Table of contentsBest practicesUse of varied mediaSocial media presenceConclusionFestivals are important to cities around the world, both economically and culturally (Smith, 2010) . A festival is defined as “the celebration of culture and community” (Johnson, 2001, p. 44) and is an important part of the tourism industry. Some famous examples include Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Rio, both of which help generate revenue and give them global status (Michaels, 2009). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on 'Why violent video games should not be banned'? Get an original essay The way festivals market themselves can have a big impact on the number of tourists who come to the events and affect what they offer. 'expect to live, that is, marketing programs are essential to bring the right people together for the right experience (Senior, 2008). In 2014, festivals injected $10 million into the Ontario economy, employing 2,000 people (Jones, Barker, & Theo, 2015). Toronto is the largest city in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2015). Some of Toronto's largest festivals include Pride, TIFF, and the Toronto Caribbean Festival (Caribana), all of which generate significant revenue and exposure for the city (Jones et al., 2015; Tourism Toronto, 2016). The purpose of this article, therefore, is to evaluate the marketing efforts of Busker Fest in Toronto and discuss what the festival does well and areas that could be improved. A review of festival marketing best practices will first be presented drawing on academic and industry literature. Busker Fest's marketing efforts will then be summarized and evaluated using the information provided. This article will highlight three main points: Successful festival marketing must include people in the images, a call to action, and a variety of media sources. This discussion will be used to support some recommendations made in conclusion to help Busker Fest improve its communications efforts. Best Practices A review of academic and industry literature is presented below, highlighting some of the most important aspects of a successful festival marketing campaign. This will then be used to evaluate the Busker Fest campaign later in the paper. Using people in images Simons (2012) found that marketing experiences with people in images were successful in helping potential visitors understand what to expect, which in turn helped improve their satisfaction, etc. Call to Action Many authors have noted that marketing campaigns should have a “call to action” included in the materials (Freda, 2001; Williams, 2009), such as a website or agreement on which act, etc. Use of varied media Different consumers respond to different media differently (Robson, 2005). For example, baby boomers are more likely to interact with print media (Mary and Robertson, 1999), but millennials are more engaged with social media (Jenson, 2015a, 2015b). Mary and Robertson (1999) suggest that it is important for a festival to consider its target market and their preferred use of media. Otherwise, marketing may not have an impact. Busker Fest MarketingBusker Fest is Ontario's premier street entertainment festival, taking place in August and attracting approximately 20,000 visitors each year (Busker Fest, 2016b). Hundreds of buskers from all over the world come to perform in the streets and are paid thanks to donations.