Before the Event

How do you plan to research the event beforehand?

I am most invested in the music itself, so I have been doing some “listening homework” for Gov Ball to determine which artists I want to see, since there are simultaneous sets. I want to ensure I get the most value for the money I paid. 

Are you planning to purchase new clothing, accessories, beauty products, or anything else?

Yes, a few items. Generally, I consider purchasing clothing specifically for an event with the intent of never using it again to be wasteful—both sustainability-wise and monetarily. 

However, an event like Gov Ball influences the timing of my purchases. For example, I had been planning to buy a white camp collar shirt to embroider, but since I'm going to Gov Ball, I decided to go ahead and get it now. I began planning my purchases the week before Gov Ball. I bought it from a site I know to be consistent with my sizing and has reliable shipping. 

Where do you go to find new items?

Sometimes Instagram ads recommend well-targeted clothing items, though they often don't. Other times, I'll spot intriguing window displays while out in the city and look them up later at home. I've also been recommended products by a few influencers on Instagram whose opinions I trust. This is all for discovery purposes; I never buy directly through Instagram. When it comes to purchasing, I often use DePop, eBay, Vestiaire Collective, or shop in-person at stores in NYC.

How does your group influence your pre-event spending habits?

My group has little influence on my spending habits. I feel very comfortable around my friends and don’t feel the need to buy anything around them. Ironically, strangers influence my pre-event spending more than my friends.

How do different micro-influencer endorsements affect your perception of the event's value? Does this influence which ticket tier you would purchase?

For this event, no influencer influenced my decision to attend. Having been to Gov Ball in the past, I know what to expect. That being said, micro-influencers do influence my discovery of smaller events. Often, I learn about events I would have otherwise missed through their recommendations and choose to attend based on their insights.

During the Event

Which aspects of the event are most likely to influence you to post on social media during the event?

If the event has any specific relatability to me or my friends, that would influence me to post. 

For example, if an event references something my group of friends would enjoy knowing about or seeing. Of course, I don't know how possible it is for any event to cater to the specifics of each participant, but this does influence me.

For this event, the determining factor for whether I would post was simple: how good the music was and how much my friends would appreciate it. When considering whether to post on social media, my main questions are “how much would my friends enjoy this” and “how would others perceive me being at this event.”

Did you follow coverage of the event on news sites or social media during the event itself? 

During the event itself, no. I am at the event precisely so that I do not need to live vicariously through the news/social media!

After the Event

Which brands or sponsors from the event are you more likely to follow or purchase from after the event, and why?

I really liked the sparkling water seltzer I got, so I will look out for that brand again if I ever have the opportunity. On the contrary, at the end of the very last set during Post Malone, the big screen showing live video of the event started to flash “Gov Ball brought to you by [Major Phone Company],” which I found incredibly annoying and distracting just as the climax of the music was coming to a close. This had the opposite effect and got in the way.