We'll deliver a first class festival on a budget

For the first year Kingdom Entertainments will produce the Bermuda Music Festival in partnership with Oxford Communications.

This year’s headline acts are Ziggy Marley, Angie Stone, Estelle and Toni Braxton while the local artists are Chewstick, Home Grown, Sia Spence and McCartney K. This year, government has scaled back the festival’s budget to $800,000 compared to last year’s $1.9 million event but Kingdom Entertainment president and the festival’s co-producer Chip Quigley promises it will still be a first class event. There may not be superstar talents or the large venues of years gone by but spending on advertising is up with the drive to attract tourists paramount. Mr. Quigley has 35 years in the entertainment business, having produced numerous events at major venues including Madison Square Gardens, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. He also worked on Condé Nast Media Group’s Fashion Rocks TV special on CBS. He talks to the Bermuda Sun about the festival’s progress so far.

• How did it come about, your producing the Bermuda Music Festival this year?

I’ve worked in Bermuda over the years for the events division of my company and

I have done various shows at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. I have produced the last two years of the Love Weekend. Me and my partner Jim Kirwin at Oxford Communications have worked in the States together on different project. Fashion Rocks was the major TV production in the States for a couple of years.

We thought about the global economic collapse and how folks locally were looking at a different model for the festival. We saw it as a brilliant opportunity and eventually got the bid. We knew we could still deliver a first class festival — I’ve been working in the entertainment business for 35 years.

• How did you go about selecting this year’s headline acts?

I know Beyoncé and Alicia Keys performed there before and that’s a certain kind of approach and certainly different from a budgetary standpoint.

We wanted to make sure we had the best talent for this event and although there is less budget for the super, super star I would still say we have the same level of talent.

Ziggy was a no brainer — I have worked with him before and I know he does a great show, so I thought he’d be great to kick off. I then looked at the final night and Toni Braxton — she is a multiple-Grammy winner and has never been to the island. I have done shows with her in the past and she has always been spectacular. I’m a big fan of Angie Stone and Estelle has a new record coming — again I worked with her on a bunch of shows.

I know she is super talented and she has great style.

I think the locations are prime — the beach for Ziggy and then the ballroom for an evening that people can enjoy dressing up for.

• Where have you made the most cuts in this year’s festival?

It’s a tight budget but I don’t have one client that doesn’t have a tight budget.

Talent fees in the past were higher than this year.

There is also moving indoors. Each night there has been a limit of 1,200 tickets for sale on the beach and the hall. The production costs of going outdoors are high — but we are still outdoors for one of the events.

• How many tourists do you hope to attract this year?

We spent more on advertising this year. This was marketed better than any other year in the signage, radio spots. In the States it’s in the papers all the time and there are billboard ads. We have definitely been addressing getting more tourists here this year. I can easily say it is a real strong marketing push.

We have a goal of 600 to 700 tourists.

• Which tickets are selling?

We are almost three quarters of the way there.

The Ziggy and Toni nights are going quicker.