Hire the lawyer's discipline for the artist's job.

technique — attributed to Laurie Kirby

Twenty years of law before twenty years of festivals turns out to be the right resume. The artist side designs the experience; the lawyer side handles the contracts, the liability, the cities, the insurance, the alcohol permits, the indemnification clauses that nobody reads until the lawsuit lands. Festivals that fail in the first year typically fail on the lawyer side, not the artist side. The booking was beautiful. The waiver was missing. Most founders are missing the second half of the resume and do not know it until the second event.

For first-time festival founders deciding what role to hire next.

founder-profile, operations, liability, contracts