Pollstar (04/06/23) Pittman, Sarah

Boutique festivals are valued for the more intimate experience they offer fans, while also being more suited to the local economy. Tracy Lane, co-producer and co-owner of Columbia, Mo.,'s Treeline Music Fest, said filling out the 15,000-capacity festival grounds at Stephens Lake Park is not necessarily their objective. "Our sweet spot is really 12,500 because we want there to be space; we want that family environment," she explains. "There's a lot of acreage that we rent, which is open and gives people that opportunity to spread out a little bit — or you can have that rock 'n' roll experience right down in front of the stage, shoulder to shoulder." Treeline's organizers have augmented Americans with Disabilities Act on-site transportation to include 20 accessible carts and drivers to help fans with limited mobility or vision, and are also providing a nursing mothers' station with multiple bays. "The larger cities are often saturated with competing events that include theater, sports and more," says FestForums President Laurie B. Kirby. "Smaller cities are hungry for live music and thus are more receptive to smaller acts and curated events. Organizers can take advantage of lower production and venue costs and talent routing through larger cities nearby. Plus, the promoters are closer to their communities and can leverage local resources."

Read the full story from Pollstar.