In less than two weeks, The Roots, Elvis Costello, and many
other talented musicians will take the stage at Base II on Blackcomb Mountain.
The inaugural Whistler Music Festival will get local and
visiting music lovers moving on Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20, and
organizers say people don’t need to worry about them pulling the plug at the
last minute.
The two-day festival, which is a joint project of the Resort
Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler, and Whistler-Blackcomb, was first
announced at the end of May. Produced by the Festival Network, the event will
feature performances by some big names in the music business.
“Honestly, it’s been a long time coming and there are still
some nonbelievers up there, and there are still people, even after we’ve…
enlisted a great lineup and spent a lot of time, money and resources in putting
up what we think will be a terrific event, there are still people who think
we’re going to pull the plug,” said Tom Shepard, CEO of Festival Network.
But Shepard wants skeptics to know that they have entered into
a long-term agreement with the partner agencies, so while they may not reach
their goal in terms of ticket sales this year, they expect the festival to grow
annually.
“We recognize this is a long term investment, and it’s going to
be a build,” Shepard added.
Eventually, the goal would be for the festival to attract an
audience of 10,000 to 12,000 people per day.
“We would hope that in time, this festival has the same kind of
high season impact lift that peak periods during the ski seasons do,” Shepard
said. “Most ski resorts are trying to build out their summer traffic —
Whistler is no exception.”
Shepard said the principal effect of an event like the Whistler
Music Festival should be sustainable tourism, which is of interest to the
partner organizations that are looking to boost the economy by drawing visitors
during the summer months. The spin-off economic beneficiaries include
retailers, restaurants, accommodation providers, and adventure tour operators.
Shepard, who has had previous experience with destination
marketing for the Whistler and Vancouver areas, joined Festival Network in late
2007.
Since joining the network, he has witnessed a lot of change and
growth within the company, especially in regards to their festival portfolio,
with five new events, including the Whistler Music Festival, added this year.
“We are being very selective in looking at some of the greatest
destinations in the world, including Whistler, and putting up top flight
festivals in those destinations,” Shepard said.
He points out that their “premium eclectic” lineup, which
features two days chock-full of performances by The Roots, Bedouin Soundclash,
Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Thievery Corporation, Broken Social Scene,
Meshell Ndegeocello, Serena Ryder, Allen Toussaint Band, Robert Randolph &
The Family Band, and Medeski Martin & Wood, will appeal to a more sophisticated
audience.
“We’re the alternative to Pemberton, where you’ve got a huge,
very youthful alternative rock audience. We are promoting something different
than that,” Shepard said.
While he is confident in their talent lineup for the inaugural
Whistler Music Festival, Shepard said the attendance numbers are not as high as
they would like. Though he hopes ticket sales will pick up in the weeks leading
up to the festival, there are a few challenges with launching a first-year
event like the Whistler Music Festival.
“There have been starts and stops by other promoters in the
past, and even Festival Network last year was targeted to put one together and
because of the timing, it didn’t come together,” Shepard said.
But they aren’t dwelling on the past — rather, they’re
focusing on ensuring that the inaugural Whistler Music Festival offers a
one-of-a-kind musical experience to both the artists and the audience.
“A festival should be about creating unique memories for
people,” Shepard added. “Only at a festival will you see some of the things
that the artists will do.”
Organizers will be gathering feedback from the community after
the event, but Shepard said he expects to hear that they need to start planning
and promoting the event earlier.
“That’s true — but when you’re building a festival from
scratch, in a community that has had difficulties doing the same before, it
takes a… while,” he said.
With the festival just over a week away, Jay Sweet, producer
for Festival Network, is working at getting the word out and nailing down some
of the finer details of the event.
He said there have been some challenges with getting equipment
up Highway 99, but aside from that, everything is going smoothly and he plans
to be on-site by early next week to get ready for the big weekend.
“Is it nerve-wracking? Of course!” Sweet said, adding that he
compares the inaugural event to a first date. “… I think we will meet the right
expectations.”
For the most part,
Sweet said the community has embraced the festival.
“A lot of the community seems really excited about the lineup,”
Sweet said. “Especially in Vancouver and stuff like that, saying, ‘wow, this is
a really well thought-out lineup,’ which is always good to hear.”
Sweet said the diverse roster of artists was deliberately selected
to not only appeal to a broad range of musical tastes, but to place an emphasis
on Canadian talent, as well.
Local performers will be incorporated into some of their
evening events, which will take place in venues throughout the village, though
Sweet is still working on sorting out those details.
And the two-day event will also feature other aspects to make
this a well-rounded festival — not just a concert — including an
area for vendors and artisans from the Sea to Sky corridor.
Now, they’re just hoping that people put their money where
their mouths are, and come out to see what they have to offer.
“We really are looking forward to having as many people come
join our celebrations as possible,” Sweet said. “It’s going to be heck of a
good time.”
To see a full, detailed lineup for the first Whistler Music Festival, check out www.whistlermusicfestival.com .