Festival Guest Lists and Comp Tickets: Keeping Freebies Under Control

Introduction
Free tickets can be a double-edged sword for any festival. On one hand, offering complimentary passes builds goodwill – sponsors feel valued, media can cover the event, and artists can bring loved ones. On the other hand, an unchecked guest list can quietly erode your ticket revenue and jam up your venue’s capacity. Seasoned festival producers understand that *“free” isn’t really free – every comp ticket is a potential paid ticket not sold, and too many can bust a budget or violate crowd limits. Keeping freebies under control is about smart planning and firm policies, so you can welcome VIPs and partners without giving away the house.

As a mentor to the next generation of festival organisers, this guide breaks down step-by-step how to set up a savvy system for managing guest lists and complimentary tickets. From deciding who truly merits free entry, to setting strict limits and tracking methods, these practices help ensure you satisfy your VIPs, sponsors, and other stakeholders and preserve your festival’s revenue and safety. Whether you’re running a 2,000-person boutique arts fest or a 200,000-strong mega music festival, the principles of fair, controlled comp ticket management apply. Let’s dive into proven strategies – backed by real-world examples from festivals around the globe – to keep your “freebies” in check.

The Hidden Costs of ‘Free’ Tickets

It’s tempting to hand out free tickets liberally in the excitement of promoting your event. However, experienced festival producers know that every complimentary ticket has hidden costs:

• Lost Revenue: Every person who enters for free is one less ticket sold. If sponsors, friends, and “VIP plus-ones” start ballooning, you might find that 5–10% (or more) of your crowd didn’t pay. For a festival in the UK selling 50,000 tickets, even 5% in unchecked freebies means 2,500 lost sales – a significant hit on the bottom line. Festivals in the US, India, or Australia all face this same equation: free entry should be budgeted as an expense or marketing cost, not an afterthought.
• Capacity Strain: Most events have a finite capacity, whether due to venue size or permit limits. If you promise sponsors and artists unlimited guest spots, you risk exceeding safe attendance numbers. This was nearly the case at a boutique festival in New Zealand, where an overly generous guest list threatened to push attendance over the licensed cap – organisers had to scramble to revoke some invites to stay compliant. Free guests count toward your crowd just like paying fans do, so each must be accounted for in advance.
• Fairness & Optics: Core fans can feel cheated if a festival appears to have too many “invited” attendees in prime spots. It can become obvious when large entourages occupy the front rows or VIP areas without having paid. This can hurt your brand’s reputation over time. A festival in Germany learned this after backlash from loyal attendees who noticed an influx of non-paying VIPs swarming the stage-side viewing area. Keeping comps to a reasonable level shows respect for those who bought tickets, maintaining trust with your audience.
• Administrative Overhead: Managing a huge guest list last-minute is logistically nightmarish. Every freebie needs a ticket issued or name on a list, and must be verified at entry. If you don’t have a system, your door staff could be shuffling through spreadsheets or emails while lines grow. This happened at a food festival in Singapore where dozens of unplanned “friends of the chef” showed up – without a proper list, check-in slowed to a crawl. Controlling and planning comps ahead of time prevents such on-site chaos and keeps admission smooth.

In short, free tickets are never truly free. They draw down resources in one way or another. That’s why it’s critical to decide carefully who actually earns a comp ticket and to implement tools and rules to keep the numbers in check.

Deciding Who Gets Free Entry

Not everyone who asks to be “on the guest list” should be there. Successful festivals worldwide develop clear criteria for complimentary entry. Who deserves a free pass? It usually comes down to those who either contribute to the event’s success or whose presence brings significant value. The typical categories include:

Sponsors and Partners

Sponsors often invest money, goods, or services into your festival – they’re paying in a different way – and part of their ROI is hospitality. It’s standard to include a set number of free tickets or VIP passes in sponsor agreements. The key is to tier it to sponsorship level and set it in stone early. For example, a Gold Sponsor might get 10 weekend passes and 4 VIP upgrades, a Silver Sponsor 5 passes, etc. Major international festivals do this routinely: at Coachella in the US, top-tier sponsors like tech or beverage brands receive a fixed allotment of VIP wristbands for their staff or guests, but it’s tightly controlled by contract. Similarly, Glastonbury Festival in the UK provides its key partners and suppliers a limited number of tickets as a goodwill gesture – yet Michael Eavis (the festival’s founder) has noted that even sponsors must stick to the agreed numbers to preserve the event’s famously tight capacity. The lesson: decide exactly how many tickets each sponsor or partner level merits and include those in your ticket inventory planning. Once those tickets are allocated, any extra requests should require a trade (e.g. additional sponsorship funding) or a polite but firm “no”.

Media and Press

Press and media coverage can be invaluable, so most festivals allocate some complimentary media passes. The trick is to be selective and organized. Start a media accreditation process early – many festivals (from SXSW in the USA to Tomorrowland in Belgium) have online press applications months in advance with clear criteria. For instance, Primavera Sound in Spain requires journalists to apply with credentials and limits the total press passes, ensuring only legitimate media occupy those spots. Decide how many media you can accommodate (based on what press coverage you need and your capacity). If you run a 5,000-capacity event in say, Australia or Canada, you might approve 10-20 media passes total. A massive festival of 100,000 in India or the US might host 100+ media personnel – but even then, festivals like Bonnaroo and Osheaga cap press lists and often turn away late requests. Communicate to media outlets that passes are limited and confirm them well ahead of time. Once approved, each media representative should receive a named ticket or badge (often with “Media” access to certain areas but not all). By keeping the press list tight and professional, you get quality coverage without a horde of unnecessary plus-ones.

Artists and Their Guests

Every performing artist is usually entitled to a few guest tickets – but how many is a matter of policy (and negotiation). A common practice is to include a set number of comp tickets in the artist’s contract. For example, a local opener band might get 2 guest passes for close family, a mid-tier act might get 4, and a headliner DJ or band could negotiate for 10-20, particularly if they’re touring internationally with a team. Festivals must set a standard and enforce it fairly. Many veteran festival organisers recount war-stories of artist entourages ballooning unexpectedly. At one festival in Mexico, an artist arrived with an entourage of 15 people when only 5 were approved – leading security to hold the extras at the gate until the festival director intervened (www.ticketfairy.com). To avoid such scenes, clearly communicate the guest pass limit to artists in advance (usually via advance info packs). Some events issue artists a special guest list code or form to submit names by a deadline. Coachella’s producer has all guest names for each artist on file before the festival – no name, no entry – and strictly enforces the numbers. Meanwhile, smaller festivals from Indonesia to New Zealand know that just a handful of unexpected “band friends” can eat into their small capacity. Consider having a dedicated artist relations or accreditation staffer at check-in to handle artist guest issues. If a superstar headliner absolutely needs an extra pass or two on the day, have a policy: perhaps they can swap it against unused passes or you as the organiser make a calculated exception. But keep these cases rare. Overall, treating all artists consistently (big or small) with regards to comp allotment prevents resentment and 11th-hour pressure for more.

Staff, Crew, and Volunteers

Your own festival workforce will need entry credentials, of course – but you should differentiate between working staff and personal guests of staff. Every staff or crew member (whether it’s your sound engineers, security team, stagehands, or volunteer ushers) should have a staff pass that grants them the access they need. These aren’t “comp tickets” in the promotional sense – they’re working credentials – and should only be allocated to confirmed workers on your team. However, issues arise when staff or contractors start asking, “Can I get my friend in?” It’s important to set a firm policy that staff passes are for working personnel only, not for friends or family. Many festivals solve this by offering staff a discount code for one or two tickets instead of freebies, or by holding an allotment of a few “staff guest” tickets that must be approved by department heads. For instance, a production company in Canada running a large folk festival allowed each department manager to request at most 2 guest tickets for family of crew, to be approved by the festival director in advance – and no last-minute additions. Some events in the UK and Europe have hundreds of volunteers; they often reward volunteers with access to the event when off-shift (since they essentially “earn” their entry by working). That’s fine – just be sure to track how many volunteer credentials you issue and that volunteers aren’t all off-duty at the same time overcrowding the venue. Glastonbury famously engages thousands of volunteers via charities like Oxfam, who get a free ticket in exchange for labor – but they are carefully scheduled in shifts and the total number of volunteer passes is part of the event’s capacity management plan with local authorities. The takeaway: account for every staff/crew/volunteer wristband in your capacity figures, and don’t let a well-meaning crew member turn it into a plus-one for their buddy.

Community and Local VIPs

For festivals that impact a local community – whether it’s a neighbourhood street fair or a large music festival in a small town – offering some free access to local stakeholders can build crucial goodwill. This might include local government officials, neighbourhood association leaders, key business owners, or nearby residents. For example, Tomorrowland in Belgium provides a limited number of tickets to residents of the Boom area (its host town) via a lottery, acknowledging the inconvenience locals endure during the festival while making them feel part of the celebration. In another case, Byron Bay Bluesfest in Australia has invited Indigenous community elders to attend as honoured guests, deepening cultural ties. If your festival in India or Indonesia is hosted on community grounds, consider allocating a handful of guest passes for village leaders or local youth as a gesture of respect. The important thing is to keep these allocations limited and well-defined. Perhaps 1% of your tickets are earmarked for community/VIP guests at most. And manage it transparently – communicate with community liaisons about how these tickets are distributed (e.g. via an application or invite list) to avoid accusations of favouritism. When done thoughtfully, community comps can turn critics into allies while barely denting your capacity.

Promotional Giveaways and Contests

Another category of “freebie” that festivals use strategically is promotional comp tickets – those given away in contests, radio promotions, social media giveaways, or charity auctions. These serve marketing and goodwill purposes and can drum up excitement. The key here is to plan them in advance and include them in your comp ticket totals. Decide early how many tickets you can afford to give away for promotion: maybe it’s 10 pairs of weekend passes for radio contests across major cities, or 50 single-day tickets to various social media winners. Allocate these just like a sponsor or media comp – they count against capacity and budget. Importantly, coordinate with your ticketing platform to ensure these promo winners receive legitimate tickets (often via unique redemption codes or a special link). For instance, EDC Mexico partnered with sponsors for giveaways but used unique Ticket Fairy codes for winners, so each free ticket was tracked and no fraudulent duplicates could slip in. Always set an expiration or confirmation date for contest winners to redeem their tickets; unclaimed freebies can then be released for sale or other uses. By structuring your giveaways, you turn comps into a marketing investment that can yield returns (like new attendee data, social media buzz, or goodwill) rather than a black hole of lost revenue.

Setting Limits and Fair Policies

With the categories of potential comp ticket recipients identified, the next step is to set clear limits and policies. This is where many first-time festival producers falter – but a few simple rules can save you from comp-ticket chaos:

• Create a Comp Ticket Budget: Treat complimentary admissions as part of your festival’s budget and capacity planning. For example, you may decide that no more than 5% of total attendance will be non-paying guests. Large events might budget a few thousand comp tickets (spread across all categories), whereas a smaller festival might cap it at a few dozen. Setting a hard limit early forces discipline – if you’ve planned 300 comps and find your list creeping to 400, you know you need to start saying no. Some savvy organisers even assign an internal “cost” to each comp (e.g. face value) in the budget to visualise what they’re giving away and to justify limiting them.
• Define Allotments per Category: As detailed above, have a standard allotment for each group. Each artist gets X guest spots, each sponsor level gets Y tickets, the media pool is Z passes total, etc. By documenting these in writing (artist riders, sponsor contracts, staff HR policies), you prevent arguments later. If an artist’s agent pushes for more, you can fall back on the contracted agreement. Fair doesn’t always mean equal, but it means consistent logic. A small regional festival in France found success by tiering artist comps by stage: headliners got 10, mid-tier artists 5, local openers 2 – clearly communicated in advance. That consistency avoided a lot of on-site pleading and allowed security to enforce limits without debate.
• “One +1 Only” Rule (or None): For VIPs or industry guests not covered above who request entry (say a well-connected friend of the promoter, or a notable influencer), enforce a strict +1 policy at most – meaning they can bring one guest, not an entourage. Many events in the US and UK adhere to a “no plus-ones unless pre-approved” rule on their guest list. This stops the ripple effect of one invite turning into five people showing up. If you do allow a plus-one, ask for that name in advance. No name, no entry. It keeps things professional and avoids awkward doorstep refusals.
• Cut Off the List Early: Set a final deadline for all comp ticket submissions – and stick to it. Seasoned producers often insist that guest list names and comp ticket requests be finalized a week or more before the festival. This gives you time to integrate those into your ticketing system and plan entry logistics. Communicate these deadlines clearly to artists, sponsors, and staff (“All guest names must be submitted by DD/MM at 5 pm, no exceptions”). Sure, there will always be last-minute situations, but by having a deadline you massively reduce the day-before and day-of deluge of “can you add this person?” requests. As Natasha Hillier (who has worked on events like Coachella and Firefly) noted, entering hundreds of new guest entries the day before the festival is a recipe for disaster (www.festivalinsights.com) (www.festivalinsights.com). Instead, aim to have your guest list locked in and tickets issued well in advance of gates opening. Late requests that do come in should be rare and for truly critical cases – and you can handle those individually (with higher-ups approving).
• Put It in Writing: Have a brief comp ticket policy document for your team and partners. This might be an internal memo that outlines: “Our festival will allocate up to X comps for sponsors, Y for media, etc., and all requests must go through [designated person]by [date]. Day-of-show additions are not permitted except by director approval.” Also convey a friendly version of this policy to artists and stakeholders so they know you’re running a tight ship. When people see that comp tickets are managed systematically for everyone, you’ll get fewer attempt to circumvent the rules.
• Train Your Team to Say No (Nicely): Despite clear limits, you can count on someone testing the boundaries – an artist manager asking for “just 3 more spots,” or a local VIP turning up with extra friends. It’s crucial to brief your door staff, artist relations team, and volunteer coordinators on the importance of sticking to the list. Empower them to politely decline unapproved guests: for example, instruct gate staff to call a supervisor rather than just letting someone through. A “firm but polite” stance goes a long way (www.ticketfairy.com). Many festivals, from large ones in California to niche events in Singapore, have a policy that any exception has to be cleared by the festival manager on duty. This creates a pause that often deters people from attempting to sneak others in. When your team knows you have their back on enforcing limits, they won’t cave at the first sign of pushback.

Tracking and Distribution Methods

All the policies in the world won’t help if you aren’t tracking your complimentary tickets properly. An effective system ensures that every free ticket or guest name is logged, issued, and verified at entry just like a paid ticket. Here are methods and tools to keep your comp tickets under tight control:

• Centralise the Guest List: Maintain one master list or database of all comp tickets and guest passes across categories. This could be a spreadsheet with fields for name, affiliation (sponsor, media, artist guest, etc.), ticket type, and who approved it. Cloud-based collaboration works well, so your team can update in real time. For instance, the Electric Picnic festival in Ireland coordinates its artist and VIP lists in one Google Sheet accessible to all check-in supervisors. A single source of truth prevents the “I told so-and-so I was coming” confusion. If your event is small, one person with a clipboard at the gate might manage, but as you grow, a digital list becomes essential.
• Use Your Ticketing Platform’s Tools: Modern ticketing systems (like Ticket Fairy) provide built-in features for guest list and comp management. Rather than just an informal list, you can actually issue $0 tickets or unique comp codes to your guests. This means each guest either gets a scannable e-ticket or a specific code to redeem their free ticket online. Using a robust platform, organisers can set up special ticket categories (e.g. “Sponsor Guest”, “Artist Guest”, “Staff”, “Media”) that are hidden from the public but generated for internal use. Each comp ticket can then be emailed as a QR code or added to a mobile wallet just like any other ticket, which will be scanned at entry. The benefit is twofold: accountability and security. If a code is only good for 2 tickets, the sponsor cannot exceed that without your knowledge. And every comp entrant gets recorded as they scan in, so you know exactly how many freebies were used.
• Unique Codes for Groups: One clever technique is to give each artist or sponsor a unique comp promo code capped at their allotment. For example, if Coca-Cola is a sponsor with 10 free tickets, create a code “COKE10” that allows up to 10 redemptions of a “Sponsor Guest” ticket via your ticketing site. Coca-Cola’s rep can distribute that to their invitees, and once 10 people have claimed the tickets, the code automatically stops working. This puts the onus on the sponsor to select who uses those slots, and it prevents “overruns” because the system won’t issue an 11th ticket. Artists can be handled similarly: give the band a code or link for their 2 or 4 guest tickets to be claimed by a deadline. Systems like Ticket Fairy even allow you to assign tickets directly by email – so you could ask for guest email addresses and send their tickets individually. Pick whatever workflow creates a solid paper trail (or rather, digital trail) for every comp.
• Badge and Wristband Control: For festivals that use physical credentials (like wristbands or laminated badges) for VIPs, staff, or artists, tracking is just as vital. Use serialised wristbands or unique badge IDs and log which ones correspond to comp entries. Many European festivals use different coloured wristbands for different categories – say red for Artist Guests, blue for Crew, gold for Sponsors – so it’s visually clear who is who. For example, Fuji Rock Festival in Japan issues distinct badges for press versus regular attendees; they not only look different but have scannable chips linked to a database of approved personnel. At the entry gates, staff can quickly differentiate a green “Guest” wristband from a standard attendee wristband. Just be sure to also scan or check off these wristbands upon distribution or entry. If you hand five “Artist Guest” wristbands to a tour manager, mark those as issued to that artist’s account. Better yet, require the guests to come to the box office with ID to collect them (using the artist-submitted names list). That way, you won’t have loose wristbands floating around beyond your knowledge.
• Real-Time Check-In Tracking: Equip your door teams with the tools to track comp entries live. For instance, using Ticket Fairy’s Entry Fairy app or another check-in app on tablets/phones allows staff to tick off names or scan comp tickets quickly. A digital guest list interface can show, for example, that out of 50 expected sponsor guests, 30 have arrived so far. Real-time tracking helps in a few ways: you can avoid duplicate entries (no sneaking in twice on the same pass), see usage vs no-shows, and even make informed decisions like perhaps releasing unused holds if by mid-event certain VIPs didn’t show. At one large festival in Singapore, the check-in manager monitored comp ticket scans on a dashboard; when she saw that a certain sponsor’s 20 allocated guests were mostly not used by 5pm, she knew they could safely sell a few extra door tickets without breaking capacity. Tech tools give you that flexibility and confidence.
• Prevent Abuse and Fraud: Unfortunately, comp tickets can be targets for abuse – someone could photocopy a guest pass, or an unscrupulous staffer might sneak in extra friends. By using named tickets and scannable codes, you drastically reduce this risk. Make sure every comp ticket has a unique barcode/QR code. If you’re using paper guest list spots (e.g. checking off names from a list), always verify ID to ensure the person is truly the invited guest. Some festivals in the US have caught people trying to pose as “press” or “artist guests” to scam a free entry – but a quick ID check against the list deters that. Also, maintain professionalism: even if the person is known to you or a VIP, process their comp entry just like a normal ticket (badges, wristbands, scanning, etc.). Not only does this keep an accurate count, it subtly signals that everyone is accounted for, discouraging the common “oh, just let them in” lax attitude that can spiral out of control. Your goal is a controlled entry where every head inside is on the books.

Balancing Goodwill and Revenue

At its heart, comp ticket management is a balancing act between hospitality and business. You want to cultivate relationships – with artists, sponsors, media, the community – and giving some free access is part of that. But you also must protect your event’s financial viability and the experience of paying attendees. Here are some tips on striking that balance, informed by festivals around the world:

• Value Your Tickets (and Make Others Value Them): If you, as the festival organiser, treat tickets like they’re worth gold, others will too. This means being generous only up to a point. It’s often better to say, “We’re at capacity for guest passes” than to over-issue and devalue your event. Some festivals in emerging markets (like new EDM festivals in Southeast Asia) fell into a trap of flooding the scene with free tickets in early years to boost attendance, but then struggled to sell tickets once people got used to not paying. Established producers caution: don’t train your audience or network to expect freebies. Give them out as rewards and tokens of appreciation, not default entitlements.
• Communicate the Why: People may push back when you enforce comp limits – but explaining the reasoning can help. Let sponsors know you must cap their tickets to keep the festival sustainable and enjoyable. Let artists know that an overstuffed backstage hurts everyone’s comfort. Emphasise safety and quality: “We’d love to welcome more of your guests, but we have to ensure the venue isn’t overcrowded for safety reasons.” Most reasonable partners accept this. For example, producers of Splendour in the Grass (Australia) reportedly brief their headliners that backstage guest limits are about ensuring the artists’ compound stays comfortable and secure – an overcrowded artist village is no fun even for the stars. By framing it as mutual benefit, you get more buy-in.
• Alternate Ways to Thank People: Sometimes you can say no to a free ticket request while offering a different perk. If a local official or friend of a friend can’t be comped due to your policy, maybe offer them a discount code, a merch item, or a backstage tour at a quieter time. The idea is to show appreciation without always giving up a ticket. One festival in the Netherlands had a strict no-freebies rule for anyone not on the official list – even city councillors had to buy tickets – but they hosted a small pre-event reception that those dignitaries were invited to. That gesture smoothed things over and the officials happily bought tickets to attend after. Be creative in providing hospitality that doesn’t necessarily mean more bodies in the venue during showtime.

• Learn from Post-Event Analysis: After your festival, review how your comp ticket strategy played out. How many of each category were actually used? Did any group have a lot of no-shows (common with media or VIPs sometimes)? Perhaps you allocated 100 sponsor tickets and only 60 were used – next time you might tighten that to 70 knowing usage patterns. Conversely, if an important sponsor really needed a couple more passes and you had room, you might adjust that in a future deal to keep them happy. Gather feedback: maybe your press outlets were content with the process, but one complained they couldn’t access a certain stage – that’s an operations tweak, but at least you didn’t have too many press to start with. By analyzing both the quantitative data (comp tickets issued vs used) and qualitative feedback (were VIPs satisfied? any backlash from fans?), you can refine your policies year over year. Festivals like Exit (Serbia) and Lollapalooza (USA) have honed their guest list approach over iterations – they often start small, then gradually allow a few more as they find the right balance that doesn’t hurt sales. Make comp management a part of your debrief agenda so it stays a conscious part of planning, not an afterthought.

• Stay Empathetic but Firm: In dealing with comp tickets, you’ll frequently be lobbied by people who feel they deserve special treatment. Great festival producers manage to be empathetic – listening and understanding why someone wants free access – but still holding the line on their policies. If an old friend expects a free pass, you might say, “I’d love to have you, but we’re really tight on capacity and I can’t this time – I hope you can still come support us.” It’s not easy, but remember that preserving revenue and fairness for paying guests is part of your responsibility. In the long run, most people (especially industry professionals) will respect a festival that runs professionally over one that hands out passes left and right. The entitlement mentality among some attendees has grown in recent years (www.6amgroup.co) (www.6amgroup.co), but changing that culture starts with organisers being consistent and fair about saying “no” when needed. You can be a generous host and a responsible businessperson at the same time.

Conclusion

Managing guest lists and complimentary tickets is a true test of a festival producer’s resolve and planning skills. It might not be as glamorous as booking a headliner or designing stages, but mastering this aspect of ticketing and admissions can easily make the difference between an event that flourishes financially and one that quietly bleeds revenue. By deciding early who truly needs free entry, setting fair but firm limits for each group, and using organised systems to track every pass, you create a win-win scenario. Your VIPs, sponsors, and other guests feel taken care of because their entry is smooth and their presence was anticipated – and you, the organiser, maintain control of your gate and your budget.

At the end of the day, a festival’s success comes from a thriving community of fans, artists, and partners all deriving value. Comp tickets, when managed wisely, are a tool to nurture that community: they’re the seats you reserve at the table for those who help make the event special. But like any invite list, they work best when kept intimate and thoughtful. By keeping freebies under control, you preserve the magic of a full, buzzing festival without the hidden hangover of overspending or overcrowding. That’s the kind of balanced wisdom that will serve any festival producer well, from the smallest local cultural fête to the mightiest global music spectacular.

Key Takeaways

• Plan Ahead & Set Limits: Treat complimentary tickets as part of your planning from day one. Decide how many you can afford (financially and capacity-wise) and establish clear allotments for artists, sponsors, media, etc., sticking to those limits.
• Define Who Qualifies: Be deliberate about who gets free entry – typically those who contribute significant value (key sponsors, performing artists’ guests, essential staff, accredited media). Politely turn down requests from those who don’t meet criteria to avoid comp list bloat.
• Put Policies in Writing: Include comp ticket terms in artist contracts, sponsor deals, and volunteer agreements. Communicate deadlines for guest list submissions and enforce a “no late additions” rule (with only rare exceptions) to prevent last-minute chaos.
• Use Tools to Track Every Guest: Leverage your ticketing platform (like Ticket Fairy) to issue scannable comp tickets or unique codes. Maintain a master guest list and utilise check-in apps or tablets at entry to verify every person. This keeps the process efficient, accountable, and stops unauthorized freebies.
• Balance Goodwill with Pragmatism: Aim to make VIPs and partners feel welcome through reasonable comps, but guard your revenue and capacity. Don’t be afraid to say no when necessary – most stakeholders will understand that a sustainable festival benefits everyone. By running a tight but fair ship with guest tickets, you’ll build a reputation for professionalism and ensure your festival’s longevity.