A new edition of the Hello Festival is planned in Emmen on 13 and 14 June. To get everything, the organization has joined forces with the party factory, the organizer of the Zwarte Cross.
“We are only a small organization and where we normally always hire externally people, we are now removing them from them,” says Wim Beekman of the Hello Festival. “For example, the draftsman of the Zwarte Cross has now also drawn our site, we hire a internship manager of them and we also work together in the field of merchandise.”
There are also joint purchasing. “For example, when it comes to artists, electricity, water and fences. With everything we need, we look together at the best option.”
Beekman is very clear about the why behind the collaboration. “To keep the festival affordable. We see considerable price increases everywhere and we do not want to pass everything on in the tickets. We try to keep the price affordable and that is one of the main reasons behind the collaboration.”
The fact that the Hello Festival will work with the party factory does not mean that the latter also has control. “We work completely independently. We are purely autonomous and make our own decisions.”
Visitors to the festival will not notice much of the collaboration. “The visitor notes in particular in the continuity and affordability of the festival. They notice it in the map and beer price. We think that’s the most important thing.”
The fact that the new owner of the Zwarte Cross was under fire last week has not played a role in the consideration of the consideration of working together. “That is something that does not play for us. We have been working together since January and the discussion about the owner of the Zwarte Cross has only been there since last week.” Last weekend it came out that the American ‘robbery capitalist’ KKR took over the company Superstruct Entertainment at the end of last year. Superstruct owns dozens of European festivals, including the Zwarte Cross.
“We are about the continuity of the festival, which will still exist in five to ten years,” Beekman defends.
The new collaboration is very important according to Beekman and the organization is therefore preparing with a good mind for the festival of soon. “The weather forecasts turn out to be good and we are now working on the last cards. We are going to make it a great festival again.”