Organizers of the Summerland Action Festival are asking themselves why a concert on Saturday evening was poorly attended.
The concert featured Harlequin, Nick Gilder and Sweeney Todd and the Carleen Roth Band — big names from the 1970s and 1980s.
But ticket sales were low, with only 279 sold. Organizers would have needed close to 1,000 to break even.
It’s easy to speculate as to what went wrong and what should have been done instead. Some have already been voicing their opinions about the concert and how they think it should have been handled.
Some have said different musical acts should have been booked.
READ ALSO: Summerland Action Festival concert lost money
READ ALSO: Summerland celebrates 37th annual Action Festival
However, the Action Festival’s concerts in Memorial Park have often featured bands from the 1980s or tribute acts featuring music of the 1960s and 1970s. These free shows have drawn large crowds, and the music of the 1960s to the 1980s has become the soundtrack to the festival.
Others have questioned the ticket prices.
Tickets ranged from $25 to $65 and pricing was planned with consultation from the South Okanagan Events Centre.
Some have said an indoor concert on a warm evening may have kept some potential concert goers away.
If so, why are other indoor concerts in spring, summer and early fall well attended?
In the end, speculations and discussions cannot change what has happened. There is no way to turn back the clock.
Hindsight does not alter reality.
If anything, the organizers of the festival deserve credit for being willing to try something different this year. Any successful event, if it is to continue, will require changes over time.
The organizers of the Action Festival will soon begin planning for next year’s festival. This planning will include looking at the various elements of this year’s festival and considering directions for the future.
For those who have strong opinions about how the concert or other aspects of the Summerland Action Festival should have been planned, we suggest they get involved with the committee and work with the members as they begin plans for the 2020 event.
To report a typo, email:news@summerlandreview.com.
news@summerlandreview.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
