Indie Ambassador

Music festivals have experienced a re-birth of sorts in recent years, with many outpacing their previous attendance records on a yearly basis. That being said, it takes more than just a love for music to throw a successful festival, which is exactly what our friend Marcus Ohanesian has learned in the second year of his Worcester-based Open Road Music and Arts Festival. Since the fest's debut in September 2010, Marcus has learned a lot about the business of music festivals. We caught up with him earlier this week to talk briefly about what goes into the planning and promotion of a local independent festival.  Read the interview in full below, and if you live in New England, make your way out to Institute Park in Worcester this Saturday!  Music starts at 11 AM and will go until 6 PM. Additionally, be sure to check IAtv later in the fall for more in-depth info on the inner workings of music festivals.

IndieAmbassador.com: Now that Open Road is only a few days away, let’s take a minute to talk about the time line you followed to get here. How long ago did you start planning for this year’s fest?

Marcus Ohanesian: I usually start planning and organizing details by February. So from mid September until February I'm taking a breather to focus on my design business Perfect Evolution, we take care of all the marketing & design for the festival.

IndieAmbassador.com: Is there anything you learned from last year’s inaugural festival that you’ve adjusted for?

MO: Most definitely. Last year, being the first year, it was a huge experiment and I learned a ton of things. What worked, and what didn't worked logistically speaking, and how to make changes for next year. I had a pad of paper on my clipboard and would record any ideas or notes throughout the day (good or bad). I used the analogy that I was finally having my baby and exposing it to the world. After all the planning, I was giving birth to my creation and morphing it into whatever I think fits it best. Kinda weird to think about, but fits perfectly

IndieAmbassador.com: Has your approach for securing bands, sponsors, and vendors changed from last year?

MO: It has evolved. We have more of a direction and focus with sponsorship and vendors. We know who to target now, so it's more direct.

IndieAmbassador.com: What type of permits did you have to procure from the city and how long did the process take?

MO: We had to obtain many permits including a sound permit, an entertainment license, and lastly, a reservation through the parks department to reserve the park for the day.

IndieAmbassador.com: What were most the important factors that you considered when choosing Institute Park as the setting for the festival?

MO: The overall location being so close to WPI and other area colleges, the beautiful scenery, and the existing bandstand.

IndieAmbassador.com: What in particular about The Joy of Music made you want to share a portion of your proceeds with them?

MO: They are a community music school in Worcester and we both have the same beliefs on giving children a solid foundation based on music.

IndieAmbassador.com: How have you gone about promoting the festival?

MO: We've done everything from social media to traditional print advertising. We have 11x17 posters and 4x6 postcards that we plaster around Worcester, give out to the bands, and ticket retailers. We also have partnered with some local newspapers to run our ads in return for a promotional sponsorship. We like to post pictures of teasers/previews on our Facebook to get the public excited. We also tag all our vendors, bands, and sponsors to cross promote. We also reach out to people on Twitter.

IndieAmbassador.com: What last minute preparations are you having to deal with the week before the festival?

MO: Just confirming our reservations to make sure the temporary fencing, porta potties, and dumpster will be there Friday, having a volunteer meeting to go over a game plan and meet everybody, and organizing my parents' living room to make sure I bring everything I need on the day of

IndieAmbassador.com: What’s in store for Open Road 2012?

MO: Can't reveal anything yet until after our 2011 event is a success. We have ideas but nothing is set in stone.