With only 4 weeks to go (actually 3 if you don't count this week) until St Kilda starts, it's a hive of activity here at St Kilda Festival HQ. The full line up was announced this week and the programs are out. If you haven't got your hands on one yet, check out the website stkildafestival.com.au for all the amazingness we have planned for the week.
There's so much to see, watch, enjoy, experience. It's all very exciting.
Right, on to the interview. This week we meet Meghan.
Hi Meghan introduce yourself please.
Hi I’m Meghan, I’m the Festival Sponsorship and Signage Production Coordinator. I assist all the sponsors with their on site logistics and look after production of all the signage that goes up.
We’ll start with signage first:
What sort of signs?
All signs – everything from road closures, toilets, directional signs (arrow this way, arrow, that way), entry & exit and all the promotional ones – Stage line ups, all the flags that go along The Esplanade etc…so many signs
How many altogether?
Over 350 are installed onsite altogether.
That’s a lot of signs.
Yes it is.
The first of the promotional signs - the big tower banners that are put up along Jacka Boulevard are actually arriving here at the office this afternoon. They’ll be installed next week which is exciting.
Oh they just arrived – YAY, 10 down 340 to go!
And the others? When do they go up?
The rest are installed from the day before Festival Sunday. (Saturday 12 February). A team of 12 work all day Saturday and then start again at Sunday morning. They have to have them all up by when the Festival starts.
They’re all taken down again from about on Sunday night. It doesn’t take nearly as long to take them down, the team has to be finished by when the site is cleared and back to how it usually is the other 364 days when the Festival’s not on.
They have to be careful though as we reuse a lot of the signs from year to year.
Oh, what are the biggest and smallest signs?
The biggest are the massive banners on the side of the Main Stage – they’re 7 x 6 metres
And the smallest is only 13 x 7cm.
Ooo tiny – what are they for?
They’re ‘replacement signs’ – little stickers that cover up or replace information on signs that were used last year. Date changes mainly.
And the other part of your job – Sponsorship. Tell us about that please.
Ok, so basically, I make sure that all their on site needs are met, that everything they need to have for their activation is there and done in a safe way, so they’ll have a happy and successful day.
What does that entail?
I help the sponsors with any infrastructure they need, like marquees, tables and chairs as well as power, signage…
At the moment, I’m making sure we’ve got all the right information from them so that their St Kilda Festival goes exactly according to plan.
Collecting their event management plans, risk assessments, OH&S management plans…
We’re also organising film & photography permits and sampling permits - for those wanting to hand stuff out.
And compiling lists of names of the people they’ll have on site so we can get them accreditation passes (on site access passes) and make sure they’ve all completed the online safety induction.
How many people is that for then?
Oh, there’s hundreds. All the sponsor bump in crews, their promotional staff, subcontractors and volunteers….
So much information….
And what about you on Festival Sunday, what will you be doing?
I’ll be starting very early – with the signage installation crew to make sure that all goes smoothly. Then I’ll check in all the sponsors to make sure they’ve got everything they need and help out with anything that comes up.
Or down if it’s signage.
What are you most looking forward to seeing?
Save the Children Make your Mark. It’s a big marquee where they’re asking people to ink up their thumbs and ‘sign’ a petition to help children worldwide survive to see their 5th birthday. It’s a great concept for an activation. I suppose we’ll see everyone at the Festival walking around with inky fingers.
And will you get to see any bands?
Luckily, I’ll be outside a lot, so I’ll get to see things as I walk past. I really want to see Hungry Kids of Hungary – they’re on the Main Stage at 6.30pm.
Ooo so do I. Then Opulent Sound at O’Donnell Gardens…
So many good bands…
Well, Meghan, I’ve learnt a lot about signs this afternoon. Thanks for that. You have a happy rest of your Friday.
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