Post-Festival Blues

A lot of you may know that I help with the Made in Hawai‘i Festival. This was my 5th year and since last year my role has expanded to include all the PR, marketing, advertising, media and spokesperson duties. For some reason last year was great and fairly painless. With it being the 30th anniversary coverage was easy and it was really gratifying and immensely successful. 

Each year there are complaints and there are a lot of comments about the lines. But this year it was tremendous to see thousands of people line up and wait in line from Friday 1am, Saturday 9:30pm the night before and Sunday 2am - waiting in line to get in. As most know if they watched the news or went on social media anytime from 8/15 to now, there has been a lot of chatter and backlash about it. Being the spokesperson for the festival, my name is also now being dragged through the mud. Unfortunately it does take its toll. People make the choice to wait in line and make the choice to complain. No matter how many times we say the line cleared by a certain time, or there was no line if you came later, it is still my responsibility to take the feedback. 

So with that I decided to post some tips on how to deal with the negativity being thrust upon me during this time.

A couple things to keep in mind:

1. The lines are a symptom of success, not failure. People camped overnight because the festival is that beloved. It doesn’t feel good when the frustration gets directed at you, but underneath the complaints is proof of how much people want to be a part of it.
2. The media loves a simple headline. “Festival blames customers” is way spicier than “festival lines were long but fixed by afternoon.” They chose a narrative. That doesn’t mean you actually said that, and most reasonable people will know that.
3. FB comments are a magnifying glass, not a mirror. The loudest voices are rarely the majority. You’re seeing 600+ likes and some harsh comments, but thousands of attendees had a wonderful time and aren’t posting. It doesn’t mean you failed — it means the vocal minority is loudest right now.
4. It’s okay to regret talking to the news — but it doesn’t make you wrong. You were doing your job, addressing public concern. Transparency is part of being a spokesperson. If anything, it shows leadership, even if it feels raw now.

AFFIRMATIONS

🌺 You created something massive and meaningful. Thousands of people connected, small businesses made real money, and culture was celebrated. That doesn’t vanish because a few folks complained online.
🌺 Negativity often screams louder than gratitude. Most attendees don’t run to Facebook to say, “Wow, that was awesome!” They just go home happy. The handful who post complaints can feel bigger than they are.
🌺 It’s natural to feel deflated after something big. A lot of event organizers and spokespeople go through this “afterglow + crash” cycle. You’ve been running on adrenaline, now the body and mind are processing all the pressure and criticism at once.

THE NEGATIVITY IS ALL TEMPORARY.