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Seeking a test market for its new survey software, the International Festival and Events Association (IFEA) bypassed such august members as the Kentucky Derby and the Tournament of Roses, instead tapping Chattanooga’s Riverbend Festival.

“They have a very high respect within our industry,” says Steve Schmader, IFEA president. “They’re a festival that’s fairly typical in terms of draw and offerings.”

But if Schmader defines a successful festival as “breaking even—and, in a nice world, putting away a little reserve,” Riverbend is hardly typical. The product of a backyard brainstorm by community leaders hoping to lure citizens to a deserted riverfront, Riverbend celebrates its 26th anniversary this month ranked by IFEA among the top 10% of all festivals nationally in size and economic impact. Operated by the grassroots nonprofit Friends of the Festival, with a marketing department of two and a budget of $3.5 million, Riverbend has managed to grow steadily despite an increasingly challenging business climate.

Schmader says he’s seen events fold in recent years as their costs have skyrocketed, from insurance premiums “up 500%” since 9/11 to generators that found a new price set point, thanks to Y2K. Add to soaring operations costs the expense of big-ticket entertainment, and you get what Riverbend head Chip Baker calls a “balancing act” that has proven unsustainable for events like Nashville River Stages. “As festivals get more successful, everyone tries to take a piece of it. Then the next thing you know, you fail,” Baker says. “Often, a festival starts top-heavy. Everybody wants the biggest, the best right away. The revenue stream doesn’t follow, and you topple.”

Riverbend’s viability seems a result of judicious investment in talent and infrastructure and a shotgun approach to entertainment. Its nine-day lineup is less susceptible to weather disasters than a three-day festival, and with 100 acts on six stages, variety trumps celebrity. Longtime talent coordinator Dixie Fuller has a knack for signing acts like Keith Urban just before they peak—and their price tag triples.

With its Woodstock vibe and Broadway price tag, territorial neighbor Bonnaroo has both increased the luster of music festivals and made it tougher to book those up-and-coming acts. So while Riverbend aims some advertising dollars at the Bonnaroo-bound, it remembers its core demographic, the local middle class that accounts for most of its 650,000 visitors and $18 million economic impact—one funnel cake and $27 pin at a time.

“Chattanooga’s a buffet town,” Baker says. “The expectation is a lot for a little.” This pragmatic sense of self as more Ryan’s than the Ritz may well be the key ingredient in Riverbend's longevity.

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