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Rock the Boat, Baby

Raising the hype for Forecastle Fest to set sail.

Background

Way back near the turn of the century (2002), Forecastle Fest made its maiden voyage as a small community event in Louisville. 

Since then, the only music festival named after the forward part of a ship has grown to become one of America’s most anticipated summer music festivals, hosting big-name acts from Beck and Arcade Fire to Outkast, Robert Plant, My Morning Jacket and more.

As Forecastle Festival’s longtime public relations partner during the festival’s biggest growth period, BCH Agency provided media relations for the three-day event that brought more than 70,000 revelers to Louisville’s waterfront annually.

Industry

Entertainment

Services

Media Relations

Strategic Approach

Forecastle is a well-established festival that draws top-tier artists and tens of thousands of attendees from all over the world. However, in an increasingly saturated festival market, maintaining momentum year after year doesn’t just happen – it takes planning. 

Months in advance, we worked with festival organizers to determine that year’s highlights, storylines and angles –  from the music and artists, to the bourbon, experiential and sustainability aspects – to develop our strategic message map. This tool guided communication across all channels, be it social media, earned media, email, or advertising.

Picture by Cora

Solution

Forecastle lasts only three days a year. But we do a lot of groundwork in the offseason to keep the festival top of mind so that once the festival weekend arrives, everyone is ready to rock. We partnered with festival organizers to boost ticket sales through tailored market activations and advance news coverage opportunities. We shaped narratives around festival highlights like art installations and sustainability initiatives. 

As the event approaches, we managed extensive media coverage, including 350+ regional, national and international media outlets. During the festival, we handle news conferences, interviews, media inquiries and potential crisis communications.

Statistics and Analytics

Media Stories

500+
Regional and National

Impressions

815 M

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