Living History Events Organising

You may be wondering why I have put this article on this site. I am passionate about Living History and I am keen to ensure that such events learn from best practise of Re-enactment events I have attended and from Conferences and Exhibitions that I have personally organised in the past. So as an experienced event organiser I thought I would draw these ideas together. I can't claim that they are all my own and I would welcome comments and additions. I no way is this intended to compete with the excellent tome written years ago by Howard Giles when he worked for English Heritage because I have taken a different tack and based this on generating publicity rather than conforming to government legislation and organisational rules. Both are essential and hopefully complementary. So if you have any comments and addition get in touch.

Dave Hewitt, the Jolly Box Man, Printer, Publisher, Web Designer, Accountant, Barber Surgeon, Silversmith, Bookbinder, Experimental Archaeologist, and Lord High Everything Else. “Psst, come over here where the accountant can't hear you”.

Preliminary planning

Just what are we talking about? The concept of using “ Living History ” in an event means the use of costumed interpreters, particularly “Battle re-enactment”, which is always a big draw. This guide is written from the point of view of a commercial event organiser running an outdoor event. However, many of the ideas can be adapted to different situations, e.g. museums and heritage sites, voluntary groups, indoor events or low budget.

Marketing led

It is important that your event should be “marketing led”. You should not assume that the “product” by itself will sell the event, no matter how good it is. The programme of events needs to be good of course, particularly if you want your fame to spread by word of mouth. Your satisfied customers will return next year (or event) along with their families and friends. However, growing your event on the reputation of the product alone will take too long to ensure that you survive in business. Even if you are a non-commercial group you need to make a surplus to fund the inevitable “poor weather” event. It is likely that there is only going to be one event like this per year in the immediate area so you need to get your message across and you do this by designing your whole product/service using marketing techniques.

When choosing the Theme, Location and Date of the event you might be constrained by the reason for running the event. You might wish to support a particular location or be employed by a client with a location and date in mind or alternatively you might be a free agent choosing the circumstances to maximise the success of the event.

1). Location/Position

Where is your event to be?

Just like shops selling groceries use their main road position with a lot of “footfall” to “remind” their potentional customers of their existence you want the location of your event to work for you.

A town park or council property

The advantage here is that the location is known locally and many parks are on reasonably level ground. One disadvantage is that it is often difficult to charge for entry. There will be a “public right of way” or caveats in the deeds of ownership that allow free public access within certain times. These may be overcome by a “resolution” of the council, i.e. the political, elected councillors may vote to support your event and suspend the rules. However being political and being elected they can be swayed by opposition to your event by local residents. The property may be unfenced and it may be too costly to provide fencing or intensive security to stop unpaid access. Because the park is used by local residents it is the ideal place to have a pre-event poster.

A field

A farmer's field has few publicity advantages because it is not a well known location or known to have events in it. You are limited to pasture field which have uneven surfaces, rabbit holes and the stumps of rough vegetation underfoot. Farmers are allowed to use their fields a certain number of times a year without planning permission for non-farming activities such as festivals, camping or car boot fairs etc. There may be some concern by the Police about vehicle access as the event become popular and causes congestion on narrow country lanes. They will be cheaper to use than other venues. Roadside posters can be displayed in the hedge of the fields along main roads to gain publicity for the event.

A private castle/stately home

A private Castle has the advantage of being a historic location that is well know locally as a place where events might be held. Advance publicity can be gained by posters and leaflets being offered to visitors and using the edges of the estate on roads for publicity roadside posters well in advance of the event.

English Heritage

They have their own events organising team. They have been known to employ consultants to assist at their large events. They are reducing their Living History events programme to about 10 events per year.

National Trust properties

The NT is moving into the use of Living History interpretation. Each property is more independent in planning its programme than English Heritage.

Private museums

Some have their own grounds that could be used for an event if they were to be a partner.

For any location you should ask yourself is it close to a centre of population or a well patronised holiday area (in the holiday season). Are there good communications to the site? Can the site be used to advertise the event in advance? Most of these organisations are keen to run events to persuade people to make return visits to their site and/or act as an interpretive medium for their building or collection. They may wish to share gate takings. They will certainly hope to increase sales in their shop. They will have their own publicity programme in which your event may feature. They may wish to influence the theme of the event to feature the history of the site and/or its collection of artefacts.

2). What is the Theme of your event?

Obviously this is related to a number of topics which will be covered in this discussion and will loosely be based on “Living History” in some form or other. Factors influencing the theme are:

The personal preferences of the organiser or their associates or the client;

The history/topography of the chosen site and/or its historic artefacts;

A particular event or anniversary;

The need/desire to involve the local community;

The need/desire to make a profit/surplus;

The need/desire to have as broad an appeal as possible to the visiting public and

the need/desire to associate schools with the event and the resulting need to consider the requirements of the national curriculum .

Currently most events are based on a particular period of time and an act of combat. This is probably because of budget constraints and/or a desire to be historically “pure”. The period is chosen by hiring a particular re-enactment group which tends to be centred on a particular historic age. To achieve two or more periods for a “multi-period” event adds to the budget costs. The concept of a battle has a higher public perception and attraction than just a history event like a “family history exhibition”, which may attract more payers at the gate. If you have a choice of the theme of the event then why not combine a military theme with other historic interests to get the best of both world and attract a larger audience.

A suggested programme would include:

A procession through the town to raise awareness;

A Battle or Joust;

An animal display, e.g. hawking or domestic animals;

An encampment showing the domestic life whilst on campaign;

A selection of Living History displays including working crafts etc;

A family history section;

History displays by local organisations;

Participation activities such as archery, donkey riding etc;

A Historic Market;

Catering, to include some Historic Dishes, e.g. Pottage or Game pie.

Persuade local traders to wear historic costume if you are near to a town centre.

Historic re-enactment groups, demonstrators and traders can be discovered in the pages of “ Call to Arms ”, the last edition of which was published in 2004/5.

Innovation for site owners.

If you are a museum or heritage site you might wonder how to get visitors to return to your site. Once they have been they have seen it all and may not return again. It is by organising events that you can get return visitors. Of course everyone has thought of Easter egg hunts, Firework displays and Halloween activities for children. Historic events are an opportunity to satisfy not only the children but the whole community and keep them coming back for more.

3). When will your event be?

Planning

Of course you need a good “lead time” to plan and organise an event. Planning should start quite early as you will wish to secure the best venue(s) and your choice of performers. Some venues can be booked up years in advance and performers often find their diaries filling more than 12 months in advance, particularly when they have taken repeat bookings from regular clients. Advance publicity can ensure that satisfied visitors from last year will return again to the repeat event.

Dates

When would be a good time for my event?

Most events take place at weekends except maybe for the schools holidays . Your choice may be limited by the type of performers you wish to hire. Re-enactment groups, if you need large numbers of costumed performers, are not full time and their members are only available at weekends. They cannot guarantee a full turnout of their members and you should consider having a contract clause to include payment by proportion of those turning up. Full time professional Living Historians (singly or in small groups) may be available mid-week. However there are exceptions, take Kentwell Hall , for example, they run an event for visiting schools through three weeks just before the start of the school summer holidays using volunteer Living Historians who take holidays from their normal employment to attend. This is very exceptional and is unlikely to work for you on this scale but museums and heritage sites might be able to train “friends” groups to play some simple “acting” role in living history presentations. However, Living History professionals are experts on their subjects and can talk at every level rather than just taking on a simple role. There are some professional acting companies who can provide “characters” with some historical background research but they do not have the same depth of knowledge of the Living History specialist. Bank holidays can be very popular for all sorts of non-historical events which might compete with yours.

Weather

Is the event outdoors? Bad weather is the biggest uncontrollable reason for failure of an event. You will need to choose a time when the weather is likely to be good? Rainfall in the UK is higher in the West and North than the East and South. However, those who live in rainy areas might be hardier than those who don't –“If we waited for fine weather we'd be hermits”, is a quote from one Lanark ( Scotland ) resident. If it too hot, visitors are likely to go to the seaside or the swimming pool. If they do arrive at your event the only traders who will do well are the beer tent and the ice cream van!!

The start of the outdoor season tends to be at Easter and finish by the school autumn half term holidays (see School term dates ). Of course the summer holiday weeks are the most popular, as parents get increasingly desperate to entertain their children.

To mitigate the risk you can get bad weather insurance for a complete wash out. Alternatively you can spread the risk by charging exhibitors, traders and caterers for pitches. A canny organiser will have covered most of the basic running costs with pitch fees. Outdoor pitch fees for caterers start at around £1000 for 5000 attendees (including staff and re-enactors). Pitch fees for traders with their own “authentic” tentage are often about £50 for similar numbers rising to £150 for large events.

4). Who am I clashing with?

Unless yours is a particularly unique event you are not likely to get many visitors travelling more than a 1.5 hours journey time, i.e. within a region of the UK . You might like to check about other Historic Events. There are several resources that keep calendars of re-enactment events:

By and large there are not enough Living History Events to consider them to be direct major competition. As long as you stay out of the same region as an existing Living History event and do not wish to have the same performers at your event you should have no clash at all. There could have an event each weekend in the nine UK regions and still not be competing. The closest we get to this is at the August Bank Holiday.

The real competition is from other family activities: shopping, a barbeque, the seaside, sports events, theme parks, car boot sales, county shows, town/church fetes/galas, air shows/other transport rallies. Check with the local tourist office about competing events that weekend.

5). Who is organising the event?

The venue owners

A private organiser trading for profit

A not-for-profit group, e.g. a re-enactment society or “friends” of the property.

6). Who will attend my event?

To a certain extent this will depend on the theme that you adopt. Fetes of Arms are always popular with families. There is nothing like “Knights of old” or “Damsels in distress” or Military Uniforms to get hearts a beating. However there is another audience with a large spending power: the retired. If you can widen the theme of your event towards history in general this group might be attracted. The elderly are most interested in the personal history of their own family. Research into family history is now the biggest hobby in the UK . Maybe the elders have them time to do the extensive research or as they get nearer to being an ancestor themselves, they might like to get to know them better before they meet them!! This may require more organising though, in the form of coach trips run for Centres for the Elderly, Local History Groups, Family History Groups, U3A(University of the Third Age) and WEA (Workers Education Association) or other history education groups.

7). Purpose?

What period out of history is it or maybe multi-period?

What does it commemorate - a battle, a historic site, a historic event or historic artefacts from a museum collection?

What will it include?

• Battle Re-enactments,
Battle Re-enactments are re-creations of a particular historical battle that took place in the UK in earlier periods of history or a large skirmish demonstration in later wars. Before guns came to predominate warfare would consist of a considerable number of knights, men-at-arms, archers and hangers on led by their Lords. They are usually on or near to the historic battlefield itself. There will usually be an “authentic” encampment where some or all of the other activities listed here will be on display. Battles may have lasted for only a few hours or days but may have involved a considerable amount of marching and manoeuvring over a period of time. By the end of the 16thC the gun had replaced the bow and arrow in large scale warfare:

• Sieges,
A siege will take place at a particular castle or fortification. These were longer and thus the accommodation in the camps outside may have been more sumptuous. The Lords would be living in splendour in their pavilions waiting for the inhabitants of the Castle to surrender or die. They would involve the large weapons of war such as siege towers, trebuchets, mangonels and battering rams. By the 17thC, castles were no longer impregnable due to the large scale use of cannon. Many castles were destroyed by the parliamentarian forces of the English Civil War so they could no longer be used in warfare. Now that the rich were less safe in their castles they dispensed with them and we get the flowering of the, far more comfortable, Stately home.

• Jousts,
These were chivalric tournaments of the 16thC and earlier. A Joust is a competition between two knights on horse-back, wherein each knight tries to knock the other off his mount. The knights were equipped with three weapons; a lance , a one handed sword , and a rondel . When one knight knocked the other off of his mount, he was declared the winner of the round. If both knights were knocked off their mounts at the same time, it was considered a tie; they would then engage in sword combat, and the last standing was victorious. They were part of the training for warfare in the medieval and renaissance periods. Some displays may only show how they trained to use their horses by tilting at the "quintain".

• Combat displays,
Here we have a much smaller scale event which might consist just of one group of re-enactors showing off the combat techniques of their period. This is often combined with an encampment where some of the more day to day historic activities might be viewed.

• Falconry and Hunting,
Whilst not necessarily involving death of the human participants, hunting could involve extreme danger from wild boar, bears and big cats. They were chivalric pursuits and engaged in only by the upper strata of society. The lower orders were not allowed to carry bows and arrows in the hunting forests just in case they should be tempted to kill some of the landowner's game!

• Battle Encampments,
As you might imagine the organising of an army was a major problem. How much transport would you need for: the guns and ammunition, the bows and arrows, the cannon, the soldiers, the food, the tents. Would you need ships to get you there? How long would it take? What medical provision would you need? If you were a poor soldier all you would have you would carry with you apart from extra ammunition and/or arrows. You would sleep in the shelter of a hedge by the road. However, if you a Lord you would expect your home comforts, your tent, bed table, chair, your hawks for hunting during the quiet moments of a siege. In the encampment you will be able to see how they lived on campaign. What they ate. How they amused themselves. The care of wounds and illness.

• Music & Dance etc,
Music and Dance and other pastimes were and important part of entertaining in the past. When nobody had radio or TV or Music centres, everyone had to make their own entertainment. All strata of society would have their own particular types of games, music and dance. Music was also important in war when drums and pipes were used to convey orders to the troops or to intimidate the enemy (bagpipes!).

• Historic Activities,
These are activities that members of the public can participate in. They might include trying on the armour, games and pastimes or making activities such as tiles, soap, posies, casting badges, dipping candles, wire bangles etc.

• Children's Activities

Giving children something to do will add to the amusement value of your event whist costing you nothing. Invite children's activities organisers to come along: catapults, archery, painting, clay modelling, and horse riding. Of course there are non-historic attractions for children as well such as “bouncy castles”!!

• Living History Displays,
This includes just about every other activity of how people got on with their lives in the past. What they ate and drank; consultation with medics such as physicians, surgeons and the cunning folk; crafts such as pottery, glass making or wood carving; husbandry (farming, animals and crops); gardening; merchants such as clothiers and pepperers. The re-enactors may have made their own clothing and many of the artifacts they use.

Living History

Many re-enactment groups also bring along an authentic camp along with some Living History interpretation. It might just be cooking and eating or “dressing the knight or damsel” but many other have some speciality or other such as fletching arrows or textiles or some form of medicine. There are also some specialist Living Historians who are experts in their fields and can command fees of £150-£200 per person per day and give regular or continuous demonstrations throughout the day. Jesters, Alchemists, Barber-Surgeons, Silversmiths, Tilers, Armourers, Woodworkers and Bookbinders come into this category. In addition there are companies who will supply you with “character” actors who will re-create a scene from history. These actors are often history or heritage graduates who will take a brief a bit like a barrister does. You can get a wider range of portrayals in this way but they may lack the depth of the specialist.

• Historic Markets.
Many of the events that you attend will have an historic market attached to them. Here you will find the craftsmen who make much of the clothing and equipment that you will have seen at the displays – armour, swords, clothing and textiles, metal ware, woodenware, pots, jewellery etc. There will also be other traders and resellers who may not have made the items but will be happy to sell you a souvenir to commemorate your visit. Each craftsman and trader is an expert in their products and has done extensive research into them and many other aspects of history. You will hear many fascinating tales and facts even if you don't buy a thing.

Traders have their own Historic Branch of the National Market Traders Federation

Many consider shopping to be their favourite pastime these days and this was certainly borne out by the crowds round the stalls at historic markets. Many parents and grandparents take great delight in buying small, or even large, presents for the children. Traders are an important and income generating part of the scene and an important part of the team which helps create a spectacular event. The appearance of tents, costume, equipment, trade goods all help to set the scene you want. It helps give people the feeling of going back in time and being part of history. At a recent medieval event a man, whose first event it was, spoke with great appreciation about how he felt to have gone back in time to a period when “life was as fast as a horse could gallop”. To experience this all important sense of time, it is not enough to watch, one must also talk, handle, be at close quarters with a portrayal of the past and this is what both traders and re-enactors offer. The tentage of traders also adds cover for visitors during bad weather and may ensure that they do not depart too early.

Our society has been based for centuries and even millennia on income generated from manufacturing and trade and the tax generated from this. As soon as humans learned that they could be more efficient by specialisation, trade was born as they exchanged goods and services. It is an important part of our history, just as much and maybe more, than the exciting battles that feature so much at these events. Traders are an integral part of a successful historic event, bringing much benefit and fascination to members of the public. The traders are possibly the only participants that visitors speak to for any length of time and in this way they can be your greatest ambassadors. There are many of them who give extra value by telling “tall tales” to amuse the public and send them away with a chuckle. Many of them are living historians in their own right and can add the knowledge of their products and other unrelated historical subjects to the education and entertainment of the general public.

You might consider that traders are competing with your own retail activities. You will never be able to afford to stock everything that the traders bring to your events. However some organisers do forbid the sale of items that they already sell in the site shop (English Heritage) and others reserve for themselves popular items such as children's toys that reflect the theme of the event – Swords, damsel costumes, tambourines (Joust - Medieval Babes props) etc. With a historic event you are offering a”lone product”, so by offering add-ons such as children's toys, activities etc you are diversifying your portfolio. In the same way by offering a leaflet or a re-booking service for your subsequent events (see Historic Events Guide ) you might get repeat customers.

Layout

Many traders rely on passing trade for a substantial part of their income. If you deliberately isolate them from the main area of action for the day they will be very grumpy. Do you need to have the food vans and toilets fronting on to the main arena? Everyone needs to eat and pee. If the catering/beer tent(s) overlooks the arena many visitors will not stir from their vantage point to view the rest of the festival. Put the catering and any subsidiary arena(s) behind the traders and have a complete ring of traders round the main arena (apart from the escape lane for horses). Of course the layout will vary depending on the size of the event and the number of traders. If there are large number of traders, arrange them into “streets” no more than two transit vans wide. A larger space than this will allow the public to wander down the middle and miss the opportunity of meeting the traders who are one of your partners in the festival.

• Experimental Archaeology
Many of the demonstrators who you will see may be engaged in experimental archeology – the re-creation of objects from the past. They use the techniques, tools and materials that the original craftsman might have used. Their product will be of museum quality, unique in this age and very expensive!! Just recently, for example, we saw a picture of a 15thC bead making lathe so, with the help of a friend, we made one. For further details go to: Experimental archeology!

• Local History

Visitors will be fascinated by the history of their locality and this will help with local publicity.

To get a suitable “buzz” amongst the local “activists” why not offer a free space to local organisations to have a “history” display. They can bring their own gazebo or you can charge for marquee space. If you allow one free entry and three “ BOGOF ” passes for each organisation so that they can man their stalls throughout the weekend they in turn will include the details in their society publicity. By including the “movers and shakers” of local society you spread the details of your event by word of mouth.

Local libraries have lists of such organisations. The top of which should be the local History and Family History Societies. Your invitees should include Women's Institutes, Churches, and even Sports Clubs (who might be interested in archery or swordsmanship).

• Local Museums

Offer the same deal to all local museums in order that they might promote themselves in return for promoting your event. Some will be local authority run but may are independent charities.

• Food, drink and toilets

By offering sources of food and drink you give your visitors the facilities to have a full day of entertainment and get value for their entry fee. Consider finding a catering supplier who will offer a historic meal, for example Pottage made from vegetables and grains was the staple diet or Game pie made from venison, rabbit and pheasant.

There are many other ideas that can be incorporated into an event such as:

• Historical Characters

You can hire Queen Victoria, Henry VIII or Winston Churchill. Such companies as Past Pleasures will reproduce the clothing and accoutrements of anyone you want from history. Alternatively there are many entertainment agencies who will supply “Look Alikes” although they may not be up to Living History standards.

• Entertainers – juggler/fire-eater/stilt-walker/storyteller

Always popular with adults and children alike. There are several on the re-enactment circuit and many others who can be booked through entertainment agencies. A number of re-enactment groups will stage plays or puppet theatre.

• Book signings

Perhaps there is some historical/historical fiction author who would like to give a talk and sign their books.

• Lectures on Historical subjects

There may be local experts who would be willing to give lecturers as well as Living Historians who can lecture on their own specialist subjects. What about inviting some one from Time Team or a similar Historical TV programme?

• Tabletop War-games

This could attract a whole new audience to your events as long as you can supply an undercover venue.

• Practical craft courses

A number of the Living History demonstrators are prepared to run course in their own crafts.

• Historical Fashion Show

This is one for the fashion conscious, no doubt, but always very popular to demonstrate the changing garb through the ages. It is an opportunity for the clothing sellers to show off the best of their trade.

8). Access

There are better guides than this to give you advice on these subjects and they are includinf here just as a check list of matters that you have to consider:

Local Amenities (shops, bank, station, police, petrol, post office, camping equipment)

Parking

Shops

Transportation

Ground conditions in wet weather

Wind exposure

Level ground

9). Site Facilities

I have made several comments but include a comprehensive list for your consideration:

Toilets

This is no doubt the most important part of the event. Good clean toilet can make an event. Dirty ones can break the event. It will just take one fastidious member of the group to take exception to filthy or poor toilet facilities and a return on a subsequent year to your or any other historic event will be vetoed. You will have lost the whole group and any personal recommendations that they would have made to family or friends.

One portable toilet provides for approximately 100 people depending on the duration and nature of the event and the frequency of cleaning. Separate urinals for men are useful since they tend to drink more than women. Your contractors will no doubt clean them each day if required but you should have a toilet monitor ready to close down any dirty toilets before too many people see them and to add toilet paper and water to the toilets to allow flushing in roasting hot weather. Particularly important times are first thing in the morning for re-enactors toilets and again just before the public enter and just after they leave. Provide separate private toilets for traders and performers. This is particularly vital for sole traders who do not want to spend a lot of time away from their stalls.

Rubbish Skips and bins

If your traders do well there may be lots of packaging. Sawn off plastic bins placed at strategic places and emptied regularly will keep the place tidy. Maybe the venue has a supply.

Site Maps

Should be given to every group and have all the utilities marked.

Showers

Always welcome by the re-enactors, especially in wet or hot weather.

Water supply

The water supply should be supplied from the mains because it will have been treated to remove bacteria. Advice to visitors should always be to boil the water before use if possible. In this way you will avoid accusations of poisoning your residents. Instead they will have to blame the shared bottles for shared infections. Static water in long runs of plastic pipe can get quite hot in warm weather and be a breeding ground for bacteria. Alternatively the water should be run for a reasonable period early in the morning and before anyone arrives on site. Limiting the water points will reduce the chance of bacteria building up in long runs of piping, although you don't want queues. Try and site the taps near a natural draining area and use a pallet to give dry footing to users. Organise water drawn for dehydrating the fighters to be as fresh drawn as possible.

Power supply

Usually supplied by generators, Try and use the quietest possible and ask users of refrigerated lorries to turn them off when the night has become quiet.

Lighting

As above.

Signage, on and off site

On site signage is essential if people are to find their way around any but the smallest of events. There should also be various notices listing the timing and location of events. If the event only lasts half an hour, being 15 minutes late can be very annoying. For off site signage see “Posters”.

Event Guide/Programme

A programme is a useful source of income and help with directing people about the site and timings of events.

Special effects

Bang!!

Safety

Insurance

Arenas

Emergency towing

Beer Tent

Food Vans

Shop

ATM machine

Cover for wet weather

Indoor exhibition space/Marquee

Pay kiosk

Security

Staffing

Layout

Ambulance/First Aid

Meeting Point/Lost Kids

10). Budget

Income

Grants and Partners

Grants may be available from educational charities. Be aware though there are many other events and locations of historic interest in your immediate area run by bodies such as:

Councils (Museums services);

Educational establishments (History departments in primary, secondary and tertiary education)

Local History Groups (town societies, “museum friends” groups and family history societies);

Voluntary groups, Companies and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) who may wish to illustrate the history of their subject;

Private Museums;

Historic Tours , either guides or holidays and

Heritage sites, such as the National Trust, English Heritage or private “Stately Homes”.

Any of these organisations might make suitable “partners” of one sort or another allowing you to spread the risk. Some might be the source of funding or partners who can apply for grants not normally available to the commercial sector. Community organisations including “ Town Council s” can apply for “ Awards for All ” grants of up to £10,000 in any two year period. This is not continual funding but can be used to acquire equipment that can be re-used on subsequent occasions.

Sponsorship

It might be possible to obtain sponsorship from local commercial organisations or the media. The local paper might cough up with some free editorial in return for a promotional display. Military Odyssey is sponsored by the History Channel and Gun Mart, for example.

Entry Fees

Don't under-price yourself. Adult entry at the following premier events is as follows:

Kentwell Hall £14

Warwick Castle , peak prices £17.95

Military Odyssey, on the door £13

You are offering a full days entertainment. Pitch you fees at £10 and have lots of discounted tickets, e.g. Children free if accompanied by a paying adult and/or BOGOF offers to local helpers or £2 off with this coupon. In this way you will be able to monitor the effectiveness of you various advertising investment.

Pre-event distribution of Tickets

Selling tickets in advance, even at a discount, helps insure against poor weather on the day. It is also another source of publicity for the event through the ticket agent's web site and/or kiosks.

Some local authorities have their own Ticket Sales service:

http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/leisure/eticketing.htm

Kingston on Thames Borough Council has developed this system to sell tickets in their own Borough. However, they will make the software available to other local authorities. Why not try and encourage the local authority in which your event is located to install the system and sell your tickets (and for lots of other local events as well):

Also Aloud.com

http://www.aloud.com/festivals/portaloo.shtml

Also Ticketmaster

http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/

Also Ticketweb

http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/

Concessions

You can rent out beer tent and catering concessions at £1000 a pitch if you are expecting 5000 visitors – check the rates for other events and price accordingly.

Traders/Exhibitors

Traders will pay up to £50 for a pitch on a similar basis. They will not pay the prices that indoor craft fairs charge. See the justification under “Traders” for their contribution to your event. You might want to offer free pitches to those who put on a convincing Living History display as well as selling. This would require at least one person to be doing the display and another running the stall. Larger events can command fees of £150, e.g. Military Odyssey, The Original Re-enactor's Market, The National Living History Fair, English Heritage's Festival of History and the 5 yearly Battle of Hastings.

Programme

Some events publish and sell a programme. This requires forward planning because the main reason for buying is the layout plan and the timings of the events and activities.

Souvenirs

Organisers can sell souvenirs specially made for the event. In addition to the usual T shirts, mugs and key rings why not consider having a coin or medallion struck. Grunel the Moneyer will make a die to strike a commemorative coin that will earn you money once his fees are covered.

Toys/ Costume sale

Some organisers reserve the right to sell certain toys themselves, for example swords, shields and bows and arrows. They may also reserve the right to sell “dressing up” costume.

Kiddies Activities

A number of traders offer kiddies activities. Have a go Archery, Splat the Rat

Banquet

A number of re-enactment companies will supply you with an authentic banquet. All you have to do is supply the venue and sell the tickets.

Dance

You could hire a dance group to teach historic dances. Promote this among local modern dance groups.

Costume Hire

Many visitors have lots of fun putting on a fancy dress costume. You could also hire costume to local traders and members of voluntary groups as part of a town wide history festival.

Holidays

Teaming up with historic tours groups could add to the experience of your event.

Hotel Commission

You could offer a hotel and bed & breakfast accommodation service for visitors and participants and negotiate a 10% commission of bookings.

Camping

Some visitors are happy to pay for a camping pitch at the event.

Transport

Negotiate with coach companies to run trips to your event.

Expenditure

Again here is a list of major item of expenditure:

Staff

Travel, Meals & Accommodation

Printing

AA/RAC signs

Promotional Materials

Stationery

Postage

Telephone

Computing/Web

Advertising

Gifts

Hire of generator

PA equipment

Tentage

Lighting and Heating

Toilets

Fencing

Arena marking

Performers

Towing

Transport

Security

Insurance

Ambulance/First Aid

11). Marketing

“The customer is always right”, was my Dad's philosophy when he ran a corner shop. Of course he had to make a regular living from a geographically immediate customer base. If they were not satisfied by his products and presentation they could walk 50 yards down the road to the next little shop. Supermarkets were growing so he had to learn to differentiate his product from theirs. He offered credit to reliable customers; we opened late in the evening and on Sundays, offering “convenience” just at the bottom of the street. He had an affable manner and chatted about the local gossip. These were his “features” that differentiated him from the new Supermarkets. . What will differentiate your event from the alternatives? What “benefits” do you offer to your visitors?

The textbook definitions are: “Marketing matches customer needs with the strengths of the business”, or” Good Marketing places the customer at the centre of the business”; or” Marketing is the link between the customer and the producer”. I still prefer, “The customer is always right”. Good old Dad.

Let's examine how a family makes a choice about the day's entertainment.

Some people are organised and do their research. They read the “What's on” page in the local newspaper or read an article; visit the local tourist office; consult the internet sites:

Historic Events Guide, http://www.historicevents.org/ or

Others are spontaneous and will come to your event because they have seen a roadside poster or have been given a flyer.

Why do they come?

The event is unique – they have never been to anything like this before.

The have an interest in the subject matter – history, war, horses, birds, men in tights.

They have been to an event before and enjoyed it – returning customers.

They are desperate to entertain the children having exhausted all the other alternatives.

They like “dressing up” or historic costume.

If you have a school's link a connection with the national curriculum would be a major attraction.

What do your customers need?

What do customers want out of a Historic Event? The need is to be entertained or amazed in some way. The public need a wide range of things to do at an event so that each member of a family group goes home satisfied with at least some of the activity of the day and will wish to return the next year . Just one member of the family being dissatisfied with your event will ensure the loss of four (or more) in the future. The public are made up largely of family groups but each member of the family may have a different agenda. The parents may feel the need to entertain their children during long holidays. An opportunity to add some history education at the same time might be quite appealing. Father and sons (yes I know, stereotyping) will enjoy the thrill of battle; Mother and daughters might be more caught up with the clothing worn or the chance to shop in the market; Grandparents might indulge their feeling of almost belonging to the past as well as treating their grandchildren to some small trinket or activity. “ When the hurlyburly's done, when the battle's lost and won ”, what activity is there to entertain the visitors? Offering a crammed programme of marshal activity might be a bit heavy on your purse and not allow other interests to be indulged.

Satisfying all the needs of your visitors

Don't crowd the programme with continuous arena demonstrations but allow the crowds time off the visit the historic camp, the market, the caterers and the loos. This will save you money and, in the case of the Living History displays, add to the educational value of the event. By giving time for a varied programme you satisfy the needs of all your visitors and you will be more likely to guarantee a return to your next event. If you have jousts one year, have a battle the next to give your returning visitors a different programme.

Market Research?

Some market research has been done into attendees at Historic Events

http://homepages.shu.ac.uk/~conseal/articles/art_033.htm

You might consider an exit or bar questionnaire to ascertain which aspects of the event your visitors enjoyed. Make sure that each member of a group answers individually because they may have different agendas.

Advertising

So how effective is advertising?

Philadelphia retailer and US Postmaster General, John Wanamaker, once said, "Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half."

Here is some advice from a leading marketer:

“Broadly there are two types of advertising. One is Branding and Positioning (BAP) and the other is Direct Response (DR) advertising.

Is Branding and Positioning Important For You?

Branding and Positioning concentrates on getting the company's name, or service or product continually at the forefront of its customer's minds. This needs continual advertising activity and costs a huge amount. Companies doing this type of advertising include Coca-Cola, British Airways, Nike and MacDonald's. These are all major companies and everyone already knows their name and what they stand for. That's not you is it?

Why do they do it? The simple answer is that they're in a highly competitive market. They want to retain their large market share by ensuring that the most recent ad a prospect remembers is for their service or product. The problem is that they don't know which advertising campaign brings in the customers.

Direct Response (DR) advertising

So it would appear that if you are to advertise, then Direct Response (DR) advertising is all you have left. In contrast Direct Response (DR) advertising is able to directly relate a specific advert to an increase in sales. Or alternatively highlight a problem ad that needs fixing.

This type of advertising seeks to inform the prospect how your product or service improves their life, rights a wrong or smoothes a problem. Additionally, DR advertising almost always asks for a response. Either to call in to buy immediately (unusual), to get a free sample, free report, free voucher, free experience or other intermediary step before buying the target product.

Imagine the calls, letters and emails you can get from advertising that encourage your prospects to take action to contact your company immediately. You get to see whether the campaign is working.

Testing to see what works which means you can step in and tweak it if it's not. But it also allows you to test different aspects of your advert to try and increase response further. So for instance you could run two adverts with the headline changed on one, or a different offer on one or a free-phone number against a geographic number.

You can see how every single word and picture in your advert performs. You've control over your spend and the customers who are bought for your advertising pound.

Do You Want More Sales?

If you do, and I'm sure you do use the following steps:

Step 1: Learn how your products relate to your users. Which emotions, feelings and beliefs does it generate or speak to?

Step 2: Assess the best way to convey that to your ultimate user.

Step 3: Do the newspapers/magazines/radio/TV channels/web sites you've chosen to advertise in get read by your preferred prospects?

Step 4: Check and test each ad with a single entry in your chosen media. (Do not run an ad series until you've tested the pulling power)

Step 5: Buy the smallest display ad possible. Then each time it makes money buy the next size up until it starts to lose money. Then go back to the last one that made money - the optimum size.

Step 6: Continually run split tests to find the best pulling direct response for your product

Step 7: Use some of your advertising saved to buy other means of marketing.”

Of course this good advice assumes that you are a going concern and have the opportunity to tweak your advertising. A one-off annual event may need different techniques.

Step 1 Which emotions, feelings and beliefs does it generate or speak to?

We are in the entertainment industry. Even if we are associated with a historic building or museum our reason for organising an event is to entertain in order to persuade people to visit our site/event. Of course there is some educational content. So how do we make education sound entertaining? Living Historians bring history to life. This is a chance to meet your ancestors. The thrill of the Joust. The clash of steel. Was Richard III really a monster? The Terrible Tudors. The Horrors of History. How did they do that? Have your photograph taken with a knight, a beggar, a hawk, shooting an arrow. Be taught to be a soldier. Make a badge, paint a shield. The worst jobs in History. Buy your own sword. You will no doubt recognise some of those phrases. They are designed to generate emotions and feelings. Similar phrases should feature in your publicity material.

Step 2 Assess the best way to convey that to your ultimate user.

Local Newspapers

The local newspaper event column is often a useful source of local publicity. You might consider doing a deal with the paper to take a page of less of advertising from local businesses and organisations with your event featured boldly in the middle. They may even agree to be a sponsor of the event in return for a stall to promote their publications. You need to check their circulation distribution overlaps with the immediate catchment area of your event. You may even be able to lever out some pre-event editorial, particularly if you can hang a local interest story onto it.

Of course you can always follow Duke Henry's advice:

“MOP attendance is rather more basic. Centre the site on a map. Draw rings round it at Two mile intervals. As the line of the circle goes over a major A road put a wonk in the circle outwards and a bigger wonk over centres of population, keep copying the shape outwards, making the wonk slightly more exaggerated each circle outwards.

This is your 2D plane. Drop it through a standard distribution curve (the tall, pointy ski slope down to a flat line sort of curve, one of them). You now have a 3D model of the "pull" of the event. You will attract a percentage of the population based on the "appeal" of your event, the "weather" of your event, the "timing" of your event, and depletion based on other attractions in the area which negatively "eat into" your "pull" model. You then have to saturate each ring area according to how much you have to spend on advertising budget which should be between one third and half total budget (less than this, give up, spend money on stamp collecting).

The clever bit. You lock your model into Newspaper distribution areas. Look at overlaps on your model and budget money accordingly. Ring up and say "I can't afford that!" when they quote you the price "Come on, do me the same for (half the price) and I will give you my card number." "I've got to ask about that. ... Oh, all right" "Including the VAT." "What?! Hang on... No we can't." "I haven't any more budget left." "Hang on... y e s o k a y... what's the card number..." Candy, kid, 2by4.

Called the law of decreasing returns. The further out people are the fewer turn out, the more you have to advertise to encourage them. At a certain point it isn't worth it. Conversely, advertising to local area is very effective and doing loads of local advertising returns big time.”

Free Sheets

They are hardly worth spending a lot of money on. Free sheets often end up in the bin along with all the other circulars coming through the door.

Published Event guides

“The Living History Register” (no web site).

“ Skirmish ”

“What's on Where ” http://www.wwevents.com/index.php?section=wow

The Historic Events Guide

How would you like to have the marketing power of such organisations as

the National Trust and English Heritage?

The Historic Events Guide is a paper and web site publication designed by the heritage and re-enactment movement for the heritage and reenactment movement. This is a project which allows event organisers and traders to work co-operatively in generating publicity for our mutual benefit. Imagine 100 different organisations helping you to promote your event! Unlike other "events guide" it is not intended as a front to receive commission from advertisers of other services such as hotels. This is the most direct form of advertising because it reaches people already interested in historic activities.

How would you like to do this for no cost?

For every £1 spent on advertising you will get one copy of the event guide which you can sell for £1.50. We even supply a display box (returnable). Of course there is no such thing as a free meal. You have to put some effort into the distribution of your share of the project. Of course you don't need to sell them, just give them away to valued customers if you prefer as part of your marketing effort.

Click on the link for more details and to see the guide

Other Historic Sites that have event diaries

Livinghistory.co.uk

montacute.net/histrenact/

General Event Web Guides

BBC regional events guides, e.g. http://www.bbc.co.uk/bradford/entertainment/index.shtml ) or

http://www.whatsonwhen.com/scripts/query.asp?loc_id=131037&day1=17&month1=9&year1=2006&day2=17&month2=9&year2=2007&categories=189&page=2

Google calendar http://www.google.com/googlecalendar/event_publisher_guide.html

And there are no doubt many others.

The World Wide Web

In addition to be being feature in the Historic Events Guide you will want to have your own web site. Have a look at other event sites and choose what works best for you. Of course you will need all the information and we could learn a lesson from Rudyard Kipling's poem from the " Just So Stories ":

Howard Giles of Event Plan recommends that the following basic information is essential:

“Date(s), Start times e.g. "11am to 5pm"
Event title (Link to organiser's web site)

Venue name (Link to venue web site)
Brief venue directions
Performing group(s)
Brief, pithy description of the event e.g. "fighting knights in shining armour battle it out in a spectacular tourney" or "Superb Classical Greek to WWII multi-period displays with over 20 top groups" (so it does the job but doesn't need to take up a lot of space)
Admission prices/admission free (or whatever)
Link (web site)/Reference to Organiser's name*/web site(s) “

If you have the space include lots of photographs to add colour but not so much that it is confusing . Add extra exciting editorial that will help you to differentiate your event from the alternatives. If you have details for traders and re-enactors include them as links so that they do not detract from the public impression of the site. As well as supplying information you want it to be persuasive. If you don't feel you can write in this exciting manner get a specialist to do it.

Leaflets

Leaflet and advert design

Decide on a house style for all you literature and stationery

It should be in a normal non-serif type-face – road direction signs are a good pointer to the style

The reader's eye follows from illustration to headline to text so design your leaflet in that order

Your headline should promise a benefit

Five times as many people read the headline than read the text.

Photographs are more believable than drawings

How many people read the Sun and the Mail?

Long headlines are read more than short

Specifics are more memorable than generalities

Putting the price on is more memorable (although you might put people off)

Long copy sells more if it is interesting– if you have a story tell it.

Putting the text in CAPITALS and is discouraging to read

Only 5% of the average readership actually reads your ad.

Leaflets can be placed with local information points such as Libraries, Town Halls, Tourist Offices and Civic Halls and also in local shops and house windows along with Display Posters. They can also be distributed by traders at other historic events provided that the organiser of that event approves.

Leaflet Distribution just before the event

First of all you need an incentive for the visitors to bring the leaflet back to the event with them if you are to measure how effective your distribution has been. Maybe a money-off offer would be attractive so price your entry appropriately.

Get together a team to go out delivering leaflets .

Who to recruit? So who have you got available on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Your team is likely to be busy with the event. However with a bit of planning you might be able to find some for an hour or two. There may be some traders and re-enactors who wish to arrive on the Thursday evening who could be persuaded to help particularly if you offered to pay them. It is in their interest to have a good attendance. Good times would be Friday at supermarket or town centre car parks, Saturday am ditto. Saturday sports events for the home side supporters, Sunday a.m. in tourist spots. Get costumed re-enactors to hand out leaflets in shopping areas. Deliver door to door in the posher areas of town because you are more likely to get a higher response for your effort from ABC1 groups rather than C2 and D groups.

Problems: Not much budget to pay the leafleters? Leafleters might put the literature in a bin and go to the pub.

Solution: Offer 50p? per coupon/leaflet returned at the public entry point for distributors. A set of felt pens can be used to mark the edges of a pile of cards or leaflets so that they can be allocated to the distributor and paid accordingly.

Posters and signs

There are several different sorts of posters: Directional Signs, Display posters for notice boards and shop window and Road Side Posters. Each plays a different role.

Directional Signs

Temporary directional signs are often supplied by the AA(yellow) or RAC(blue) or by the council themselves through contractors. Their purpose is to direct the traffic by the best route(s) to your even to avoid traffic congestion. They are not advertising as such and can only contain the date(s) and name of the event and nothing else. “Brown signs” are organised by the council. They are permanent in nature and serve to direct traffic to a particular venue. You cannot use them for events.

Display Posters

Display Posters should be eye catching, that's the whole point. Once they have drawn the eye and the beholder to the main headline and picture they should then convey the information and instil enthusiasm for the event. The information should be in smaller type that can be read close up. These posters can be distributed via local information points such as Libraries, Town Halls, Educational establishments, Tourist Offices and Civic Halls and also in local shops and house windows.

Local Shops - Offer free entry ticket for one person if you can display your poster in local shops. They will probably bring the family so you will get some income. Offer them some “ BOGOF