GAN 555 ventures to draw concertgoers with YAK Fest
GAN 555 Co, an entertainment company led by music enthusiast Yuthana Boonorm, is investing more than 25 million baht on YAK Fest at Khao Yai, intended to entice young concertgoers.
“The number of music festivals has been increasing over the past five years and we want to create a different and outstanding event,” said Mr Yuthana.
He said like other aspects of showbiz, successful music festivals must be driven by outstanding shows.
“People want something beyond amusement. They also want new experiences, so the new format for music festivals will better serve the younger generation of concertgoers,” he said.
The 100-rai YAK Fest will be held in Khao Yai on Feb 24.
But only 40% of the event will entail concerts, with talk shows, organic food offerings, parties and health workshops run by famous artists making up the bulk of the festival.
Mr Yuthana said the festival is expected to attract more than 10,000 people, generating more than 30 million baht for the company.
“Apart from pulling in revenue, I think one of the most important things for us is creating stronger awareness and more engagement,” he said, adding that Thailand’s music festival scene has changed dramatically over the past decade.
Mr Yuthana started his music festival career at Fat Festival, held by 104.5 Fat Radio (an online radio application), back when there was no competition.
But he said today, the competition in the festival industry is very intense.
“The number of music festival organisers has increased. The only way to draw massive attention from new concertgoers is to stay exceptional,” he said.
From Fat Festival to Big Mountain Music Festival, Mr Yuthana said he has been able to find success via new formats.
“There are not enough music festivals in Thailand to serve demand, and ticket prices should be affordable,” he said.
The company expects a 10% profit margin from its investment in YAK Fest.