Let us remind you that just a few days before the start of this year’s edition of the FEST Festival, the organizer announced bankruptcy. Although it was supposed to be only the fourth edition of the musical event, the festival taking place in the Silesian Park in Chorzów has become one of the most famous events of this type in Poland. Later, the Follow The Step agency responsible for organizing the event published information about the commencement of restructuring in the company.
The head of the FEST Festival explains that until the last hours he believed that everything would be successful
At the very beginning of the conversation with the president of the FEST Festival company and the president of the management board of the Follow the Step agency, Marcin Szymanowski was asked why he waited so long to give an interview in which he would confirm or deny various reports.
– After everything that happened, I couldn’t keep up with the answers to the questions that were coming to me. Not all media tried to contact me either. Hate sells much better online than a reliable presentation of the truth, said Szymanowski. However, his response did not satisfy the journalist, who reminded him that he had tried to contact him many times before, but he had hit the wall.
I wanted to talk to you at a time when I would have something specific to tell people. Previously, apart from feeling sorry for myself, I wasn’t able to provide any specifics. I didn’t want to talk publicly about how bad I felt – explains the head of the FEST Festival.
He goes on to say that he fought until the end to make this year’s edition of the festival take place, but it was definitely too late. He also admitted that the 2022 edition also did not work out financially as they expected. – Production costs have increased by 50%. up to 200 percent We hired a lot of people for the company and gave them a little more opportunity to confirm and negotiate rates, he said.
He also admitted that “to be or not to be” FEST depended mainly on ING Bank Śląski, from which the organizers wanted to obtain the necessary funds in exchange for the bank becoming the title partner for the next three years.
PLN five million. That’s all there was to do for FEST to take place. The meeting with bank representatives lasted several hours. My partner led the negotiations. Everything seemed to work out. Unfortunately, in the evening the head of the marketing department called and announced that we were a few days short. Then we realized it was over.
When the interviewer notices that it was too late for such a “lifeline”, Szymanowski believes that there was no other option. “Canceling the festival even two weeks earlier would have disastrous consequences,” he said.
He blames his financial problems on poor cooperation with the ticket distributor. He also mentions On Air Festival
Other reasons why the FEST Festival in 2023 did not take place are problems with the only ticket seller for the event, Going., which suspended payments for tickets from July 17. Previously, it was supposed to force the organizers to sign a coalition agreement,
They stopped our ticket payments and said that if we did not sign a new contract, they would stop sending transfers. We were in a difficult situation. Each delayed payment resulted in an avalanche of consequences. We agreed to sign this contract under slight duress.
They stopped our ticket payments and said that if we did not sign a new contract, they would stop sending transfers. We were in a difficult situation. Each delayed payment resulted in an avalanche of consequences. We agreed to sign this contract under slight duress. (…) Everyone claimed that such a large entity with so many partners could not fail. However, I knew perfectly well what our situation was like in our conversations with Going. I have emphasized many times that they will ultimately lead us to insolvency. And this situation occurred four days before the start of the FEST Festival. Finally, they withdrew from freezing the funds and finally sent them to us with a two-week delay. Unfortunately, it was too late. (…) Probably if we cooperated with Going. had not deteriorated, the festival would have taken place. – said Szymanowski.
In the interview, the president of the management board of the Follow The Step agency also stated that organizing the On Air festival was also one of the reasons why the company ran into big financial problems. – However, after the success of FEST in 2021 and 2022, we were convinced that we were ready to organize the festival in Warsaw. We made wrong assumptions that the capital needed another mass event. Maybe one day it will be like that, but not today. On Air was supposed to be attended by 20,000 people. people a day, and we couldn’t reach 10,000. On the first day, less than 7,000 people came to Bemowo. people. You can quickly calculate the losses we have suffered, he admitted.
“I would like to emphasize that I am selling FEST. This is the only way to save the festival.”
The issue of returning tickets was also raised. However, it turns out that due to the unfavorable contract with Going., it will not be that easy. – Everyone who bought a ticket through Eventim has already received a refund. Those who managed to purchase tickets via Going also have no problem getting their money back. on the old contract. Problems arise among those consumers who purchased a season ticket during the term of the new contract, because the claims are addressed directly to us – he explained, then added that they currently have no money, but at the moment they are offering all such people participation in the next edition of the festival.
Because next year the Fest Festival is to return in a new version. In an interview, Szymanowski emphasized that I wanted to introduce restructuring in order to “settle accounts – at least partially – with all creditors.”
I would like to emphasize that I am selling FEST. This is the only way to save the festival. There is an investor who wants to buy it. If the restructuring takes effect, a new owner will appear. The sale will provide funds to settle arrears. We cannot provide the name of the new owner at this time, he noted.
After the takeover, the current president of the company would provide the new owner with knowledge about previous editions. – I have to hand over documents, specifications, contracts, plans. I managed it wrong. I should have started taking action after the second edition when I saw some problems emerging. I know that. But this does not mean that I did not prepare four editions of FEST, which were higher in quality than many other Polish events. In the new role, I would be responsible for the production of the event, and the finances and final decisions would be taken over by the new owner, he said. He also announced that the festival will face big changes.
From publishing the full line-up at once, to discounts on season tickets for those affected. Full ticket refund guarantees. The new owner knows about all the obstacles that await him because I have never hidden them. This is a complete PR change.
At the end of the conversation, the Onet journalist asked Szymanowski if he would be able to repeat all this in a face-to-face conversation with people who had a lot to accuse him of. – Yes, but I certainly wouldn’t be as patient as in a polite conversation with you. I understand that I failed, but the hate that was poured out on me in public was unfair. (…) Nothing justifies the fact that I was threatened with death – he concluded.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
