Are you aiming for a particular focus, like all trad? If you are, stick to it. If not, as much variety as possible, in artists and in workshops.

A bit of common sense in scheduling events would be useful. Broadstairs has a great mix of stuff, but all the similar workshops always seem to be at the same time - they don't seem to have twigged that a workshop on DADGAD tuning might also appeal to the same group as a slide guitar workshop, for instance!

Trad folk people probably won't like electric folk-rock stuff in the evenings, but it's what'll bring in the "outsiders" who wouldn't otherwise come to folk events.

To be honest, most folk festivals provide decent enough entertainment and workshops. The make-or-break parts are the atmosphere and the facilities. Re atmosphere, if you can get enough people to take over the town or village, put up bunting and stuff to get that carnival feeling and fill the streets with Morris dancers, you're sorted. If you're kind of ignored by the town, it's not so easy. As for facilities, non-scuzzy. Adequate numbers of showers and loos, all clean, and all cleaned twice a day.

Longer-term, some variety between each time would be good. As Liz says, if you've got the same workshops each year, what are you going to do in the second year? But if there's something unusual that's a definite winner for people to try out (eg. bellydancing classes at Broadstairs) then it's worth keeping that going.

Graham.