Non-traditional Media

Bayfest

Turning the stage into the star

Now at the unheard-of age of 15, Bayfest is the most successful music event in not only the state, but the region. A few years back, MDi was brought in for that express purpose.

Playing promoter: Bayfest did a great job of promoting its own acts. And a cast of some 1,000 volunteers got the job done at low cost. However, event directors realized that the annual music festival was aging by event standards, and was considered by many to be just a small, volunteer-driven event.

Center stage: Because the event is non-profit and volunteer driven, MDi knew budgets were going to be small. We gave the event star-quality pastiche where print could be afforded, and then put the rest of our efforts toward coordinating that "big music" message with public relations and social media.

• MDi raised PR values from half a million to 1.2 million
• In one year, we gained thousands of fans through facebook and MySpace
• In a challenging market where other events are folding, Bayfest just experienced its largest one-day ticket sales in 2008.