The Festival Guy

Photo cred: lostinsound.org

The lights, the music, the vibe – it’s all a part of the festival experience, as any veteran attendee can attest. At once a gathering space for food vendors, artists, free spirits and seasoned organizers, festivals also serve as a point of connection for many small transient communities, and the birthplace of some very cool entrepreneurial ventures.

Photo cred: lostinsound.org

Among them, The Festival Guy (aka Tucker Gumber) – festival enthusiast and do-gooder, community builder and advocate, all rolled into one. Seriously, this guy has been to a ton of festivals – and yes, while he’s probably having a blast and making so many friends even Mr. Rogers has gotta shout – he’s also passionate about improving the festival experience for other patrons. How? By publishing reviews of the festivals he attends.

Whether it’s Coachella or Bonnaroo, Electric Daisy Carnival or Burning Man – the Festival Guy gives his honest and thoughtful reflections on the equivalent of what those of us the in the tech world call the ‘end user experience.’

And these aren’t the WordPress ramblings of a festival-fanatic gone viral. The Festival Guy’s reviews started to gain popularity way back in 2011 – his approach was brilliantly simple: he described the crowd, the organization of events, the stages and what made the festival special. It didn’t take long before Gumber’s reviews caught the attention of the festival organizers themselves – and today, several festivals operate more efficiently (and cleanly) after implementing changes suggested by the Festival Guy.

FestEvo

Several years and many festivals later, The Festival Guy started to notice a trend. Although the festivals he attends are quite different in style and scope (imagine huge crowds dancing to electronic music – cut scene to a circle of hand-drummers around a bonfire), many of those festivals were experiencing the same problems. His solution? ‘FestEvo,’ an app to bring together festival-goers, artists and festival organizers. FestEvo streamlines communication between these groups, improves the festival experience and keeps attendees coming back, year-after-year.

Sounds pretty cool, right? Click here to support his indie-gogo campaign (we did): http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/festevo

 

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#GivingTuesday

Photo cred: care.org

Put away those stretchy jeans and bag up the leftovers because ladies and gentlemen, the in-laws have left the building! Thanksgiving may be over (and hey – the leftovers might already be gone, too), but that doesn’t mean we’re not still feeling the holiday cheer. This week, VolunteerLocal is celebrating #GivingTuesday by giving away five free single-event upgrades to the following nonprofit organizations.

We invite you to join us for this year’s #GivingTuesday by donating, volunteering or giving back in some small way to a charity or nonprofit of your choice. You can learn more online at the #GivingTuesday website, or by searching #GivingTuesday on Twitter. Unsure where to give? Check out this Forbes list of the top U.S. charities. Let’s break some records!

1. Side by Side Kids is a faith-based, after-school neighborhood recreational program anchored in East Austin’s St. John’s community. We journey side-by-side with kids from kindergarten to 5th grade, encouraging and equipping them to reach their highest God-given potential as everyday leaders and heroes of tomorrow.  Learn more: http://www.sidebysidekids.org/

2. Midland Community Theatre sets the stage for thespians in Midland, Texas. The Midland Theatre features educational programming, scholarships for students in financial need and each year hosts the McLaren Memorial Comedy Playwriting Competition. Their upcoming show is Annie, the story of an iconic orphan who is selected to spend time at the residence of the wealthy Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. Learn more: http://www.mctmidland.org/.

3. Pasadena Pride Center serves the entire San Gabriel Valley, celebrating diversity and acknowledging the dignity of all LGBT people, especially providing support and a “shelter from the storm” for LGBT youth. Learn more:  http://www.goodshepherdpasadena.com/pasadenapridecenter.html

4. Boulder Parks & Recreation manages three recreation centers, popular recreation class programming, the Boulder Reservoir, Valmont Bike Park, and much more. This year, Boulder’s own Valmont Bike Park will host the USA Cyclo-Cross Nationals. The event will take place this January and requires nearly 500 volunteers. Learn more: https://bouldercolorado.gov/

5. The Peewee Tournament is a statewide junior wrestling tournament in Iowa – the culmination of which will take place in Dubuque, Iowa on January 10th-12th. Calling all parents, board members and students! Volunteers needed! Click here to sign up today.

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