Christian Festival Association makes industry impact

Williamsburg, Virginia – November 5, 2010 – Operators of the nation’s largest multi-day Christian music festivals met in Orlando recently for the Christian Festival Association’s annual meeting.  The meeting was held in conjunction with the Christian Music Broadcasters MOMENTUM 2010 event.  The mission of the four-year-old CFA Association is to help the independent festival organizations grow both spiritually and fiscally, so that more lives can be changed for glory of God. 

 

Throughout the course of the meeting, the group met with a variety of Christian music industry leaders, including record label executives, booking agents and artist managers.  “We had a very productive meeting,” said Kathy Cook, festival director for Hills Alive Festival (Rapid City, SD) and CFA Board Member.  “There was open and honest dialogue among the festival operators and with the industry representatives present.  We sincerely believe that we can all benefit by working together to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our events.” 

According to Bob Thompson, the Association’s president, “The CFA’s vision is to provide and facilitate an open communications environment that links Christian festival organizers together for encouragement, shared information and resources, and addressing common business circumstances and goals.” 

“The Christian music festivals put on by CFA members are attended by over 1.5 million people,” said Thompson.  “Collectively, these festivals send out over 2.5 million direct mail pieces, send E-mail blasts to over 4.5 million potential attendees and place posters in nearly a million churches, schools and retail locations.  Collectively, the CFA member websites attract over 150 million annual hits.  These marketing efforts are augmented by significant electronic media coverage on Christian radio and TV stations nationwide.”

The twenty-six members of the CFA include events from coast-to-coast and border-to-border.  The member festivals include:

• Agapefest – Greenville, Illinois
• Alive Festival – Mineral City, Ohio
• Atlanta Fest – Stone Mountain, Georgia
• Big Ticket Festival – Ionia, Michigan
• Cornerstone Festival – Bushnell, Illinois
• Creation Festival Northeast – Mt. Union, Pennsylvania
• Creation Festival Northwest – Enumclaw, Washington
• Crossover Festival – Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
• Hills Alive – Rapid City, South Dakota
• Ichthus – Wilmore, Kentucky
• Kingdom Bound – Darien Center, New York
• King’s Fest – Doswell, Virginia
• LifeLight Festival – Worthing, South Dakota
• Lifest – Oshkosh, Wisconsin
• Purple Door Festival – Lewisberry, Pennsylvania
• Revelation Generation – Frenchtown, New Jersey
• Rock The Coast – Muskegon, Michigan
• Rock The Desert – Midland, Texas
• Rock The Light – LyCygne, KS
• Sonshine Festival – Wilmar, Minnesota
• SoulFest – Gilford, New Hampshire
• Spirit Song Festival – King’s Island, Ohio
• Sprit West Coast – Monterey and Del Mar, California
• Unity Christian Music Festival – Muskegon, Michigan
• Winterfest – Lynchburg, Virginia

 

Thompson further stated: “The primary purpose of the CFA is to increase the success and professionalism of participating festivals so that the Gospel of Jesus Christ may be advanced and glory brought to Jesus Christ, our Lord.”

The group meets face-to face annually each year, with the next meeting scheduled for September 2011 in Orlando.  The group also conducts monthly teleconferences.

Details and a map of U.S. festival locations are at the website: http://www.christianfestivals.org