This is a guest post from Paul Scaife, the CEO and Founder of Event Wine Solutions. 

The spirit of entrepreneurship was fizzing in Cardiff last week at the Association of Independent Festivals Congress. The market for independent festivals is strong, buoyed up by the huge passion and commitment demonstrated by all who attended this event, and we’re proud to be part of this dynamic industry.

My team and I had the pleasure as ‘Friends of the AIF’ to speak with many of the delegates, and also to visit some of the sessions as well. The themes were universal: retention of independence; the future of the industry in a new landscape; and wowing our customers with the unexpected.

These themes were developed in a wide range of varied addresses and debates, with the growing expectations of consumers for unique experiences, and the demand for quality, being critical to the continued success of the industry.

There was also much conversation about commercialisation, and how this can help events grow and prosper, which ultimately benefits our audiences and all those who put so much effort into making festivals the success they are. No doubt our friends at NOEA will be delving deeper into this theme at their own conference in Bath on the 24th November.

Our contention is that consumer demand for ‘beyond the best possible’ is growing, and that this will become the norm looking ahead. One speaker referred to the ‘festival die-hards’ getting increasingly allured to glamping, premium class toilets and moving away from the romantic grubbiness we all got into this industry for. Too true!

Food and beverage is a sector where this is very evident. We see it every day, hear the clear messages from consumers, and are pleased that this aspect of the events industry is embracing the opportunity.

Related: Tips to maximise your festival food offering and increase profits

As an industry we’ve had to bring new products to market to constantly keep ahead of where consumers expect our wine quality to be – and we’re not alone – with all aspects of the festival experience having to go above and beyond to keep people coming back for me.

The result is a rush to exceed expectations, and meeting the demands for festival-goers being much, MUCH more than a line-up.

We should see the ‘food and drink revolution’ at festivals, with its rise of artisanal street food and growth in demand for great wine and beverages, not just as a trend we have to cater to, but rather as an exciting opportunity to stand out, innovate and a chance to strengthen revenues too.

Much like the great strides made in glamping, posh loos, RFID, welfare, inclusivity premium camping etc. taking the initiative on offering a more interesting gastronomic experience at festivals could act as a bulwark against the uncertainties of what lies ahead. Give consumers an experience they’ll never forget and, guess what, they remember it when they re-book for next year!

Related: Video: How to build a fail-proof onsite logistics strategy

If we play this trend against the need for festivals to get better revenue, to ‘sweat the assets’ (as one speaker found it difficult to say!), this move to premium experience should be an essential aspect of any festival business plan.

Great wine and food costs more to produce on site, but the consumer demands it – and are happy to pay too. This is the ‘experience generation’ and they put high value on us getting it right. It’s something we can all rise to and then profit from, underpinning our businesses and securing a future for our events.

The AIF continues to have its finger on the pulse of the industry and it was a really great couple of days in Cardiff. Yes, we all take our own view of these events and maybe mine is skewed. But I don’t think we can deny that great experience is where our industry has always been and will continue to stay, and that commercial success will follow if we give our customers the very best we’re capable of.

I’m hoping good food and good wine will play its part, even if it is just one small cog in a larger machine facing a new and different world. Whatever happens in the coming years, it’s not going to be dull. Then again, nor are we!

More about Event Wine Solutions

The company is one of the leading suppliers of high quality, premium wine to the live events industry and stocked over 120 events last year, supplying over 250K bottles. The company is known as much for its innovative PET bottles that hold the wine, as it is for the quality of its ranges.