This is a guest blog from Phil White of Novell Coffee.

From chocolate and coffee to health foods and real ales, the UK is positively packed with vibrant food and drink festivals to satisfy all appetites. As summer creeps ever closer, foodies across the nation are flocking outdoors in search of tasty freebies, seasonal delights and delicious new product launches – and if you’re an event organiser embarking on your own food and drink festival, the good news is there’s a tried and tested formula for success.

Today, the food and drink experts at Novell Coffee are sharing a foolproof recipe for events in this sector – breaking down all of the key ingredients organisers will need to produce to an event that leaves attendees hungry for more.

Scrumptious free samples

Anyone working in the food and drink sector knows that nothing seals the deal like a free sample – and this applies equally to product sales and attendee engagement. Whether you’re sending out an informational newsletter or calling exhibitors directly in advance of the event, this is your chance to encourage exhibitors to bring delicious samples of their latest and greatest products to the festival – introducing an edible incentive to the mix when it comes to encouraging visitors to spread the word on social media. Better yet, if any food or drink brands are sponsoring the event, why not see if you can wrangle some samples that can be offered to attendees on their way into the event?

Mouth-watering branding

Whatever the sector, big, beautiful branding is crucial to the success of any event – but imagery plays a particularly vital role in the world of food and drink festivals. On top of an enticing name, tagline and airtight event marketing strategy, irresistible imagery featuring products from a range of vendors are sure to get mouths watering in the days, weeks and even months leading up to the event. From juicy burgers to decadent desserts, if heavenly food and drink is the foundation of your festival, appetising images of sweets and savouries should be front and centre in your event’s branding.

Photogenic food and drink

Many food lovers make the decision to buy a product the moment they lock eyes with it – committing to a food or drink purchase on the basis of appearance alone. For this reason, ensuring that everything at your event looks as good as it tastes (both in person and online), will help you to keep both exhibitors and attendees satisfied. Shower your social media follower base with mouth-watering images of ice cold juice dripping with condensation and scrumptious cross-sections of gooey layer cakes – as well as making sure that the lighting at your event and the setting itself does every exhibitor’s products justice. As long as your festival photographs like a dream, the rest should be a proverbial piece of cake.

Tasty social media teasers

With your flavoursome photos taken care of, the next step is to use your social media arsenal wisely – taking advantage of the right functionality to broadcast tasty-looking teasers online. Snapchat is the king of time-sensitive social media posts, providing an ideal platform for you to share tantalising 10-second videos of the festival setup ahead of the big day – as well as sneak peeks of the brands who’ll be exhibiting and any exciting competitions due to happen during the event. Again, make sure to use the most powerful tool at your disposal and cram your social accounts with hunger-inducing images and videos of food and drink products attendees will be able to find at the festival.

Flavoursome freebies

On top of encouraging exhibitors to offer free samples on the day, you can also secure some extra, low-cost event exposure by leveraging delicious treats in exchange for online promotion. One such example could be to install an onsite photo booth at your festival, where attendees can take pictures with personalised food or drink products and share their favourite shots across social media alongside your event’s official hashtag – perhaps even checking in and encouraging others to get in on the action.

An all-you-can-eat exhibitor buffet

Variety is the spice of life, as well as being utterly crucial when it comes to organising a food and drink festival. Catering for a wide range of palates is key to the overall success of your event, and any steps you can take to avoid alienating potential attendees are highly recommended! If you’re planning a fairly broad event which doesn’t focus on a particular type of product, attracting a broad spectrum of exhibitors offering everything from hot and cold beverages to sweet and savoury edibles is crucial. If your festival is focused on a specific segment of the food and drink market, however, make sure there’s still a diverse range of products on offer.

Seasonal treats

Depending on the time of year, your event may well revolve around a strict seasonal theme – and this calls for a weather-appropriate range of onsite food and drink vendors. In the summer, iced fruit juice and tangy sorbet stands are just the thing to help your attendees cool down and embrace the warmer weather – while a winter food and drink festival isn’t complete without easy access to flavoured coffees and hot, fresh snacks. Especially if your event will be held at an outdoor location, seasonality is a factor that should not be overlooked.

Appetising extras

A powerful and cohesive design scheme is important to any event, particularly in terms of making a lasting impression on attendees and exhibitors alike. Using the food and drink sector as your muse, supplement your festival’s branding with some appropriately themed displays that are guaranteed to photograph well and serve as a quirky conversation-starter. Think fruit-shaped ice sculptures or eye-catching centrepieces made entirely from hard candy – the possibilities are endless!

A balanced diet

Another key consideration when it comes to recruiting exhibitors for your food and drink festival is the matter of accommodating a variety of diets. From organic products and vegan-friendly options to gluten and dairy-free alternatives, inclusivity is essential to pulling off an engaging, unforgettable event – so think about how you can check as many boxes as possible and satisfy the appetites of all attendees, whatever their tastes.

In conclusion

Summer is the season of food and drink festivals and, as the weather continues to heat up, now’s the time to begin perfecting your recipe for event success.