The festival was created as an opportunity to celebrate food and culture from the area. I think Vegan food festival is a trend for sure but fortunately immediately this one was not a business movement – like Auckland. Instead this was about a market stalls educating, selling products and really allowing people to enjoy a festival.
What was the event?
Event: Vancouver Vegan Food Festival
Date: Saturday 27th July
Where: Vancouer Creekside Park
What happened at the event?
No barriers or gates to enter the event happened in Creekside Park. From a distance a sea of marquee covers could be seen. Crowds were packed around stalls. Those that stood around marquees stood there to buy into the product but also the festival. It cost nothing to go to the festival and be part of it (which was the opposite from Auckland). Being part of it included listening to speakers at the two stages where people lay on the grass as the sun was scorching through the skies of Vancouver.
I walked into something that was surprising but it was also slightly badly organised due to the queues that snaked for metres upon metres. And actually post the event there were comments online regarding the queues and people getting to the front of the queues and nothing being left on the menu. To be fair for the amount of people who were in the park area there was certainly not enough food places. But food was not the only product being sold.
It was the lifestyle and the positive impact veganism has on the world. Stalls that have a positive impact to educate and inspire those that were passing by and now were engaging with the event. I actually liked it. It was not in your face it was well attended and allowed people to engage and enjoy a festival in their local park.
I think one thing that was missing was maybe the type of engagement. Its possible – I think – that even if you do not have a budget you can still create memorable stall experience. Leaflets and talking is outdated. Its all about immersion experiences. Its all about times of memorable feelings and how that feelings are kept, cherished and then tell everyone. Its how people engage and talk. Its about creating those memorable touch points that events are – at this event I really didn’t really get that. Instead I was just enjoying a market festival called “The Vancouver Vegan Food Festival”.
So what is the point of markets? Well really it gives single owner or “start up” dream companies who want to become BIG and MASSIVE market controllers and it gives them an opportunity to talk to consumers who are interested. They are critical to societies to have an option and not just controlled by the large organisations who are not on the ground with the customer. This is why I love the term and the overall purpose of markets.
One thing to take away…
A market stall at a market, especially a trendy and developing marketing needs to understand how will you make the consumer have an enjoyable. What is the memory they want you to take away. What is the point and the purpose. But the most important – how is it delivered and once you got that – you have everything you need to deliver the best ever experience.
#comeonthejourney