Artist liaison is the festival's front door. They meet the van, hand over the passes, and know where the coffee is.
What they handle
- Arrival, parking and where to unload
- Accreditation: wristbands, laminates and the guest list
- Dressing rooms, catering times and the hospitality rider
- Getting the artist to the stage and back
- Departure, and anything left in the room
Who does it
At large European festivals it is a paid role with a team and a shift schedule. At smaller ones it is a volunteer with a clipboard and no authority to spend money. Work out which you have in the first two minutes.
Making it work
Send arrival times, the headcount and the vehicle registration in advance. Ask one person for everything, rather than four people for one thing each. If something in the Hospitality rider is missing, say so early, because the shop closes and the budget was set in March.