What is the price of spectacle today and why are we, regardless of the cost, so hungry for it? One of the key premises of marketing is truthfulness — where truthfulness disappears, marketing ends and deception begins, as examples like the notorious American Fyre Festival by Billy McFarland clearly demonstrate. It's not surprising that this globally recognized deception — which has been the subject of two documentaries — is thoroughly analyzed in American business schools as an example of how not to conduct business and what marketing must not be. In search of answers to these questions at DK2024, which will take place in Rovinj 11—14 April, a conversation with Billy McFarland, who will join virtually, will be led by Davor Bruketa.



McFarland is the founder of a music festival that was grandiosely announced in 2017 as a uniquely luxurious experience and the dream of all partygoers in the Instagram era, endorsed by celebrities like Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner. However, it turned out to be one of the biggest scams of our time. Instead of gourmet meals and luxury villas, for which festival attendees paid hundreds and thousands of dollars, they were met with numerous problems on-site, and the initially announced performers withdrew from the festival even before it started.



After serving his prison sentence for fraud, concluding in 2022, The Guardian described McFarland's actions by stating that no matter how much we might loathe him, we as the audience are also enthralled by the scale of [his] delusions, and perhaps, by our own willingness to be taken in. Most of us, from time to time, want to belong somewhere; the allure of leadership of any kind can be hard to resist — and there is no better example to learn about the importance of behavioral marketing in consumerist society than the Fyre Festival.



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The key question is not why tickets for another Fyre Festival are back on sale. The question is — why is the first batch of tickets allegedly already sold out? Is this also just another trick or scam that some people might fall for again or do people still truly believe in McFarland's sense of spectacle — we will find out on the main stage of DK2024, stated Davor Bruketa, Member of the Organizing Committee of DK Festival.



In the communications business, there are numerous examples through which we can critically examine the world around us and then reassess everything we know — a skill that DK Festival, together with its community, continuously hones, not shying away from the tough issues of the industry. Is McFarland, as he called himself, a creator of turbulence or simply a persistent fraudster? In the interview titled The Secret to Going Viral, which will be conducted by Davor Bruketa, DK2024 will showcase the other side of the coin in a case study of a brand that became one of the most recognizable brands in the world for all the wrong reasons, confronting it with eyes wide open and dissecting it down to the most uncomfortable details.



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Photo: Matija Habljak/PIXSELL



Let us remind you, many experts have already been announced from this year’s program — <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/dan-ariely" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dan Ariely</a>, a globally renowned behavioral economist, psychologist, and scientist who studies human behavior; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/eugene-cheong" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eugene Cheong</a> powered by ENNA, a creative rebel from Asia with over a thousand recognitions for his work; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/shivvy-jervis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Shivvy Jervis</a>, a futurist and globally recognized expert who deconstructs stress and motivation through science; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/dex-hunter-torricke" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dex Hunter-Torricke</a> powered by Google, the lead communicator at Google’s DeepMind AI research lab, ex-SpaceX and ex-Facebook; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/micaela-mantegna" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Micaela Mantegna</a>, the first lawyer specialized in regulations and copyrights of video games who will take us on a journey through the controversial metaverse; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/moran-cerf-powered-by-hrvatski-telekom" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Moran Cerf</a> powered by Hrvatski Telekom, a neuroscientist of global renown and leader of a new generation of marketing leaders; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/alex-partridge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alex Partridge</a> powered by Konzum, the founder of UNILAD and LADbible, whose platforms have reached a billion people; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/oobah-butler">Oobah Butler</a>, the greatest prankster of our time in yet another celebrated role;  <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/brian-collins" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian Collins</a>, a world-renowned brand strategist who creates unique brand experiences, leading them to their business goals; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/marnick-vandebroek" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marnick Vandebroek</a>, globally acclaimed speaker, author, and communication trainer who transforms companies, managers, and professionals worldwide into communications masters; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/jessica-gioglio" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jessica Gioglio</a>, a marketing expert specialized in brand growth and the author of the bestseller The Laws of Brand Storytelling; <a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/speakers/timothy-goodman" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Timothy Goodman</a>, a famous artist, designer, illustrator, muralist, and author who designed and illustrated covers for Time magazine — and a series of other major global names in the industry who will offer invaluable experiences, enviable knowledge, and top-notch insights.



All&nbsp;creatives, marketers, digital professionals, media representatives, and other communicators&nbsp;who wish to join national and global market leaders this year can find information about participation at&nbsp;<a href="https://danikomunikacija.com/tickets" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://danikomunikacija.com/tickets</a>.

On Fyre Festival with no filter — what is the price of spectacle?

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