Bonnaroo may boast one of the more impressive lineups of any live music event, but according to A.C. Entertainment’s Jeff Cuellar, philanthropy is the “fabric of the festival”.
The overall goal of the festival, according to Cuellar, is to “have potentially zero impact on the environment”. In order to help insure this is the case, Bonnaroo does Carbon Footprints which enables guests to pay extra in order to “offset your impact”, assuming they drove. Also making Roo greener are efforts to eliminate plastic bottles, use 100% solar powered energy and create onsite compositing.
Cuellar, who serves as director of marketing and business development for co-promoter A.C. Entertainment, was interviewed by Amy Jacques on the Public Relations Society of America’s blog,
He explained that since purchasing the 700 acres of land in Coffee County where Bonnaroo is held, the philanthropy efforts have expanded. They created the Bonnaroo Works Fund to manage and distribute monies generated from silent auctions and ticket surcharges. Many local Coffee County merchants have also started vending at the festival grounds, leading to growth in the area ecomomy.
Now entering its ninth year with a lineup that includes Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon and Jay-Z, Bonnaroo has changed the face of music and changed its musical makeup along the way.
Originally considered a jam band festival, Cuellar states that he never intended to sitck with one musical gerne. In fact, the reason the festival grew its roots through the jam band crowds is that they were/are considered “heavy consumers of music”. Cuellar saw the tremendous potential market and knew that these fans would come camp, making it a strong business decision. What sets Bonnaroo apart from other summer music festivals is its astonishing ability to create an atmosphere where diverse crowds and musicians can thrive.
Want to experience the "Best of Bonnaroo"? You can watch this video below. Or download HeadCount's FREE 17-track Best of Bonnaroo compilation featuring Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Pearl Jam and many others. Visit www.musicforaction.org