6 Top Tips for Trading Food and Drink at Music Festivals

10^th April '14

Are you considering taking a pitch at a music festival? We rent fridges for festivals across the UK.

Here are the tips we’ve picked up from several years of talking to festival caterers who have become clients.

1. Plan well in advance

The biggest festivals are not only massively oversubscribed with people wanting trading pitches, they also often have a fairly rigorous application process that starts months in advance. Do your research early, find out what you need to do by when and get your application completed in good time.

2. Don’t be afraid to start small

Even for a seasoned trader, festivals can be a bit daunting. The sheer number of people buzzing around your pitch will guarantee that. Why not do a test run at a smaller festival? You might not make as much money, but you won’t have to pay as much for your pitch and you’ll get a better idea of the ebb and flow of festival life.

3. Think about stock and storage

If you land a pitch at one of the biggest music festivals, such as Glastonbury or V, you’re in line for three or four of your busiest trading days ever without the chance to head back to base for a restock. It’s important that you carry enough stock to see you through the festival, otherwise you’ll waste great money–making opportunities. To keep those huge quantities of stock fresh and safe you might want to rent a coldroom.

4.Think about getting there

As well as storing your festival stock, you’ve also got to think about getting it, you and your staff, and any décor for your stand to the festival site. The car probably won’t cut it, so price up hiring a van or having everything delivered.

5. Have a strong USP

Although you know you’ll have access to lots of footfall, you can also guarantee that you’ll be up against plenty of competitors. Make sure your pitch has a strong unique selling point and be careful not to spread yourself too thinly. You don’t want to look like Jack of all trades and you do want to be able to get orders out as quickly as possible.

6. Factor the risk into your pricing and projections

Trading at festivals is always a bit of a gamble. Take into consideration things that will be out of your control, like the fact that a free event is likely to be low on numbers on a rainy day.

We hope you find that useful.

To get a quote for coldrooms or fridges for your pitch, just get in touch.