Quadstock 35 Music Festival
Quadstock Co-chair (9-month timeline)
Spearheaded the end-to-end redesign of an established campus music festival, evolving it from a traditional event into a community-centered celebration. Over 9 months, redefined the festival's mission to honor its 35-year legacy while prioritizing impact and inclusivity, recentering the voices and experiences of Seattle University's communities through intentional curation, accessible pricing, and strategic programming.
Music Festival Producer
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Talent Buyer
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Music Festival Producer 〰️ Talent Buyer 〰️
Event Strategy
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Event Strategy 〰️
Poster design and creative direction by me. Logo Design by Ahlem D.
Budget Breakdown
Mission
“Celebrating music and community, Quadstock honors its roots, unites diverse voices, and creates a space for connection, creativity, and the shared joy of live performances, where memories are relived, and new ones are grown. “
Budget
Even Budget Split for Attention to Experience
23k
Results
to literacy program for young low-income students
experience > lineup = retention and real impact.
40%
Retention Rate
170
Hard Ticket Sales
$1,700 raised.
205
Attendance
Research
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I reached out to two former Quadstock Co-chairs through LinkedIn to learn their versions of Quadstock. Evan Johnson, current talent buyer for Nuemos + CHBP, gave me insight on their 3-day Quadstock event in 2013.
Culture was ,self-sustaining unlike current Quadstocks.
Students went out there way creating their “StockQuad” T-shirts that were only earned by visiting house parties before Quadstock. This shows a culture was made, it was not just a music festival, its a way of living.
Ticket Pricing was $22 for a 70k budget.
Cost of ticket price = % of retention
3.Collaboration is key to adding different audiences to your festival.
Its simple, when adding clubs that are popular, you invite secondary audiences to your event, therefore increasing visibility and potential ticket sales.
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During my time at Bumberworks, I learned two major things from working directly with Connors & Co, speaking to CEO of Bumbershoot, Joe Pagnelli, on history and retention.
Connors & Co : Radio Etiquette and Event Layout Planning
Radio etiquette I brought in to level up our communications as an organization, increasing efficiency internally during the event.
The event layout is important for foot traffic and fan engagement. I used my knowledge from walkthroughs of Bumbereshoot and Day n Day Out to implement closer vendor interaction from the main stage to the outer areas.
Joe Pagnelli: History and emphasis on Staggering attractions
He told me to look back at the history of Quadstock, so I returned to my primary resources from an archive to understand past Quadstocks and interviewed former co-chairs.
Staggering the lineup, vendors, and other activities in between keeps people moving. Therefore, I staggered the vendors’ opening and closing times to help funnel audiences to vendors and the headliner.
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Audience
Seattle U is a quiet school that likes to rebel. In terms of house shows or parties, it's on campus, or students go to UW for bigger shows. Therefore, a DJ who has a pull was my first thought, it allows for a variety of genres to be played.
Culture
A rise of boiler room styled DJ sets started to be popularized, the need for intimacy and strange set design:
Lot Radio, SYBER, ANTIDOTO, and Club Radio
Overall, the DJ's intimate scene was the best match for the audience.
Vibes, lighting, intimate shows
These inspired the festival lineup, lighting, and event feel.
Lineup Strategy
Intimate DJ shows are in. From the rise of Boiler Room-style video content, I saw an opportunity to recreate this at the concert. It was more economically sound for the production and lighting, I knew I wanted to help the environment grow and feel.