BYOB – abbreviated for “bring your own booze” – is a concept that’s easy to love. In a restaurant setting, where beers and cocktails are priced several times above their retail value, it provides a wonderful incentive to save money. Not to mention, it provides patrons with the option to cater to their personal taste. A liquor store is bound to have more options than a restaurant, no matter how exceptional the restaurant’s selection. The positives are similar in a party setting; often times paying to use the keg has less value than bringing your own, mainly because party kegs often contain lower quality beer and the keg fee is comparable to the price of a quality six pack. In essence, there are few things to complain about when provided the option to BYOB to a party or restaurant. But what about in a concert setting, where the atmosphere is considerably different than a backyard party or acclaimed restaurant? How would the reaction to a BYOB policy be at Coachella or Lollapalooza?
At first glance, implementing a BYOB policy at a major festival does not seem very cost-effective for event organizers. The purchase of alcoholic beverages is a significant revenue source for organizers, so what could be their incentive to implement BYOB? Toadlick Music Festival, which took place in April, believed that allowing patrons to bring their own booze would increase sales and attention. “Most of the people that I have talked to about Toadlick tell me that they may be able to afford a ticket, but they can’t afford everything else that comes along with it like the food and drink,” said Michael Shelley, of Toadlick’s management team. “Our idea is that if I have a family of four, I can pack water or Cokes or whatever along with some sandwiches and spend the day. This makes it much more affordable.” The 3-day outdoor music festival in Dothan, Alabama found the proposal more appealing to a wide range of audiences, but that begs the question: Alongside families drinking Coke and water, what about the party-hard college students taking full advantage of the “booze” part of “bring your own booze?” Does the cheaper prospect of BYOB make public intoxication more frequent at events like these?
Affordability is the main draw of BYOB, especially at a music festival where one-day ticket costs can approach or exceed triple digits. But with affordability, there is also the chance for irresponsibility from some patrons, especially in regard to alcohol. Again, Toadlick Music Festival appears to be a pioneer in BYOB music festivals, and with that status they obviously thought ahead. To combat intoxication, there is a limit of one collapsible cooler per person. The festival set a $10 fee for each cooler, with no glass permitted inside or out. A $10 fee may sound like a nuisance, but if you intend on drinking more than two $5 festival beers then it remains a better value. After all, the event organizers must make up for at least some of the revenue lost by not having drink vendors. And although the absence of vendors may seem financially burdensome, there are certain intangibles that the prospect of BYOB brings – like significantly reduced lines and crowds. Not having to wait an hour online for a beer will almost definitely improve the experience of crowd-goers, and increase the chance they will purchase tickets again next year.
Although it is clear that BYOB needs some restrictions to work in a festival setting, like a one-time fee and bottle/cooler limitations, the prospect of it becoming a festival-wide feature is an exciting one for audiences. There will surely be some issues regarding responsibility, especially among those who opt to pour cheap yet strong vodka into plastic water bottles. But these patrons would have likely done that regardless of BYOB rules. BYOB remains a strong prospect that may represent the future of music festivals, as long as fans can exhibit through smaller-scale festivals like Toadlick that they can act appropriately. Drugs and alcohol will exist at a festival regardless of what happens, so the fact that organizers are providing festival-goers with more freedom and flexibility is certainly welcome. If done properly, BYOB can reduce lines, overall cost, and even cost of production. Some may deem BYOB at festivals at a pipe dream, but Toadlick shows it as a realistic option in the future.
BYOB: Wave of the Future for Music Festivals or Hopeless Pipe Dream?
BYOB – abbreviated for “bring your own booze” – is a concept that’s easy to love. In a restaurant setting, where beers and cocktails are priced several times above their retail value, it provides a wonderful incentive to save money. Not to mention, it provides patrons with the option to cater to their personal taste. A liquor store is bound to have more options than a restaurant, no matter how exceptional the restaurant’s selection. The positives are similar in a party setting; often times paying to use the keg has less value than bringing your own, mainly because party kegs often contain lower quality beer and the keg fee is comparable to the price of a quality six pack. In essence, there are few things to complain about when provided the option to BYOB to a party or restaurant. But what about in a concert setting, where the atmosphere is considerably different than a backyard party or acclaimed restaurant? How would the reaction to a BYOB policy be at Coachella or Lollapalooza?
At first glance, implementing a BYOB policy at a major festival does not seem very cost-effective for event organizers. The purchase of alcoholic beverages is a significant revenue source for organizers, so what could be their incentive to implement BYOB? Toadlick Music Festival, which took place in April, believed that allowing patrons to bring their own booze would increase sales and attention. “Most of the people that I have talked to about Toadlick tell me that they may be able to afford a ticket, but they can’t afford everything else that comes along with it like the food and drink,” said Michael Shelley, of Toadlick’s management team. “Our idea is that if I have a family of four, I can pack water or Cokes or whatever along with some sandwiches and spend the day. This makes it much more affordable.” The 3-day outdoor music festival in Dothan, Alabama found the proposal more appealing to a wide range of audiences, but that begs the question: Alongside families drinking Coke and water, what about the party-hard college students taking full advantage of the “booze” part of “bring your own booze?” Does the cheaper prospect of BYOB make public intoxication more frequent at events like these?
Affordability is the main draw of BYOB, especially at a music festival where one-day ticket costs can approach or exceed triple digits. But with affordability, there is also the chance for irresponsibility from some patrons, especially in regard to alcohol. Again, Toadlick Music Festival appears to be a pioneer in BYOB music festivals, and with that status they obviously thought ahead. To combat intoxication, there is a limit of one collapsible cooler per person. The festival set a $10 fee for each cooler, with no glass permitted inside or out. A $10 fee may sound like a nuisance, but if you intend on drinking more than two $5 festival beers then it remains a better value. After all, the event organizers must make up for at least some of the revenue lost by not having drink vendors. And although the absence of vendors may seem financially burdensome, there are certain intangibles that the prospect of BYOB brings – like significantly reduced lines and crowds. Not having to wait an hour online for a beer will almost definitely improve the experience of crowd-goers, and increase the chance they will purchase tickets again next year.
Although it is clear that BYOB needs some restrictions to work in a festival setting, like a one-time fee and bottle/cooler limitations, the prospect of it becoming a festival-wide feature is an exciting one for audiences. There will surely be some issues regarding responsibility, especially among those who opt to pour cheap yet strong vodka into plastic water bottles. But these patrons would have likely done that regardless of BYOB rules. BYOB remains a strong prospect that may represent the future of music festivals, as long as fans can exhibit through smaller-scale festivals like Toadlick that they can act appropriately. Drugs and alcohol will exist at a festival regardless of what happens, so the fact that organizers are providing festival-goers with more freedom and flexibility is certainly welcome. If done properly, BYOB can reduce lines, overall cost, and even cost of production. Some may deem BYOB at festivals at a pipe dream, but Toadlick shows it as a realistic option in the future.
Around the Web