@ASG91 @Macky
I don't know, if you were involved in the planning.

I have done event-planning at the East coast for 5 years and there are no; 'no-profit', events.

I don't want to sound rude but you should thank Kiara for her comments and in case you were in the team.

Because, she went to the festival.

She is a paying customer, being condescending or defending, is not helpful.

Do you want people to feel sorry for the staff, or not having the perfect event?
Then I can only recommend,....don't do gigs like that.

If you need your customers to feel sorry for the volunteers, that's not very good.

Next time give 'em a sticker 'Volunteer', if you need them to get more sympathy.

Or just invest and pay them, most volunteers are happy to be there and have a few free drinks and their entrance fee covered.

I think you should actually ask Kiara what the exact problems were.

We all know planning gigs isn't easy, but as customers, we have the privilege, to not wanting to hear about it.

If you want to get your festival more famous (and please don't tell me that you don't want it to grow bigger) that would be helpful.

So, I can't let that that stand -what you wrote.

Events in rural China are cheaper than in the city, usually permission is easier to get, especially if the region is not on the grid.

Looking at the pictures I can't see that you did spend loads of money on location, i.e. security.

A few basics;
Usual planning of an event is 6 month to 8 month and that is Beijing-time, including, fire-code, security planning and briefing, harmony-background check of the artist, etc.

And I am sure you guys got a little bit of [well deserved] money. And that is O.K.

What seems to be the issue of Kiara and customers telling about the event, has nothing, to do with money but with planning and managing.

I don't know the prices you charged but I am sure it wasn't cheap and giving people no other choices but all of them these eating [three meals a day] and drinking at your food stall only....I guess there was something falling off the table, financially.

My little advice, split the bar[s] up next time, and away from the food.

It diverts the event-goers, and naturally shortens waiting lines.

So are little snack shops, which you can run or rent and make even more money.

They also divert event-goers.

Separating the booze from beer and soft drinks is a must, especially when understaffed.

People know what they want to buy, they go by the beer, booze, or beverage instinct
.

That way it is less stress for the volunteers.

An old saying in the field; the bar is more important than the stage.

From what I see and hear, it hasn't been planned very well. Which is alright, I mean it's the second open air festival, so it takes time. But planning is the key, and being overly cost-efficient is not helping.

Let other F&B's in, you make much more and easier money, by renting out stalls and asking for profit share. And you have far less work.

And thus, allow people to get more variety and chose prices and items they like.

The bar only stacks, what is easiest for you to produce, -quickly!

People are very generous when it comes to drink choices at concerts. That way, you don't have to worry about an angry beer mob.

Make it easy for you, to offer mixed and ready-to-go drinks.

Well, even beer you can be put out on the counter for a few minutes.

The gig looks awesome though, and I will go for sure next time, problems fixed, or not. I just really like small gigs.

For me it looks like a great and worthy event to go to, but it suffered the usual, make it cheap and sell it with profit, China-gig.

Throw some money out of the window, you will lose money either way, if you run those festivals like that.
But in the long run, you will only make real profit, and achieve success when the festival grows.

The faster you accept that thought, the sooner you will have success.

P.M. me if you want help, for the next gig. If you guys are really, absolutely non-profit, I will help you for free.

P.S. I know it's difficult to plan events in China, but please, if there is even the tiniest negative comment, take it and live it. It is the result of your planning, so accept it and make it perfect next time.

In the end, congratulations and Good Luck for next year.

@tiger
i still don't get why anyone would keep bad meat for that long, cooling it storage rent, transportation, blocked storage space etc.

i mean most meats or fish, even deepfrozen store about a year or two,maybe a little more, if you are crazy enough to try.

somebody must have had a long and intimate relation with that meat, to hold onto it for that long.

what i can't wrap my head around is, why would anyone, in his right mind, store rotten meat for half a century?

I am honored that Colin let me (test)read it a few month back. And it was a wonderful read. I actually enjoyed the pace and structure in the beginning, which i think is very helpful, if you don't know him or the other Sal's guys.

the book is witty and very funny at the right spots. I can only recommend it.

If you just want a nice afternoon read, if you want to open a business and get an inside view on how to change and better employment standards and motivation in China, knowing Sal's and Colin better, or reading on how to handle massive tradegy in a rough place....it's a long list.

the onlycrticism it gets from me is, that it is two short. So, Colin i am waiting for the sequel!