Festivals In Focus: Q&A With Elements Music Festival Co-Founder Brett Herman

Live music festivals continue to grow in popularity and diversity as the landscape shifts and responds to trends and technological changes. JamBase reached out to several independent promoters of music festivals for insights into the challenges and rewards of hosting memorable events. This installment presents a Q&A with Elements Music & Arts Festival co-founder Brett Herman.

Elements Music & Arts Festival will be held August 9 – 11 at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Elements Festival offers a camping destination with seven stages, massive art installations, wellness programming and more.

Co-founders Brett Herman and Timothy Monkiewicz grew Elements from a one-day event in Brooklyn to its current status as a premier annual multi-day festival boasting over 100 acts. Herman and Monkiewicz are part of an independent Elements team that includes general manager Dan Slutsky.

Photo Courtesy of Elements Music & Arts Festival // Adi Adinayev

The winner of JamBase’s recent contest held in conjunction with the Festivals For Everyone campaign and Find Your Fest tool launch selected to attend Elements out of over 2,500 festivals to choose from.

“I chose Elements because of the killer lineup and because I’ll get to meet up with some of my festival family there! I’m so excited to experience everything Elements has to offer!” – Contest Winner Kellie

This year’s lineup is stacked with who’s who of electronic music with numerous B2B and special guest sets and stage takeovers, with Chris Lake, Illenium, Excision, Kaskade, SLANDER and CloZee among those slated to perform.

Headlining Sunday will be the Disco Biscuits making their Elements debut. Pennsylvania natives known for their electric festival sets, the quartet will bring a live element to the festival along with Boogie T.rio and The Floozies.

In advance of year’s Elements Music & Arts Festival, co-founder Brett Herman shared his thoughts and insights into the world of independent music festival promotion. Scroll on to read his Q&A.

Photo courtesy of Brett Herman

What got you into the world of independent festivals/promotions?

We began with a love of parties, going out, and being inspired by New York nightlife and its diversity. At the time, there was a thriving, independent, and underground scene that was massively inspiring, and we wanted to be a part of it. So, we just decided to throw a party.

The genesis from there was that each party would have to outdo the last one. Gradually, this led to us going from monthly parties with just a few hundred people to semi-monthly events with several hundred, then thousands. The next logical step was to throw a music festival, and so we launched Elements as a daytime waterfront festival in New York.

Did you have a mentor(s) or an education in the space?

For the first time in 2013, we did not have any formal mentorship or education and probably made every mistake possible along the way because of this. That said, we’re grateful for the people who joined us and the experience our entire crew brought to the fold. We’ve generally been inspired by festivals and events that are not our own. Part of our joy in doing this is seeing or dreaming something, then creating it and seeing that come to life — it’s truly one of the greatest joys.

Photo Courtesy of Elements Music & Arts Festival // Adi Adinayev

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?

There are a million things I wish I knew now. Although if I did, I’m not sure if I ever would have gotten into festival event production. It’s been a rough road, to say the least, pandemics and hurricanes aside. The main thing I wish I knew is the risks and scale of where things could be going. I think we would have looked at our roadmap a lot differently had we known we would be arriving here at our current venue in Long Pond, which has really aided in our growth as a festival.

But what’s the fun in the journey if you know where you’re going?

What are three things you wish concert attendees knew about hosting and promoting an independent music festival?

Regarding hosting and promoting an independent music festival, my first recommendation is: don’t budget more than you can afford to lose. I would also say be prepared for the unexpected, always put your guest experience first, and as one additional tip, get great insurance.

What is your favorite thing about promoting independent music festivals?

My favorite thing about promoting music festivals is when they’re done. When you’ve dreamed something and seen it come to life, and you’re standing on the stage looking at a sea of tens of thousands of smiling faces, it’s fulfilling. It makes all the blood, sweat, tears, heartache and risk go away.

Photo Courtesy of Elements Music & Arts Festival // Adi Adinayev

What’s a favorite festival that you’ve attended or worked on and why?

My favorite festival I’ve attended has been Burning Man. This will be my 19th year going, and it’s truly one of our largest sources of inspiration. The fan community and level of creativity that has been cultivated there is tremendously inspiring.

We see this in our five villages, where about a third of our population participates. We’re looking to foster a similar creative culture, evident in our art cars, five villages, and all the creations by our guests.

Glastonbury has also been tremendously inspiring, especially in that they’ve existed for so long and grown to become such an institution, and because of their participatory event culture. That’s absolutely my win. We’d love to be the Glastonbury of the U.S.

How do you prefer to engage with brands or sponsors who want to come on board? What qualities do you look for?

With brands, we are open to all kinds of partners and sponsors. The biggest quality we’re looking for is what they can add to the guest experience. We’re not interested in just putting up banners and posters to advertise brands. We want to co-create something with a brand that truly adds value to the experience — that’s what we’re looking for.

How has the indie festival project changed post-pandemic?

Everything has changed. The entire roadmap is gone. Everything we knew pre-pandemic doesn’t matter anymore. The buying patterns, trends and guest expectations are different.

It’s truly been a massive reset, and the whole industry is still trying to find its legs.

Photo Courtesy of Elements Music & Arts Festival // Adi Adinayev

Do you think that the effects of the pandemic are over/complete for people promoting independent live music events?

The effects of the pandemic are absolutely not over. To survive the pandemic, a tremendous amount of capital was created, and we’re now seeing the inflationary effects of that. Costs overall are 20% to 30% higher, but people aren’t making 20% to 30% more and aren’t necessarily willing to spend that much more.

It’s been a massive challenge to make ends meet in this economic environment for everybody. We’re grateful to be continually on a strong upward trend, but always cautious and risk-averse as best we can in a risky environment.

Are there any trends you see taking shape over the next couple of years?

Regarding trends, people are going to be looking for a consistently excellent experience that improves over time. We want to deliver this, especially as musical trends evolve and change.

We aim to offer the kind of consistent guest experience and environment one expects from someone like a Glastonbury, Electric Forest, Coachella, etc.

What is the best advice you can give to someone looking to attend a festival in 2024?

Best advice to attend? I mean, come on. Elements is in two weeks! What are you doing? It’s only 90 minutes from New York and Philadelphia. I recommend flying into Newark Airport, which is only 90 minutes away too, and we have shuttles. Also, take a shuttle — save the environment!

Photo Courtesy of Elements Music & Arts Festival // Adi Adinayev

Tier Three GA and VIP passes are currently on sale through the official Elements Festival website. Elements also offers a variety of options related to accommodations, which range from car camping to on-site glamping, nearby hotels, and preset RVs and tents for those seeking an elevated experience. Shuttle passes will also be available for those looking to avoid driving, which provide rides from a variety of major cities throughout the Northeast.