Advice for the Festival:
Drink lots of water! There are some stations where you can fill up a water bottle, so you can bring your own. You can also refill a disposable bottle. It’s easy to forget you need water.
Have snacks handy! I found that most of the time I was eating snacks or small bites for lunch. If you went to a beach club that served lunch, you need to be there during very specific times. I probably would have brought a few snacks from home given stores nearby don’t have a lot of familiar options and the free food may not be what you want. Whenever I headed to the beach clubs/tents, I always stocked up with snacks for the day.
Have a good portable charger! I didn’t have time to walk back to the hotel. Being out all day and bound to need to charge your phone.
Think about bringing a digital camera and/or iPad! You definitely want a way to document everything. As mentioned above, you will need to recharge your phone and you won’t use as much battery if you have another option to take notes, photos, and videos on a device other than your phone. You can also bring a notebook. I found it was easier to type than handwrite. I personally really like photography, so I think I could have benefitted from having a more professional camera than my phone.
30 mins goes by FAST!!!! Most of the talks went by really fast and so did the whole day. Plan accordingly.
Leave talks 5 min early if you really want to make another one! Sometimes, I would have must see talks back to back. Depending on the locations and popularity of the talks, you can easily go from one to another. Some talks have lines to get into so that won’t work but other talks you can find a seat towards or stand in the back.
Go for comfort and function! The days are long days and there is A LOT of walking. Luckily, the weather was not too bad for us, but it can still be hot with all the walking.
Keep an open mind! Try not to go in with too many expectations. This was unlike any other experience I’ve had. You’re going to get what you put in, so keep an open mind about the people, the talks, the events, and the experience as a whole.
Put in the effort to make the most for YOU! This goes along with the last thing, make sure you do whatever you need to get what you want out of the trip.