Kaaboo Está Mudando O Modelo Dos Festivais De Música

Kaaboo is Breaking the Mold of Music Festivals

First of all thanks to Brad Auerbach for this article.

We have explored in this column the explosive growth in the live event and festival sector.

Certain festivals, by dint of longevity have established a brand identity. If you are aware of music festivals, for instance, you know what Coachella or Glastonbury means.

But for newer festivals looking to gain a toehold in the market, it can be difficult to garner a share of mind (and share of wallet).

(courtesy of Kaaboo)

Sunset Cliffs - Kaaboo

Kaaboo is in its third year, and the producers recently announced the impressive lineup for its September dates in Del Mar, California. I spoke recently with two executives behind Kaaboo, and each offer intriguing insights.

I first met Bryan Gordon weeks before the inaugural Kaaboo. He is an of investment manager, venture capitalist and the brain child of Kaaboo. More recently, he discussed how he and his team are “architecting their model in the live event business and overcoming the pre-conceived notions of how it is done.”

Gordon spoke about integrating technology to improve the experience of attending the event. The technology is dropping in price and improving in efficiency, a delight shared in most other sectors. Nonetheless, Gordon believes there is room for improvement, as certain technologies address a slice of the challenge, but there is no holistic solution. He and his team are always seeking better tools.

Kaaboo is establishing itself as something far more than a music festival. With Gordon’s background in the hospitality business, he has placed a strong focus on the customer experience. Hence, in addition to great music, Kaaboo offers comedy, art, food and more. Much of Kaaboo is rooted in these passions Gordon pursues; his family was in the imported fine food business. “This year’s culinary program will be a big step forward, in terms of quality and inventiveness. It is a defining element of Kaaboo. We are putting more energy into that aspect,” Gordon stated. “We are very excited about our culinary program, we want it to be good and healthy. Just because the event is in a large venue does not preclude serving good healthy food.”

(Photo by C Flanigan/WireImage for Kaaboo Del Mar via imageSPACE)

Last year's Rock'N Chef Competition at the LOCALE stage during the 2016 KAABOO.

We both chuckled at the irony of the San Diego County Fair being on the same site months earlier; like most county fairs the big news is what range of fried food will be on offer…last year it was a deep fried Snickers bar.

Gordon recognizes that a festival can be somewhat of an endurance test of 8-10 hours per day over three days, “But there is no need to feel like crap from bad food. We want you to feel better than when you arrived. You are taking time to get away by attending. Wellness step one is to de-stress. Music helps, comedy and laughter and then healthy food and perhaps a massage. You don’t have to come out haggard, you should come out upbeat.”

That prompted an obvious comparison to the country’s granddaddy of music festivals, Woodstock. Gordon observed that Kaaboo “has many natural advantages in Del Mar, which weren’t available at Yasgur’s Farm.”

Gordon’s team consciously set up a vibe different from Coachella. Part of that effort is shared by Jason Felts. He is a co-founder with Richard Branson and Justin Befield of Virgin Produced, and is the CEO of Virgin Produced.

Felts told me he is a connoisseur of music festivals, having seen just about every festival that has been around for more than a year.

His folks live in Del Mar, and in a turnaround they invited him to Kaaboo. After attending last year, Felts cold-called Gordon, and the pair began discovering their shared vision. Now Felts also acts as Kaaboo’s Chief Brand and Marketing Officer. “Although the two brands of Virgin and Kaaboo were birthed by two fathers, they seem to have the same father,” observed Felts.

Felts described how they are flipping the script, he considers Kaaboo an anti-festival. “It is multi-generational, with no barrier of entry. Although the core thread is music, we offer comedy, a fine culinary palette, art, a Vegas style club, an after-hours club. Kabob lives up to something for everyone, and all elements are elevated.”

(Photo by Brian Spady/WireImage for KAABOO Del Mar via imageSPACE)

At the inaugural Kaaboo.

(Photo by C Flanigan/WireImage for Kaaboo Del Mar via imageSPACE)

The Indulgences Experience during the 2016 KAABOO.

Richard Branson also speaks highly of Kaaboo:

Having recently shared the exciting revamp of V Festival, I’m pleased to be bringing back the live music experience to the US with Virgin Produced’s partnership with KAABOO Del Mar in San Diego. This event isn’t just for your typical festival-goer, at KAABOO, guests are immersed not just in world-class music, but comedy, cutting edge contemporary art (my favorite is Ron Wood), delicious cuisine and luxury hospitality – even flushing loos! I love how KAABOO is built around customer service and hospitality, a premise we hold dear at Virgin.

(photo courtesy Richard Branson)

Richard Branson enjoys the crowd

Felts and the Kaaboo team believe they are shifting the live entertainment paradigm. When I asked him about their biggest challenges, he said, “One of the larger challenges is educating people that Kaaboo is different. Also, encouraging people to take in all parts of Kaaboo beyond the great music lineup. If you peel back the onion and walk into every door, tent, stage area, all our diverse elements are available. The art of discovery will reveal new foods, wines, massages, and immersive experiences.”

He assured me that you won’t ever go to Kaaboo and see all elements the same as before.