About the Book

Book Synopsis

Festival Management is ideal for undergraduate students learning the principles and practical skills for delivering festivals and live special events.

This textbook will:
- Introduce the fundamentals of what makes a festival a special event, and the variety of festivals from local small-scale live events to mega global exhibitions
- Explore the design process from budgeting and marketing and promotion to sponsorship and fundraising
- Consider contemporary critical issues impacting festival management including risk and crisis management, the Triple Bottom Line, the use of AI and the ongoing need for hybrid events
- Evaluate the impacts of festivals from pre-event to during the event and post-event

With in-text learning features - learning objectives, discussion questions, key industry terminology and interviews with leading professionals - this textbook prepares students to plan and deliver festivals in their future careers. Real-world examples are included from the Chelsea Flower Show, the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Calgary Stampede, Brazil's Carnival, New Zealand's Matariki and South Korea's Boryeong Mud Festival. Additional online resources include PowerPoint lecturer slides, additional real-world examples, practitioner interviews and planning templates.

About the Author

Cynthia Lerick is an instructor in the Department of Hospitality Management at Kansas State University, USA, and the President and CEO of The Art of Events, LLC. She has over 30 years of event management experience for non-profit and for-profit organizations.

Ira Rosen was Associate Professor of Event Management at Temple University, USA, where he was previously Program Director for the Event Leadership Executive Certificate Program, and continues to teach as an adjunct professor. He founded Ira L Rosen, LLC, and has been inducted into the International Festivals and Events Association Hall of Fame.