re looking for from your own screens though, rest assured that we’re the best people to help you get the very most out of them here at Scanlite. We know our digital signage solutions inside out, including the many ways in which it can be used to achieve your goals as a business, so to find out how we can help you, feel free to give us a call today on 01253 302723, or email us on sales@scanlite.co.uk.
