Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle has partnered with AEG Live to bring the event a higher profile. (Photo by Christopher Nelson)
For more than 40 years, Seattle’s eclectic Bumbershoot Festival has been an annual Labor Day tradition for fans of music, local art and thoughtfully curated diversions.
Now, after some lean years, the fest has tapped AEG Live to help bring Bumbershoot into a modern era and give the event a higher profile. “AEG has a successful track record of working to preserve heritage festivals in other markets,” said Heather Smith, Interim Executive Director of the hometown nonprofit production company One Reel, the festivals’ producer since 1980 and now co-producer along with AEG.
“They know not only how to put on a good festival, but how to have great success and maintain the integrity of the event within its local community. That is a unique combination.”
After attendance reportedly lagged in 2014 and One Reel ran up some debt, the city-owned festival turned to AEG Live to help get things back on track, and infuse some much needed cash into the project.
Bumbershoot is held at the Seattle Center, the city property at the base of the iconic Space Needle. Deborah Daoust, director of communications for the facility, said unlike other recent acquisitions of legendary festivals by AEG and Live Nation, this deal is a bit different. “AEG is subleasing from One Reel the rights to promote and produce the festival,” she said.
“The city owns the trademark on the name and has, in the past, licensed or contracted with One Reel to produce it.” As part of the new deal, One Reel will then sublease the rights to AEG Live to produce the music elements of the fest (and split revenue), while One Reel will continue to help curate the nonmusic elements and help steer the artistic direction and maintain the essential character.
Wu-Tang Clan performed on Seattle Center's main stage during the 2014 Bumbershoot Festival. (Photo by Christopher Nelson)
Given the event’s legacy, Rob Thomas, Regional Vice President of AEG Live Pacific Northwest, said his company’s desire was to, first, help ensure Bumbershoot survived, and then help bring it into the future. “This is one of the few downtown, in-the-city type festivals and definitely the biggest one and we thought it was a good asset for our portfolio,” he said.
“The biggest thing we’ll bring to the table is the addition of modern technology. With a festival with this much history, there is always that ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ [attitude]. Rather than having paper binders, we have data programs that can organize the whole event and we can definitely have leverage in bringing in quality talent.”
The large footprint and history also gives AEG an opportunity to build young talent and get them in front of larger crowds and grow those acts so they can come back and play AEG’s clubs and other venues. Thomas said the plan is to implement the Quasar database as the “brain” of the festival, to help streamline everything from staff and artist management to catering and all on-the-ground logistics.
“I wouldn’t say Bumbershoot is entirely different or unique, and it’s pretty similar to a lot of other festivals we’ve helped out,” he said. “But we have an opportunity to modernize everything from programming to efficiencies, doing things like instead of using banners on stages or site upgrading them to LED screens where we can do more sponsor integration.”
Speaking of sponsors, Thomas said AEG obviously brings with it a deeper relationship with national and international sponsors and a national sponsor and sales team that can help increase sales and activations.
“AEG has a strong programming team with deep connections to other well known festivals - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage as well as Coachella Valley Festival of Music and Arts,” said Smith. “This team will make Bumbershoot more efficient through their experience and those connections will only enhance our festival.”
Working hand in hand with AEG, Smith said One Reel will strive to preserve Bumbershoot’s unique character while leaning on their new partner to help grow the event. “We are thrilled that AEG comes to the table with the type of knowledge which will benefit the city and the festival immensely,” she said.
The deal made sense for the city, since Daoust said AEG has helped manage certain aspects of KeyArena such as suite sales and sponsorships since the NBA left town in 2008. “The other benefit from the AEG partnership is bringing in more touring groups to KeyArena,” she said.
“We can’t wait for the festival next August and bringing those strengths together for an even stronger event.”
Contacted for this article: Heather Smith, (206) 673-5060; Rob Thomas, (206) 652-9700; Deborah Daoust, (206) 769-0259