Sasquatch Festival
Campgrounds Map
Client: Sasquatch Music Festival
Role: Project Manager
Duration: March 2014 – September 2014
Team: Festival Founder · Live Nation Ops · Graphic Designer
What I Led:
Experience Design · Project Execution · Onsite Navigation Strategy · Campaign Concepting
Wins:
➤ Built the first-ever campground navigation map, improving the festival experience for 20,000 guests thousands
➤ Created and promoted a cheeky app campaign that led to a 60% increase in downloads over the previous year
➤ Live Nation staff adopted the navigation tools for internal festival management
Why It Matters:
This was a textbook example of seeing a gap no one else had addressed and solving it in a way that added real, lasting value for both attendees and organizers.
After years of attending Sasquatch! Music Festival, I joined the production team; first as an intern in 2012, and then again in 2014 as a contract Project Manager. With the Gorge Amphitheatre’s sweeping landscapes and a notoriously confusing concentric campground layout, attendees often got lost trying to find their tents, especially after long days, late nights and poor lighting.
The festival’s official app, managed by Live Nation, included set times and maps of the stages, but nothing about the campgrounds. As someone who had gotten lost myself more than once, I saw an opportunity.
I took it upon myself to:
Flag the UX issue for campers navigating the festival after dark
Design a campground map that could be embedded in the app and used on signage
Concept and execute a marketing campaign that encouraged app usage in a fun, on-brand way
Improve both attendee experience and team operations, without requiring major budget additions
I worked with a designer to create the first-ever Sasquatch campground navigation map, ensuring it was visually engaging and easy to follow, even after a few beers.We printed and posted maps at strategic locations around the campgrounds, making it easier for attendees to orient themselves day or night.
BEFORE
AFTER
To promote the map and boost app downloads, I created the cheeky “Sasquatches Get Ready for Sasquatch” campaign, complete with my friend and wearing Sasquatch costumes and posing using both apps.
RESULTS
A 60% increase in app downloads compared to the previous year
Thousands of attendees were able to navigate the festival more safely and easily
Live Nation staff began using the campground map internally to help manage teams and emergencies
Positive feedback from attendees, staff, and stakeholders about the improved logistics and vibe - no greater feeling then overhearing guests say “I’m staying at Purple Baboon!”
