Lloyd Cornwall chats Tomorrowland Unite

Can you give us an idea of what will be going down at Tomorrowland Unite SA?

People can expect the biggest stage they’ve ever seen in the dance music and more importantly, they’re going to be UNITED with over 100,000 people from around the world. What is being done on 23 July has NEVER been done before!

What was it like working on this event and what were some of the challenges with working with such a big global brand?

It was really exciting getting to work on this never done before event! The most challenging aspect is that you’re organising the festival under the watchful eye of the rights owners who sit in Belgium, so we’re under a magnifying glass with the people in Belgium watching our every move making sure we deliver.

Who are you most excited to see perform?

Like Mike and Dimitri Vegas and our local DJs! Some of our local DJs in my opinion, are some of the best in the world and I think the Unite project is an opportunity for some of our local talent to shine on the world stage!

There were plans a few years ago to bring the live Tomorrowland event to SA in February last year, why did these fall though?

It’s not a matter of them falling through. There are still plans to bring the main Tomorrowland festival to South Africa, but it is without a shadow of doubt that Tomorrowland Unite will be the biggest production in the world and the sheer economics are the driving force behind these decisions.

How did the confusion come about with regard to the supposed venue at Fairview? Fairview denied knowing about the event hosted on their property.

The venue that we’ve sighted for the main Tomorrowland event in South Africa is in fact Fairview. And we hope very much that we will return to this sight with the full show in due course.

What have been some of your career highlights?

Delicious International Food and Music festival last year (2015) with Chaka Khan was a highlight. But this year with Delicious signing and bringing The Jackson will undoubtedly be the biggest thing we’ve ever touched! It’ll stop the world.

What traits or skills would you say a person needs to succeed in your line of work?

Passion, patience and experiences in these types of events, because if you’ve never experienced some of the world’s best, you wouldn’t have a great point of reference for your own events.

What was it like working on the Delicious International Food and Music Fest and why the decision to combine both a musical and food festival?

As a grown up, I still want to go to music festivals, but I don’t want to eat a hot dog. Delicious brings the very best of food, music and entertainment all under one roof.

What would you say are the top points when it comes to effectively engaging brands with the right audiences?

The brand needs to ensure that they do what they promised: they shouldn’t stipulate one thing and under-deliver, because those early adopters or tribal trailblazers will communicate their disappointments which will be followed by long-term brand trauma and endless think tanks to work out what went wrong.
People warm to other people who understand them, empathise with them, make them laugh and share common interests. Giving brands personality in experiential marketing is key. This, together with the right platforms and the right strategy, is key to success.

Very few brands, however, are taking the next step and bringing themselves to experiential forums. However, the brands that shine through are the brands that caught us when we weren't looking. They caught us with clever and engaging experiences that assaulted our senses and made us feel good again.

Can you please discuss your thoughts on sponsorships versus partnerships when it comes to creating events?

It goes back to the above: we’re trying to create experiences for the event goers! That requires more than just money, but a buy in from the brands: a linking of the worlds in a seamless way. Together with my team, we make our collective ideas with the brands a reality, which highlights the necessity for partnership. Sponsorship brings little to no returns to the brands we link with. It is through partnership that both parties reap the greatest return for the collective vision.

What is Massive Management working on next?

Massive Management is now working on the global growth of the Delicious International Food and Music Festival. So, in due course, we will see Delicious International Food and Music festivals happening in the UK, North America, Dubai and Australia, which is very exciting, as these events will be home-grown South African festivals that are exported to the rest of the world!

www.tomorrowland.com/en/unite

Event Info

Date: 23 July 2016
Venue: Ticketpro Dome, Northumberland road, North Riding, Johannesburg
International Headliners: Dimitri Vegas, Like Mike, Axwell & Ingrosso, Nicky Romero
Local supporting acts: DJ Fresh, Roger Goode, Timo ODV, Dean Fuel, Kyle Watson, Household Funk, Ricardo Da Costa, Vimo, Chunda Munki.
Tickets: General Admission - R450, VIP - R1200, available from www.ticketpro.co.za
*No persons under the age of 18