Aftershock Recap
November 14, 2024
By Leslie Havold, Sr. Director, Global Event Management & Strategy – Illumio
First, let me say that this two-day adventure was so much more than a study tour of the Aftershock heavy metal music festival. We explored Sacramento, visited a major sports arena, ate at world-class restaurants, and yes, we did, maybe, bang our insane brains a little bit to Cypress Hill and Slayer.
Our education started with a behind the scenes tour of the Golden1 Center where we were treated to a panel discussion by members of the Golden1 sponsorship, brand, and operations teams, as well as members of our host organization, Visit Sacramento. One key takeaway from this discussion for us corporate event marketing types was a strong reminder to treat our sponsors and guest speakers with personalized service. Obviously, we fulfill the obligations of the sponsorship agreement, but you can’t put a price on doing the extra little bits that turn your sponsors into raving fans, not just revenue line items. Did your sponsor just IPO a week prior to your event? Creating a congratulatory experience for their team members could cost so little but mean so much. Did your guest speaker bring their little kids to your user conference in Florida? Use that knowledge to surprise them with a visit from Mickey or Minnie. You don’t have to break the budget, but noticing and caring will go a very long way.
Following Golden 1 Center, we toured various Sacramento venues, including the convention center, as well as took a driving tour of the city. Friends…. let me tell you…if you weren’t on this study tour, you haven’t SEEN the greatness that is Sacto. Sacramento, I say? The Capital of California? That Sacramento? Yes, THAT Sacramento. The SAFE Credit Union Convention Center was renovated and added on to serendipitously in 2020. The updates are thoughtful, modern, and LEED Silver-certified. I don’t even have time to mention how Sacramento’s Farm-to-Fork capital status drives the exceptional food and beverage in the city.
The following day, we headed to the Aftershock grounds to take a pre-opening tour of the venue and learn from Danny Wimmer Presents about the massive behind the scenes operations that enable a major music festival. With five stages, 40,000 fans a day, and over 130 bands in total, it was a masterclass in synchronicity. They discussed the tightrope between assuring event security without upsetting attendee experience. We reviewed the minute-by-minute cues that need to be followed as equipment, talent, and staff work across the stages. We discussed how the various sponsorship levels are activated and prioritized, as well as how they interact with local charities. DWP detailed how events like this affect the local economy positively and how they work with the citizens and government to ensure no one’s home experience is too terribly disrupted. And finally, we reviewed the importance of being able to make a change on the fly. An example of this would be realizing you need 20 more port-o-johns in a different area, or you’ll need another bus route the following day. Each of these discussion points, applying to a major music festival, can be extrapolated to our user conferences, customer parties, or executive summits. The planning and abilities all scale.
The next time you see the headline of a CEMA study tour advertisement, I’d encourage you to double-click on it because you may be surprised at what you’ll get out of it.