How Your Business Can Benefit: 5 Tips from a FestForums Success Story
By: Holly Owen, FestForums | August 7th, 2025
A Q&A with a veteran attendee who transformed industry relationships through strategic networking
For business owners considering FestForums for the first time, hearing from someone who's been there can be invaluable. We sat down with a three-year FestForums veteran Brett Smiley, Founder and President of conCHAIRto, who shares how this unique event transformed his business relationships and opened doors across multiple industries.
How many years have you been attending/sponsoring FestForums and what keeps you coming back?
This will be my third or fourth year. What keeps me coming back is really the relationships I've built, starting with Laurie herself. I met her in a very unique way - I just answered one of her online posts, and within 10 minutes she messaged me asking for a virtual meeting. We hit it off immediately.
It's been incredible getting to know not just Laurie and what she's put together, but all the people she brings in - from panel sponsors and speakers to vendors. I've made some really strong relationships with vendors, which is especially valuable since my background isn't in music festivals or live outdoor events. But now I feel like I'm part of the clan, part of the club.
What's your approach to networking at FestForums - do you have a specific strategy?
Absolutely. The pre-event email list is huge for us - we use it to reach out and let people know we'll be there exhibiting. I always bring one of my partners, and we use what I call a "divide and conquer" strategy. We identify certain targets we want to go after from a vendor standpoint.
I've had a lot of wins from the relationships I've built with different vendors. What's happening now is that we're getting better known, and our services are speaking for themselves. We're starting to have festival owners, operators, and companies like AEG show interest in what we do and how we do it. Having a partner there lets us spread out, really canvas the rooms, and have in-depth, realistic business conversations.
Where do you think you've gotten the most value out of coming to FestForums?
For me personally, it's been gaining an overall understanding of the outdoor live events world. FestForums focuses on music festivals, film, and food events, and I've learned about the similar challenges across all three markets. This knowledge has helped us expand into air shows, golf events, auto racing - you name it.
What I've noticed is that these events run very similarly, but music festivals are way ahead of the game when it comes to sponsorship and activation strategies. Other verticals are trailing behind. We take information we learn from FestForums' speaking panels and become consultants, passing along positive ways of doing business to enhance other industries.
I'm a huge proponent of "why reinvent the wheel when other people are doing it well?" Whether it's festival ground setup, fan experience improvements, or customer flow during hazardous weather - if we see something that works great and the authorities and fans love it, we pass that information along. It helps our cause and helps everyone create lasting memories for their event attendees.
Q: What made you decide to become a sponsor rather than just an attendee?
I've done other events where we were just attendees. My partners and I aren't shy - we can start conversations pretty quickly - but at FestForums, the way it was described to us, we thought having a vendor booth would give us more meaningful one-on-one conversations rather than just grabbing drinks at the bar.
We'll continue having our vendor presence because it's important to show people we're growing and moving forward. But honestly, one of the best things I did in year one was getting to know all the vendors. We're all hunting down similar opportunities, and as someone without an industry background, I love telling our story about our company - it's very unique and fits many different festival models, whether they're looking at revenue, sustainability, safety, or efficiency.
Telling that story to vendors who already have relationships with the events we're trying to work with has really hit a chord with me. That's been my biggest focus - my partners speak more with panel speakers while I focus on building vendor relationships.
Q: What would you tell other business owners going to FestForums for the first time?
The thing I like most is that everyone is so approachable. You hear a lot about the music festival industry being a "boys club" where everyone knows everybody, and until you get in the club, you're an outcast. I experienced that at other events - it was too big, we were first-year in business, and we weren't even close to being part of that club.
When I met Laurie and she told me about her style of FestForums, it resonated with me because it's how I do business in general. I like one-on-one meetings that are more in-depth, making sure we have time set aside for meaningful conversations.
In year one, I walked up to people coming off panels and said, "Hey, my name is this, here's what I started. I'd like to get your input and feedback." Everyone was super approachable. That's my number one tip.
5 Key Takeaways for First-Time Attendees:
1. Embrace the "Divide and Conquer" Strategy
If possible, bring a partner and split up to cover more ground. Identify your target contacts beforehand and assign responsibilities.
2. Focus on Vendor Relationships
Don't overlook the vendor community. They often have existing relationships with your target clients and can become valuable partners or referral sources.
3. Everyone is Approachable
Unlike larger industry events, FestForums maintains an intimate atmosphere where you can actually walk up to panel speakers and have meaningful conversations.
4. Cross-Industry Applications
The strategies and solutions discussed at FestForums often apply to other event types. Think beyond music festivals to air shows, golf events, auto racing, and more.
5. Consider Strategic Sponsorship Opportunities
While you can certainly attend as a regular participant, consider the sponsorship opportunities that align with your business goals. As Brett discovered, sponsoring gives you more meaningful one-on-one conversation opportunities and helps establish your presence in the community. Even smaller sponsorships can provide valuable visibility and positioning within this tight-knit industry network.
Final Thoughts
As Brett puts it: "We do business with conversation and handshakes. I'm old school - that's the way we were raised. Having speaking opportunities is great, but just being there, being open to conversation and learning, you'll learn a ton."
The key is approaching FestForums with a collaborative mindset, looking for synergies between what you do and what others in the ecosystem need. Whether you're a first-timer or a veteran, the intimate nature of this event creates unique opportunities for meaningful business relationships that can transform your company's trajectory.
Ready to experience FestForums for yourself? The relationships you build there might just become the foundation of your next big business breakthrough.