For a 10 year period I was Executive Producer of two branded concert series in the Indianapolis market, XFEST and MayDay. Along with Live Nation, we developed a strong partnership providing a fan-centric environment, affordable ticket prices, VIP experiences and top-tier artist lineups that rivaled the national tours. More than just concerts, XFEST and MayDay were lifestyle celebrations for our core demographic along with results driven branding opportunities for our advertising partners who returned year after year.
XFEST
The XFEST franchise in Indianapolis became one of rock radios most successful music festivals in the Midwest. With 200,000 fans over 10 years, XFEST was built on a simple premise- present a day of great music on two stages along with lifestyle activities, special celebrity guests, vendor village and a variety of food and drinks. The radio station provided live coverage from the event and participated in a revenue share with merchandise, parking, tickets sold, and all sponsorships.
MayDay
In Indianapolis, the entire month of May is a prelude to “The Race” on Memorial Day weekend. Parades, concerts, pit stop competitions, driver meet & greets, and dozens of sponsor activations take place. We developed a similar listener-focused event to XFEST, a collection of alternative rock bands performing a show branded as MayDay, A Day Before the Race starring 3 Doors Down, Crossfade, Shinedown and No Address.
Unlike XFEST, MayDay had a consistent race theme – with on-air programming built to drive longer listening coupled with fan experiences for contest winners along with VIP opportunities for our sponsors to entertain their customers and vendors.
