MTSU To Host Public Seminar with Bonnaroo Co-founders

Pictured (L-R): Ashley Capps, Rick Farman

MTSU’s College of Mass Communication will host a daylong, open-to-the-public seminar on Oct. 8 with the co-founders and organizers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival.

“Bonnaroo: The Making of a Music Festival” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring Bonnaroo co-founders Ashley Capps and Rick Farman and the festival’s entire management team to discuss business models, planning, marketing and media to its community spirit, volunteerism, music and programming.

“It’s simply unprecedented for the full management team of a world-class music festival to take a full day to engage and educate the next generation of music and media professionals,” said Ken Paulson, dean of MTSU’s College of Mass Communication. “The entire organization has been generous with its time and talent.”

Scheduled sessions include:

• “The Business of Bonnaroo,” 10:20-11:15 a.m.
• “The Spirit and Community of Bonnaroo,” 11:30 a.m.-12:25 p.m.
• “The Music and Programming of Bonnaroo,” 12:40-2:05 p.m.
• “The Marketing and Media of Bonnaroo,” 2:20-3:45 p.m.

As part of a partnership between the festival and the college, previous events have included a question-and-answer with students, and a behind the scenes look at multimedia news coverage for students for the June festival. A preview of the Oct. 8 event is available via video between Paulson and the co-founders.

Wednesday’s event will be held in the Parliamentary Room, Room 201, of MTSU’s Student Union. Printable campus map’s are available here. Off-campus visitors should check in with MTSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation. For more information, call 615-898-5171 or email.

The four-day music and arts festival launched in 2002, selling out 70,000 tickets in 11 days. Since then, organizers have continued to expand both its entertainment offerings and its 700-acre site near Manchester, Tenn. Multiple stages now draw crowds in excess of 90,000.