Amaze Festival

From one to two days, and 5,000 to 8,000 daily visitors

Christian Öster, Olof Isacson, and Philip Johansson. These are the three founders behind Amaze Festival. With a strong connection to Smögen and an idea to mix an intimate daytime party, an exotic open-air nightclub, and a grand festival, Amaze Festival became a reality in 2018. The festival was initially only one day long, and the audience came to listen to EDM artists like Steve Angello, Otto Knows, and Molly Sandén. Since then, the number of days has doubled, and so has the number of visitors – from one to two days, and from 5,000 to 8,000 daily visitors. Since December 2022, All Things Live has also become a co-owner.

At the time of writing, the 2023 edition of Amaze Festival has recently taken place. A total of 14 artists and bands performed, with Victor Leksell, Dada Life, and Daniela Rathana getting the audience rocking on day one, and Will Sparks, Steve Angello, and Bolaget providing the show on day two. In total, the festival attracted 8,000 guests per day.

– We sold out. Even before the festival had started, we could confirm that all VIP tickets and 2-day tickets were sold out, says Åsa Johansson, former Event & Social Media Manager at Amaze Festival.

Event & Social Media Management – an important part in the planning of Amaze Festival

As the former Event & Social Media Manager, Åsa was responsible for two main areas: event management and social media. Regarding the events aspect of the role, she handled everything related to the artists from the moment they were signed: press photos, transport, hotels, backstage, riders, artist lodges, and communication with managers. The event responsibilities also included staff management, coordination with sponsors, photographers, and partners, as well as taking time to answer emails. There were many logistical challenges to solve.

– I had a very central role. If I wasn’t in a conversation with an artist manager, I was emailing the hotels, buying things for the green room, or syncing gig schedules and sound checks. No task was too big or too small, says Åsa.

In the second part of her role, Åsa was responsible for structuring and planning content for the festival’s social channels. This included producing graphic material, posting updates, as well as handling marketing, advertising, and engaging with followers. They invested heavily in personal content aimed at increasing customer satisfaction. Åsa elaborates:

– I wanted our social channels to be a place where our followers could hang out. Whether I was posting stories on Instagram, responding to a DM on Facebook, or going through the email inbox, I responded to all comments and questions. I wanted to build long-term relationships with our customers, and interaction was extremely important.

Åsa shares a special moment where she really got to bond with the festival’s visitors:

– This year, I received a question from a group of guys at a bachelor party in the middle of the festival. They asked if they could get a t-shirt signed by Bolaget. Of course, I wanted to help them! I asked the guys in the band, and they thought it was a fun idea too. As a bonus, Victor Leksell also signed after Bolaget’s performance.

Two success factors for a successful festival: mindset and tools

As a marketer of events, Åsa believes it’s crucial to work smart, exceed expectations, and use the right tools. She explains:

– When you work with an event that happens once a year, you need to be as prepared as possible. At the same time, you need to understand that anything can happen, so having the right mindset that everything will work out is key. Building good relationships, fostering strong collaborations, and using flexible digital tools that provide the right conditions and enable effective workflows are crucial to success.

One of the tools Amaze Festival uses is MarketHype, a platform designed for marketing events and experiences. The industry-specific system automatically collects customer and sales data from Amaze Festival's ticketing system, Tickster. The data is cleaned, supplemented with additional contact information, and then visualized so that the user can quickly gain a deeper understanding of their customers.

– Since we have only one festival per year and only get one chance, it’s incredibly important that we know our audience – who they are, what they buy, and when they buy. Since we started using MarketHype, we have gained more insights into our customers and our sales over time, says Åsa.

Targeted marketing had an effect – the tickets sold out

Let’s take a deeper look into how the last edition of Amaze Festival sold out – even before the festival had started. How is this possible when several other festivals failed to do the same?

– Long before the festival took place, we set a clear marketing strategy. When would we release artist announcements? How could we encourage visitors to buy tickets? What day and time of the week should we engage with our customers? The fact that we sold out is proof that the strategy worked, explains Åsa.

Åsa also says that she now feels more confident in her marketing efforts, thanks to the features that MarketHype offers.

– In MarketHype, we can see how sales are actually performing, which is very helpful. I’ve been able to track sales in relation to campaigns and compare them with sales from previous years. With the system, I don’t have to guess – all the data is already there, she says.

– Being able to see who our customers are and communicate with them provides great security. Social media can be a lot of noise, but with MarketHype, I can speak directly to the customer. Moreover, I can direct communication in a completely new way, adds Åsa.

Yes, the data in MarketHype is directly connected with multiple channels for marketing and communication. The system has built-in tools for sending emails, SMS, and automations, and the segments built within the platform can be easily exported to Meta's target group manager with the press of a button. Additionally, the filtering options are extensive. The connection simply makes it easier than ever to communicate with customers and target your marketing effectively.

So how does Amaze Festival work with targeted marketing? Among other things, they have created segments such as "Early Birds" and "Late Birds" in MarketHype to be able to communicate directly with the right target group, through the right channels. In addition, they’ve used these segments for advertising on Facebook and Instagram. And yes, it worked – the tickets actually sold out.

Now: analyze, evaluate and plan for the 2024 festival

After a successful festival, a period of slightly slower pace awaits.

– Now, I’m waiting for more photos and videos from the photographers. Then I will analyze, evaluate, and set new strategies for next year. I’ll figure out what we want to develop and whether we want to test any new channels, while continuing to keep our social media active, says Åsa.

Åsa mentions that the development of Amaze Festival's email marketing is highly valued. More automation is also on the to-do list. In doing so, they want to engage previous visitors, provide added value, and maintain personal contact – something that will be possible thanks to MarketHype.

– I really enjoy the industry. Getting to meet all the artists, managers, visitors, and collaborators is amazing! I look forward to taking the festival further and developing new ways of working with the help of tools like MarketHype, concludes Åsa.

More information about Amaze Festival

Do you want to know more about Amaze Festival? You find their website here.