Event organisers need a rethink
If there is an event which has in recent times generated huge interest then last weekend’s Beerland Festival show at Moneymen ground in Blantyre was one of them.
South African amapiano star Young Stunna was billed to headline the event. That was not all. Malawi’s current music sensation Onesimus, Eli Njuchi, rapper Gwamba, contemporary singer and composer Zonke Too Fresh and Temwah were also on of the lineup.
The profile which last Saturday’s event had garnered was a culmination of the rigorous promotional work the event organisers invested in for months. It was little wonder that come the day, it appeared to be on the radar for many fun seekers.
To put an icing on the cake, the Beerland Festival team secured a K15 million sponsorship package from the National Bank of Malawi (NBM) plc. It is not easy for artists to secure such corporate confidence. They certainly must have done something right in their organisation.
But all that ground work was undone in a space of one hour. What started as mere social media speculation, suggesting that the South African had failed to make it to Malawi after missing his connection from Eastern Cape via Johannesburg to Malawi, was later confirmed to be true.
The news came as a huge dampener on what had promised to be an evening of fun at the Moneymen ground for both the fun seekers and the show organisers themselves. For a moment, things appeared to have stood still as the team sought immediate solutions to avert an organisational catastrophe.
But something had to be done and real quickly. After weighing several options, a decision was made to proceed with the event minus Young Stunna. That was after the organisers had reduced the ticket prices from K25 000 to K18 000.
Those who had bought advanced tickets were also assured of a discount upon entry. Whether it was a fair arrangement or not, but this is what everyone had to live with. And the show proceeded seamlessly and it commanded an impressive audience too.
Experience has shown that most foreign artists arrive for their performances in Malawi right on the day of the event. After arriving through either Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe or Chileka Airport in Blantyre, we have seen others being driven straight to as far as Salima or Mangochi for their appearances.
Until now, that trend looked normal because none had ever encountered travel hitches like has been the case now with Young Stunna. But the fact that many event organisers have been getting away with such an arrangement doesn’t diminish the huge risk it poses.
When one is travelling, anything can happen to disturb you. The organisers should always factor in some delay allowances within the itinerary of the invited artists. What happened on Saturday should serve as a big lesson to all.
We understand the cost implications of bringing an artist a day before their appearance. Some of these things can easily be worked out by striking simple partnerships with hospitality service providers.
Book for a night sleep at any hotel and negotiate for an extra free one in exchange for profiling of the places by the artists in question. These travelling artists command good followership and I am sure it is a buy-in that the service providers can find attractive.
They can do videos, take pictures and even go live on their social media handles just to appreciate the hospitality being accorded to them. In that way they can eliminate all the risk that comes with this kind of arrangement.
The mishap on Saturday killed a part of the show which would have created lasting memories for many people. The Beerland Festival management has over the years shown undying passion in lifting the entertainment sector through their events. Let them not be discouraged. But let them hold this lesson as part of their script going forward.
