Feeling the opposite of the blues at West Coast Blues N' Roots...

Well, another fantastic festival run by Sunset Events has been and gone! And once again, I feel so lucky to have been a part of it!

Over 10 000 people enjoyed the laid back music at West Coast Blues n’ Roots last Sunday at Fremantle Park, with some of the crowd even getting up for a boogie as the sun went down! It was a great atmosphere with a more mature crowd than the other festivals, which is understandable as I didn’t know any of the artists but my Dad knew them all!

(A picture I grabbed on my phone of the crowd sitting down at the main stage as the sun was going down!)

This was my first time as a paid worker for Sunset Events, as Janelle’s communication assistant. I felt really lucky to be on the Sunset pay role after being a volunteer at the other festivals.

I didn’t really have a lot to do on the festival day, as was the case with Laneway, but it was still a great experience and there are always interesting things to observe and think about. It’s funny because it’s quite a different experience being at a festival on your own when it’s usually something everyone shares with their friends. I’ve seen an outside perspective of festivals which makes me really appreciate the effort put into them a lot more than I used to when I attended them.

I arrived at around 10.30am and after filling out the paperwork I went to find Janelle at the site office. I then did a coffee run for Janelle in Freo. Janelle gave me a tour of the site a bit later and I got my bearings and had a little wander around. I put up some posters promoting the YES concert Janelle gave me at the merchandise tent. At around 1pm Janelle sent me to the Fremantle Football Oval to take down one of the big Blues n’ Roots posters.

I then drove the poster back to the site and took it to the Artist area to give to Marie, the artist liaison officer for the artists to sign. I think it’s a great idea because the signed poster is being donated by Sunset Events for charity, to Telethon! It’s a really nice idea, good for the company’s image but also a kind gesture.

I think it is really important for companies to give back to the community through charities and sponsorship, and show support for worthy causes. I think it’s a very beneficial relationship because it enhances the reputation of the business and also helps not-for-profits do their job of helping people and ultimately the good deed helps the community! In terms of sponsorship, I think often companies do it just to improve their image, especially McDonalds! McDonalds does do great things with Ronald McDonald and sponsoring not-for-profits, but does this mask the not-so-healthy truths of the company?

I watched an interesting documentary recently called ‘The Greatest Movie Ever Sold’ which made a comment about product placement in movies and it made me really think about how companies have to be very careful about their corporate image in their mission to be an organisation that cares for the community. The movie made me think about the fine line between doing good for the community for a company’s own interests, and having a genuine desire to do good because they are in a position to. It’s a hard concept I would love to read more about and understand! Do the organisations you are working for put a lot back into the community?

There wasn’t a lot for me to do in the afternoon at Blues n' Roots so I wandered around and sat and watched a few bands. I went and saw the only band I knew at the festival - Husky, perform and they were absolutely amazing. Then I went and grabbed an organic donut and watched Steve Earle and Crosby, Stills and Nash. It was a really great vibe and the weather held off which was good, and everyone was well-behaved!

Later on in the evening Janelle asked me to remind the security guards at the pits of both stages that promo winners could only stay for the first 3 songs so I reminded them at both, then around 6:30pm I grabbed some event jumpers for two promo winners and waited at the VIP entrance for them to arrive. After that, it was around 7pm and Janelle said I was done for the day!

So all in all, it was a great day in the perfect location and, though I didn’t do any huge tasks, I was glad to be there!I’m still in awe of the work the company does to put such amazing events together and I have been so honoured to attend the past few festivals with Sunset Events! Sunset Events has mixed my love of music and interest in public relations and communications activities and I’m enjoying every minute of it.

I think this is crossing over from blog territory to an essay so I better sign off! Hope everyone is enjoying their internships and having some terrific experiences! Can’t wait to read more. Happy Easter!

Lisa