Prince Edward Island’s natural attractions are something Jeff Squires is passionate about. He instinctively links tourism and the natural outdoor beauty of the Island to all his business ventures, and he has been associated with a few: after starting his career as a teacher, principal and hockey coach, he founded a marketing and communica- tions business, plus he’s President and CEO of the PEI Brewing Company. He acknowledges wryly that he must be part of the “this generation that’s going to have six or eight careers.” Firmly convinced that Prince Edward Island needed a destination music event to align with its already sizable tourism capital, Squires set out to find a site suitable for a festival. In 2008, he found the right spot: ironically it was a potato field; it was the right size and capacity for such an event. Strategically, he chose a location near Avonlea Village, anticipating in advance that attendees would look for other activities in the area and Cavendish Beach had it all. For the first, three-day show in 2009, Squires lined up country music heavy-hitters Tim McGraw and Reba McIntyre. “Everyone we talked to in the entertainment industry said, ‘if this is going to work, you need Reba,’ Jeff Squires told a crowd in May at the Canadian Market-
ing Association’s Atlantic conference. Why Reba? “Not only is she an A-list country star, she’s just got the best reputation as a real professional. If she’s involved in a thing, people know it’s legit.” This was the first time that the Cavendish Beach Music Festival used a strategic partnership to achieve its goals, a practice many events aspire to use and be as successful as the CBMF does for their event. “We were setting up shows on the waterfront and in other places, but none were right. It became clear that what Prince Edward Island needed was a venue.” Attendance the first year more than met the festival’s goals, so in 2010, organizers began to build permanent structures on the site to improve the experience. The festival was extended to five days, in order to better accommodate world-class acts including Lady Antebel- lum, Keith Urban and Taylor Swift. When Taylor Swift took the stage it was estimated that over 35,000 people were in attendance. Since then, stars visiting Prince Edward Island for the Cavendish Beach Music Festival have included Tanya Tucker, The Dixie Chicks, Brad Paisley, Dwight Yoakum, Darius Rucker, Rascal Flatts and Little Big Town – the list reads like a hit country radio station playlist. As anyone who’s organized an event can attest, talent is essential, but without logistics, promotion and support, nothing happens. Finding partners with aligned needs and interests who bring real value is one of the secret weapons of the best event planners. At the CMA Atlantic conference, Kim Doyle of Whitecap Entertainment talked about the value of partners to CBMF. She highlighted CAA’s role in helping distribute information about the festival through their network to potential tourists. iHeartRadio is another company happy to align with CBMF by presenting a free tailgate party. From a company release: “We are committed to raising awareness of iHeartRadio in Canada in advance of the brand’s coming launch, and our partnership with Lotto MAX presents Cavendish
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JULY 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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