Case study - Dalkey Book Festival
June 2022 – 2024
The Dalkey Book Festival, now in its 13th year, showcases the best of Irish and international talent. Founded in 2010 by Sian Smyth and David McWilliams, Dalkey Book Festival celebrates and fosters literary talent in Ireland as well as hosting some of the world’s leading writers and thinkers.
The festival has established itself as a highlight of the Irish cultural calendar, partly because of the unique buzz only Dalkey can offer and the natural beauty of this heritage seaside town, and partly because of the wonderful talent we have attracted including Booker prize winners, global thought leaders, Oscar winners and Nobel Laureates.
From compelling conversations to live performances and debate, Dalkey Book Festival has fostered a community that ignites dialogue, facilitates conversation and programmes the unexpected – unusual combinations that have a strong editorial and curatorial twist.
total tent space
events held each year
Guest seating spaces
Challenge:
We met with the curator of the event who was looking to have multiple unique installation areas all around Dalkey for the Book Festival. The curator wanted to create venues that felt different from previous years of the festival. It was important that, because there were planned seated events, that the guests were comfortable in these setups.
Solution:
For the event, we were asked to create several unique venues. These included a seafront stage, accommodating 350 seated guests, which overlooks Dalkey Island. A temporary covered stage was built into the dilapidated Tramyard site, also seating 350 people. Additionally, a secret garden seating 200 people was set up.
All venues featured our walled stretch tents creating a cosy and comfortable atmosphere, with rustic wooden flooring and matted flooring. The stages, ranging from 15 to 20 square meters, allowed for panel discussions and guest speakers accommodating 2 to 6 guests at a time. Smaller tents were designated for book signings, information points, and vendors. In total, 7 stretch tents and 8 gazebos (pop-ups) were used, along with 250 meters of festoon lighting.
Results:
Ensured the comfort of seated guests in multiple unique installations throughout Dalkey
Alleviated concerns regarding weather
Cultivated a strong client-relationship, evidenced by the repeat business for consecutive years
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