NC Festival & Events Survey Results and Resources

(Updated: July 29, 2025, 11:28 a.m.)

A survey was distributed earlier this year to gauge festival and event planner's pandemic adjustments and future needs. From those results, we have compiled the infographic below with resources that may be helpful for planners.

Title Box NC Festival & Events Survey Results with NC State Extension logo. Box 1 - Survey respondents (n = 92) were asked to answer the questions for the event (or festival) that they dedicated most of their time. Box 2 - hour glass icon; 49% of respondents have hosted the event for 20+ years. Respondents also indicated 18% have hosted for 11-20 yrs. 31% between 3-10 years and only 2% have hosted for less than 2 years prior to 2020 (n = 92). Box 3 - The average number of event attendees image of 100 human icons in different shades of blue to match the following percentages 44% had more than 10,000, 36% had between 1,000 and 10,000 and 20% had fewer than 1,000 (n = 86). Box 4 - 87% respondents had never cancelled the event prior to 2020 (n - 81). Over half (67%) cancelled the event entirely in 2020 (n = 81). Box 5 - Resource needs for event planners most commonly stated by respondents were related to 1. safety, 2. crowds, 3. volunteers. Box 5 includes a Table of Resources with each of the 8 resources designated for if they include safety, crowd control, volunteer, planning guides or checklist in them. Resource 1 CDC Event Reading & Planning Tool includes Safety, Panning and Checklist link: go.ncsu.edu/tn7ljh7. Resource 2 CDC Pandemic Flue Event Preparation (Preparing for Future) includes safety, planning guides and checklist. Link: go.ncsu.edu/qddnpoc. Resource 3 is CVENT: Event Planning Guide 2021 that includes a Planning Guide. Link: go.ncsu.edu/2rcn0jw. Resource 4 is Event Safety Alliance Event Planning Guide that includes safety and planning guides. Link go.ncsu.edu/f1lpcjd. Resource 5 Function Central Event Planning Guide that includes safety, crowd control, volunteers, planning guides and checklist. Link: go.ncsu.edu/xmqugt6. Resource 6 is a Health & Safety Executives Crowd Control Guide that includes crowd control. Link: go.ncsu.edu/jahmjlo. Resource 7 is Initlive: Best Practices and Examples of Volunteering During COVID which includes volunteers. Link: go.ncsu.edu/q0zxexg. Resource 8 is Volunteer Hub: Volunteer Management amid COVID-19 includes safety and volunteers. Link: go.ncsu.edu/kokohci. Box 7 NC Resources NC Festival and Events Association ncfestival.com, Count on Me NC countonmeNC.org, NC State Extension ces.ncsu.edu, NC State Tourism Extension tourism.ncsu.edu. 3 images about wearing mask, washing hands and staying six feet apart. Box 8, last box, includes links from table resources and a document with these links and other relevant resources that can be accessed at go.ncsu.edu/fest2021.
Festivals & Events 2021 Resources Infographic

PDF Version - FestivalInfographic_V2

Links to Above Resources 1. CDC - no longer an active link 2. CDC - no longer an active link 3. CVENT: go.ncsu.edu/2rcn0jw 4. ESA - no longer an active link 5. FC: go.ncsu.edu/xmqugt6 6. HSE: go.ncsu.edu/jahmjlo 7. Initlive: go.ncsu.edu/q0zxexg 8. Volunteer Hub: go.ncsu.edu/kokohci A document with these and other relevant resources can be accessed: go.ncsu.edu/fest2021


 
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