6). Who will attend my event?

To a certain extent this will depend on the theme that you adopt.

Why do they come?

The event is unique – they have never been to anything like this before. There is no doubt that re-enactment events are out of the usual.

Specialists

The have an interest in the subject matter – history, war, horses, birds, men in tights. You might also attract people with a specialist interest in history -

• Museum and Heritage professionals and supporters such as museum "friends"
• History teachers and lecturers
• TV researchers trying to get you to appear on "Wife Swap" or some other reality show!!
• Re-enactors themselves visiting from another period.

Enthusiasts

Returning customers who have been to an event before and enjoyed it and maybe bring their friends and relatives. This may include visitors to other living history events who have decided that they enjoyed their usual event so much that they would like to try another. Maybe they have found your event through the pages of the Historic Events Guide!!

Family Days Out

Families who are desperate to entertain the children having exhausted all the other alternatives. Here you are competing with other local events such as sports, seaside visits, parties and barbeques, galas, the county show, air shows, steam fairs etc.

Likely Recruits to the hobby

Those who like “dressing up” or historic costume.

The Elderly - "Meet Your Ancestors"

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. This makes for good publicity by using dramatic picture in your publicity or using it as a story line for the press.

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 more 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!! On the other hand you don't have to be elderly to appreciate your family history.

There are already specialist Family History Events such as "Who Do You Think You Are, National History Show". The show at Olympia over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend which attracted 11,500 visitors. 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.

How do they decide what to do at the weekend?

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/.

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

Schools

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.