After seeing The Selfie Stand in action at the Nelson Santa’s Grotto, Shelley knew it would be a big hit at MarchFest.
“They really thought about the audience and the theme of the Festival” – Shelley Haring, Managing Director, Nelson Venues and Events
Even before you get to the entry gates the atmosphere is electric. The music is pumping, the beer is flowing, the food is sizzling, the crowd is buzzing.
Held in Nelson, New Zealand’s main hop growing region at the top of the South Island, MarchFest is not your ordinary beer festival.
Organiser Shelley Haring says that all of the beers available at MarchFest have been specially brewed for the event and have never been tasted by the public.
“The brewers get the opportunity to be quite creative, bring a bit of flair and try some different flavours,” says Shelley.
“Because they’re new beers, everyone wants to taste them, so this year we set up the Tasting Bar which was extremely popular.”
And with names like Jibber and Twitch, Hooha, Quantum of Hops and Hazy Horse, their imagination is clearly on show and there’s lots to tempt the palate.
With an equally enticing range of ciders, wines and artisan foods on offer, as well as the Kids Zone for the young, and the Brew Zone for the not-so-young, there truly is something for everyone.
After seeing The Selfie Stand in action at the Nelson Santa’s Grotto, Shelley knew it would be a big hit at MarchFest.
“What really appealed to me about was its simple set-up, and people could get their photos instantly.”
Not requiring any management or time commitment from her busy organising team was another real bonus for Shelley.
“They really thought about the audience and the theme of the Festival,” she says.
“People really enjoyed it and our team got a photo too – we didn’t want to miss out!”
The Selfie Stand was busy all day with many groups returning time and time again to try on different outfits or to get other friends in their photos. And despite how busy they were, queuing was nearly as much a part of the fun as the photos.
While waiting, eager punters got to try on the array of hats, beer mug masks, beer goggles, bow ties, boas and props – and then decide what pose to do.
Finally, with the touch of a button, the photos were taken and sent through to their phones for quick and easy upload to Facebook or Instagram to make their friends at home know what they were missing out on. The inclusion of the MarchFest hashtag also enabled the organisers to see all the photos and the shares.
“We’ve already booked them for another Festival and a conference later this year,” says Shelley.
“It will definitely be an ongoing relationship.”