Loadin: Revolutionising Festival Advancing Through Thoughtful Design

The festival industry has long been hindered by a lack of clarity around how to collaborate on showday-specific information such as stage layout and technical specifications. Too many 1-1 conversations with no-one kept in the loop. Every festival worldwide would have an argument side-of-stage between an artist and production, around why their specifications were not understood. What was needed was a centralised source of truth that left no-one behind, and an interface simple enough to use that busy touring professionals could not only use the platform, but be advocates, knowing that their specifications had been read and agreed to.

To build the platform, not only did we have Australia’s leading festival Production Director as co-founder, we also engaged the Artist Liaison for Laneway to act as SME for artist-facing functionality. It was a full co-design HCD project, leading to an MVP for Laneway Festival 2018. 3 countries, 7 legs, 110 artists and no arguments! This was unheard of. Since then we have a constant open line of communication with our festivals to listen to what features are prioritised, and debrief on how to improve. We view them as partners in our success. We are constantly evolving and always will.

Loadin’s impact so far can’t be overstated. Through no advertising, we have conquered Australia, with 82 of 2024’s Hottest 100 using loadin. After trialling with a couple of festivals last year, Festival Republic UK (Live Nation) have now mandated that loadin is the platform for all their UK/Ireland festivals going forward. And last year we ran SXSW Sydney, and again in 2024. But the real win is the trust being restored between the event and artist that both parties are being listened to, and the friction that is reduced similar to how Uber made taxi journeys enjoyable again.

Loadin.com is designed to enhance user experience and operational efficiency with several key features: Real-Time Updates: Essential for the dynamic needs of event management, this feature ensures users always access the most current data, facilitating timely decisions and actions. Newsfeeds: Personalised newsfeeds allow users to receive relevant updates, streamlining communication and keeping essential information at the forefront without overload. Approvals Cue: This centralised system for managing and tracking approvals accelerates decision-making processes and prevents delays by keeping critical approvals organized and accessible. Standardised Workflows: Loadin standardises workflows across the platform, creating a uniform user experience that reduces learning curves and enhances operational efficiency, allowing users to become adept quickly. Auto-Resizing of Media: Automatically adjusting media to fit required specifications saves time and ensures compatibility across different platforms, maintaining high-quality visual content. Sharable Content Resources: Facilitates easy sharing of materials among team members and stakeholders, promoting a collaborative environment where resources are efficiently managed and secured. These design elements not only improve Loadin’s functionality but also contribute to a seamless, cohesive user experience, making it a standout candidate for design-focused recognitions.