7 Lessons Learned From Fyre Festival: Don't get defrauded 🚩

In 2017, BIlly McFarland and Ja Rule wanted to promote their music talent booking app Fyre Media, so they planned a now infamous event called Fyre Festival. They hired the world's top models and influencers to advertise the event, but it was doomed to fail from the start.

The team attempted an impossible feat - producing a major festival in an undeveloped area in under 6 months. Numerous consultants made it clear that it would take over a year to plan an event like this, but McFarland persisted. Here's how Fyre Festers could've forseen the issues:

If it sounds too good to be true: Most know the story of Fyre Festival as insanely rich young people wasting money on a party scam. However many purchased early tickets which were average festival prices. They were promised luxury flights and stay for camping prices. 🚩

Check Multiple Sources: Fyre Fest marketed as having Major Lazer and 32 other major music acts performing. However, many of them never confirmed their attendance. Checking their website and social media, rather than solely Fyre Fest ads, would have revealed this issue. 🚩

Reputation is Everything: Fyre Fest was new, neither Billy nor the company had any reputation of event production whatsoever. 🚩His company Magnesis sold tickets to established events, but had never put on any of their own, so this enormous event as a first was suspicious.

Venue Changes: Fyre Fest was initially marketed as being on Norman's Cay, a private island in the Bahamas. Later they advertised it taking place at "Fyre Cay" (Roker Point, which is not a private or remote island).🚩 Any map would have shown the area was next to a Sandals resort

Accommodation Changes: The festival first advertised "modern, eco-friendly, geodesic domes" with high end design and decor, however as the event got closer illustrations were removed, details were made more vague and in the end emergency tents were supplied. 🚩

Heed Warnings: Weeks before the event, entertainment sources like Page Six were already reporting that the festival organizers were in over their heads. 🚩

Unusual Requests: Ticketholders were told just 2 weeks in advance that the event would be both "cash-less and card-less" forcing them to choose and pay for all food, drink and shopping items they would want in advance. This is a highly suspect and uncommon festival occurrence. 🚩

Fyre Fest's poor planning caused all the bands and caterers cancel and people were out millions of dollars. Today it seems like slick marketing can make any half baked idea seem legit. However, there were numerous 🚩🚩🚩 that can be learned from so you're not the next victim.