Case Summary
The case concerns an event hosted by Billy McFarland in October 2016 following a conceptualization of the spectacular Bahamas’ Exuma Islands. Although the Fyre Festival was conceived as an extraordinary lavish event advertised by all-time celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski, among others, it was a complete failure. All of the performers, luxurious villas, and receptions promised were a total failure. Following the event’s failure, ticketholders filed a series of class-action lawsuits against the influencers and planners, including McFarland, for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of contract, among other things.
Concept, Theories, and Principles
The fundamental issue in this scenario is a lack of a standardized event planning framework. A regular event planning method must be followed for the event to be successful. The process begins with a practical idea and a budget that aligns with the resources needed for the event. Securing the necessary logistics follows second; if possible, marketing the event comes third (AlWaer et al., 2021). However, this procedure was twisted in organizing this event, with event promotion being the first item completed and little communication with stakeholders, allowing McFarland to handle things his way.
The standard event planning procedures will be used in getting the resolution to the challenges faced in Fyre and Fury event. McFarland first hired influencers to promote the event, ignoring information from organizers that there were insufficient resources, such as time and money, to hold the advertised dream event. The logistical aspect failed since Fyre Cay Island only existed as a concept but not in reality, making it challenging to host production firms as promised. The first item on the event preparation process was also not met since production firms estimated a budget of $5 million. Still, McFarland refused to comply, claiming that the event would cost $300,000.
Application of Chapter Content
Standard event planning requires an adequate communication procedure, which includes the flow of information within the organization. Vertical communication comprises the flow of information between people of different hierarchical levels. In contrast, horizontal communication involves the flow of information between people of the same hierarchical level within an organization. Communication was a challenge in the event’s organization, with McFarland doing things his way and ignoring warnings from other parties. For example, McFarland ignored the budget warning from the production firms, resulting in the first vertical communication problem.
Communication with marketers reveals several communication flaws, as the information they provided to their audience was inaccurate. The advertisements indicated something different from what the ticket customers experienced. In this case, the most significant communication barriers were an unwillingness to listen to others, a lack of transparency, feedback, and a poor choice of a communication channel (Mircea & Nicolae, 2012). The organizers’ failure to reply to emails from ticketholders, such as Maude Etkin, created a complete communication barrier, making it difficult for performers and vendors to plan ahead of time.
McFarland was effective at using social media in this case. McFarland’s ability to use social media effectively is what resulted in a large number of ticket sales and event attendees. The only issue with his social media usage was that he could not keep what he was advertising. Furthermore, the tone of the promotion was well done, with the promoters using phrases that stroke the audience. The descriptions of crystal-blue waters and yachts were particularly eye-catching: This also helped to develop an excellent reputation for the event, with many people deciding to buy tickets. On account of the ticket sales that McFarland drew, it is apparent that he was effective at leveraging social media.
McFarland might have successfully planned the festival if he had been a better communicator. The case shows that he was very effective at marketing, attracting an audience, and coordinating finances (Tanković et al., 2022). If he had communicated more effectively, the event management would have been completed successfully and on schedule. The event would have been a massive success if the execution had been flawless and communications had been promptly addressed.
References
AlWaer, H., Rintoul, S., & Cooper, I. (2021). Design-led events in collaborative planning: improving post-event planning and delivery. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, 15(3), 774-799. Web.
Mircea, R. S., & Nicolae, A. B. (2012). Management Communication: A case study of interpersonal manager-subordinates communication at three high schools from Bihor.Revista de Management Comparat International, 13(2), 248. Web.
Tanković, A. C., Bilić, I., & Brajković, I. (2022). Internal Communication and Employee Satisfaction in Hospitality.Management: Journal of Contemporary Management Issues, 27(1), 1-16. Web.