Comparing Bristol and Northampton balloon festivals: successes and failures
Features editor Lily Canter looks at how Bristol balloon festival makes a profit whilst the Northampton event fails to balance the books and is subsequently facing the axe.
A crunch meeting on the future of Northampton Balloon Festival is due on Thursday but it appears a foregone conclusion that the event will not be hosted by the borough council this summer.
Meanwhile rumours abound over whether anyone will step in to save the festival with potential suitors including Wicksteed Park, mystery Northampton benefectors or the balloonists themselves.
Whatever happens, it is clear that the event in its current form is unmanageable, unprofitable and in need of a reboot.
Launched in 1990, the event was considered the best balloon festival in Britain by 1995, and at its peak attracted 250,000 visitors.
The original format included balloon races, with many strange shaped hot air balloons, and arena events. Over the years the event grew and incorporated hundreds of trade stands, night time pop concerts, a fairground and a fireworks display.
But by 2008 visitor numbers had dropped to 80,000 and an entry fee had proved unpopular. The once profit making festival was now costing tax payers 177,000 a year.
Despite revenue from stands, car parks, admission fees and sponsorship, the Northampton festival has failed to mirror its biggest competitor the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
This costs on average around 700,000 a year to put on and attracts 500,000 visitors each summer. At the Bristol event there are 250 trade stands, around 130 balloonists, plus arena events - all very similar to Northampton. But entry is still free in Bristol and it manages to balance the books each year.
Meanwhile in 2008 the Northampton Balloon Festival cost 480,000 and even with a 4 admission fee failed to break even.
So what is it about the Bristol balloon festival that makes it such a success?
Event director Susan Tanner believes it is adaptability and only spending what is available.
She explained: "We cut our cloth accordingly. We have had years with very small sponsors and with very big ones. You can't guarantee on sponsorship but it puts the icing on the cake.
"We had sponsorship for the Red Arrows last year so we spent more money. But if we don't have it we don't spend it. We run it on a tight shoestring. The essence is as long as we can put on an event, that will be great."
Around 20 per cent of income at the Bristol event is generated from sponsorship which in the past included The Disney Channel. But the majority of cash comes from renting trade and catering stands and charging for car parking plus a smaller amount for corporate hospitality.
By comparison sponsorship of just 7,600 made up 1.5 per cent of the Northampton Balloon Festival revenue last year and renting stands drew in almost 25 per cent making 117,000. Car parking brought in another 22,000.
Susan commented: "I was quite shocked to see how much Northampton had lost.
"But it is hard work for everybody. We have lost money in the past and made money. It balances out."
A fundamental difference between the towns' festivals is that the Bristol balloon fiesta is run by a not for profit limited company rather than a local authority. It employs two full time staff and around eight temporary employers around the August event.
It began back in 1978 when Don Cameron, owner of the world's largest balloon manufacturer, Cameron Balloons, decided to create an event that would draw together balloonists from around the world.
And it has always remained a free event, even when concerts were put on.
"We used to have concerts up to a few years ago, from about 1995. The free concerts were very popular. Unfortunately the radio station couldn't afford to put them on anymore," said Susan.
"We thought it (losing the concerts) would change the event. People do miss it but it hasn't impacted on the event negatively. We have a new audience who avoided coming on the day of the concert."
One of the criticisms of Northampton Balloon Festival is that is has become "too commercial" but Susan believes this is inevitable and unavoidable with any free event.
She explained: "We try to get a good mix of traders and a range of sizes to appeal to different people. But people who go to free events don't always have a lot of money to spend. We have had Porsche and Barclaycard right down to the guy that sells candy floss.
"We wouldn't have the high quality of stands as other events because we have a different audience. We are dictated by the people that come."
However despite the economic downturn the Bristol event has had a lot of interest in trade stands for this years' event.
Susan added: "This year people will come because it is free. If you are choosing which show to go to if you are a trader, sponsor or audience, you are more likely to pick the free one.
"Also more people are staying at home for the summer to holiday in the UK."
So with their wealth of experience has Bristol Balloon Fiestas Limited ever been contacted by Northampton Borough Council to ask how they do it?
"Not that I know of," said Susan.
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta runs from August 6 to the 9. For more information visit www.bristolfiesta.co.uk
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