UGC Rights & Creator Guidelines at Wine Festival Pour Stations

At a bustling wine festival, attendees can be found capturing every memorable sip and swirl on their smartphones. These authentic moments of enjoyment – photos of artful pours, videos of live music under the vines, selfies with friends raising glasses – are marketing gold for festival producers if leveraged correctly. In fact, 92% of consumers trust organic UGC more than traditional advertising (seriousaboutwine.co.za), making guest photos and videos a powerful way to showcase a festival’s vibe and entice future attendees. However, republishing guest content isn’t as simple as hitting “share.” It requires thoughtful guidelines and proper consent to keep your wine festival’s social media feeds both lively and legally compliant. This article draws on decades of festival production experience to explore how clear UGC rights and creator guidelines at pour stations can help you harness great guest content – safely, respectfully, and effectively.

The Power of Guest Content at Wine Festivals

User-generated content can dramatically amplify a festival’s reach and authenticity. When attendees post about their positive experiences, it’s essentially modern word-of-mouth on a global scale. A single attendee photo from a tasting booth in Napa Valley or a short clip of fireworks over a vineyard in Bordeaux can be seen and shared by thousands, far beyond the event grounds. Many wine festivals – from boutique vineyard gatherings in New Zealand to large expos like the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival – actively encourage guests to share their moments. The reason is simple: UGC is perceived as more genuine, and brands leveraging UGC have seen engagement jump by well over 50% in some campaigns.

Festival producers have learned that authenticity sells. Glossy official ads have their place, but an Instagram post of actual attendees clinking glasses at sunset tells a relatable story money can’t buy. Featuring real guest content also builds community. When a festival’s social media account reposts an attendee’s photo, that guest feels recognised and special, and other followers see genuine proof of a great experience. For example, some festivals run “photo of the day” features on Instagram during their event, highlighting an attendee’s post (with permission) to celebrate the guest and show the festival through an attendee’s eyes. This not only provides fresh content for the organisers but also motivates more attendees to participate in sharing, snowballing the festival’s online buzz.

However, to tap into this goldmine of guest content, a festival must do it the right way – with clear permissions, fair credit, and respect for the content creators. That’s where UGC rights and creator guidelines come in.

Legal and Ethical Considerations: UGC Rights, Privacy, and Respect

Before diving into how to gather and reuse attendee content, festival organisers must understand the rights and risks involved. Under copyright law, the moment an attendee snaps a photo or records a video, they own that content – not the festival. The original creator holds the copyright by default (www.termsfeed.com), and also retains rights to their own image (likeness) (veracontent.com). In practical terms, just because a photo was taken at your event doesn’t automatically give you the right to publish it on your website or marketing materials. The content isn’t “born public domain” simply because it’s on social media. You need permission to reuse it in your festival’s promotions.

Ignoring this can lead to serious consequences. Using someone’s photo or video without consent can trigger copyright infringement claims and damage your festival’s reputation. There are photographers and savvy content creators in every country who will enforce their rights if a brand uses their work without asking. In one recent example, a Serbian non-profit organization was tagged in an Instagram photo and reshared it to their Instagram Story – only to be sued by the photographer and fined over $1,000 in damages (www.diyphotography.net). And that was for a fleeting 24-hour Story post. Larger copyright infringement cases have seen brands face potential penalties in the tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. No festival wants to deal with lawsuits or demand letters because they “borrowed” a guest’s content without approval.

Beyond copyright, privacy and personal data laws must be respected. If your festival is in a region with strict privacy regulations (for instance, the EU’s GDPR or privacy laws in countries like Germany and France), you should be even more cautious. Using someone’s image or personal data in marketing may require their explicit consent under these laws. Always consider who is in an attendee’s photo. If it’s a selfie or a group of friends who clearly don’t mind being public, that’s one thing. But avoid reposting content that shows other patrons who haven’t agreed or any minors at the event. Respect individuals’ privacy – when in doubt, ask. A quick direct message to clarify if everyone in the shot is OK being featured is time well spent.

Ethically, it boils down to respecting creators. Festival attendees who post photos are doing you a favour by promoting your event; treating their content and rights with respect builds goodwill. On the flip side, if an attendee discovers their photo was used in your official recap video or an ad without permission, they may feel exploited or angry. News of a festival “stealing” guests’ pictures could spread fast on social media, hurting your brand. The bottom line: Always err on the side of permission and respect. It’s not just about avoiding lawsuits – it’s about showing your community that you value their creativity and trust.

Establishing Creator Guidelines at Pour Stations

So how can you encourage guests to create shareable content, while also obtaining their consent to repost it? One smart tactic is implementing UGC guidelines right at the pour stations and key festival areas where people are snapping pictures. Pour stations (where attendees receive their wine tastings) are natural social hubs – guests are excited to try a new vintage, they pause with friends, and often someone pulls out a phone for a photo of the pour or a group selfie. This is the perfect opportunity to invite them to share and let them know the festival might repost their content.

Here are some effective ways festival producers around the world set up UGC guidelines on-site:

• Hashtag Signage: Place attractive signs or banners at each major booth, pavilion, or pour station with your official event hashtag and social media handles. For example, a sign might read: “Share your moments! #GlobalWineFest – Tag @GlobalWineFest for a chance to be featured.” This not only reminds people to use the hashtag, but implicitly signals that the festival may highlight their posts. Some events even add a gentle disclaimer in small print like “By using this hashtag, you permit us to repost with credit. Let our team know if you have any concerns.” Such messaging makes expectations clear.

• Announcements and Emcees: If your wine festival has an emcee or DJ, have them periodically encourage attendees to share their photos. A quick announcement like “Don’t forget to post your wine tasting adventures with #GlobalWineFest – we’ll be sharing our favourite guest posts on our page!” can inspire people to participate. By stating this, you’ve essentially informed the crowd that you intend to reshare content, which helps with implicit consent. It gets attendees thinking, “Hey, maybe my post could get featured by the festival.”

• Designated Photo Ops: Create a few eye-catching “photo op” spots near popular pour stations or scenic vineyard backdrops. Think of a decorative archway with the festival logo, a mural wall, or a giant wine bottle statue – anything fun that guests will want a picture with. At these spots, include a sign about the hashtag or even a QR code linking to a page with your UGC guidelines/contest rules. Because these areas are specifically meant for photos, guests generally expect the festival might share those pictures. For instance, the Rioja Wine Harvest Festival in Spain set up a vintage grape-press prop as a photo station; attendees lining up for snaps there were handed cards asking them to tag the festival on Instagram, which led to a flood of tagged images the organisers could legally repost with consent.

• On-Site Social Media Team: Consider having a few staff or volunteers acting as a “social media squad.” Their job is to roam particularly photogenic areas (like by the wine tasting tables, vineyards, or food stalls) and engage with guests who are taking photos. They might offer to take a group photo for the guests (so everyone can be in the shot) and then casually mention, “If you share it, use our hashtag so we can see it – we love featuring our visitors’ best shots!” This personal touch not only improves the guest experience but also secures buy-in. In some cases, the social media team can even ask on the spot for permission: e.g. if they witness an amazing shot, they can say, “That’s beautiful – would you mind if we share that on our official page? We’ll credit you.” Most attendees are excited to oblige when asked politely during the festival excitement.

• Printed and Digital Guidelines: Leverage your festival programme, brochure, or mobile app to publish a brief note on UGC. A section titled “Share Your Experience” can outline that you encourage social sharing and that by tagging the event, attendees are giving permission for the festival to possibly repost their content (always with credit to the creator). This acts as a formal notice. For instance, some festivals include a line in the ticket terms or program that says photography and recordings may be used in promotions – extending that concept to user-posted content. Keep the language friendly: “We may re-share the wonderful photos you post of your good times here – we promise to credit you. If you prefer we not use your image, no worries – just let us know.”

By establishing these guidelines at the festival itself, you set expectations with attendees in real time. They’ll know that if they tag the event or use the hashtag, the organisers might see and share their post. This upfront communication is key. It both encourages more people to post (because who doesn’t like a chance to be featured by an event they’re attending?) and lays the groundwork for permission, making the follow-up outreach easier.

Obtaining Consent and Giving Credit

Even with on-site guidelines and implicit OK from hashtags, it’s wise to explicitly obtain consent from individuals before you incorporate their content into your official feeds or marketing. This isn’t as daunting as it sounds – in fact, many festival social media managers find that attendees are more than happy to say “yes” when asked. The key is to ask politely, clearly, and to do so as swiftly as possible after the content is posted.

Best practices for requesting permission:

1. Monitor Festival Mentions: During and after the event, have someone on the team actively monitoring your hashtags, mentions, and location tags on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter (X). Identify the best photos, videos, and posts that really capture the spirit of your wine festival or highlight a unique angle (a beautiful wine-glass-in-hand sunset shot, a short video review of a varietal, a group cheers, etc.).

2. Reach Out Promptly: When you find a gem of a guest post, reach out the same day if possible. Comment on the post or send a direct message to the creator. Be genuine and upbeat – let them know how much you love their photo or video. Then, politely ask if you can share it on the festival’s official channels. For example: “Hi! We absolutely love this photo of yours from the festival – the joy on everyone’s faces is wonderful. Would it be okay for us to repost this on our official page? We will of course give you full credit!” This approach is friendly, flattering, and transparent about credit.

3. Explain the Usage (if not obvious): If you intend to use the content somewhere beyond a simple social media repost (say on your website gallery, or in a recap video), clarify that. It’s best to be upfront about where the content might appear and that it’s purely to highlight the festival. Usually, for social media only, a brief ask is fine. For anything bigger (like in printed materials or ads), consider a more formal request (and possibly offering something in return, like free tickets to next year or an entry into a prize draw, since that’s a bigger use of their content).

4. Use a Consent Hashtag or Reply: Some festivals and brands streamline this by asking the user to reply with a specific hashtag or keyword to confirm permission. You might have seen replies like “Yes, you can share! Reply #YesWineFest2024 to agree.” If you go this route, make sure you’ve prepared the terms somewhere (usually a link to your UGC terms of use) so the user knows what they’re agreeing to. However, a simple “Sure!” or “Yes, please share” from the user in a DM or comment is generally sufficient as permission in practice. Keep a screenshot or record of that agreement (just in case any questions arise later).

5. Always Give Credit: This is non-negotiable. When you do repost, tag the original creator’s handle in the photo (if the platform allows) and/or mention them in the caption with a thank-you. For example: “? Photo by @username – thanks for capturing this awesome moment at our festival!” Giving credit is not only right, it also publicly shows that this is their content you are sharing with permission, which maintains trust with your audience (and it might even gain the creator some new followers). On Twitter or Facebook, sharing via the platform’s native “share” or “retweet” features automatically credits the original poster – another reason to use built-in sharing tools when possible.

6. Don’t Edit Without Permission: Avoid altering the image or video heavily. Minor tweaks like cropping for size or correcting brightness are usually fine, but do not apply aggressive filters, remove watermarks, or alter the content’s meaning. Remember the case of Skinny Tan in the UK – they reposted an influencer’s story but were sanctioned because the influencer had used a beauty filter that exaggerated the product’s effect (discover.pannonecorporate.com). Since the brand shared it, they were held responsible for the misleading impression. The lesson: share UGC as it was originally presented, or if you must adjust something, be transparent or ask the creator if they’re okay with it. When it comes to wine festivals, this could mean not editing a photo so much that the wine’s colour or context looks different (which could inadvertently misrepresent a winery’s product or the event’s atmosphere).

7. Thank the Creator: After you’ve shared the content, send a quick thank-you note to the original poster. This small gesture reinforces that you appreciate them. It also keeps that person engaged – they’re likely to continue being an ambassador for your festival since you treated them well. Festivals thrive on word-of-mouth; turning a guest into a proud advocate can pay dividends in the long run.

By following these steps, you create a win-win: the festival gets lively, authentic content to keep social feeds vibrant, and the attendee gets a moment in the spotlight and proper credit. In fact, actively engaging with UGC like this can deepen attendee loyalty. People love to feel connected to the events they enjoy, and being featured by the festival is a validating experience. It’s not unusual to see those same people enthusiastically commenting on the repost or sharing it with their friends (“Look, the festival featured my photo!”), further spreading the positive buzz.

One more thing: limit how you use UGC to what you’ve agreed on. If an attendee lets you post their picture on Instagram, don’t later slip that photo into a printed brochure or an ad campaign without going back and getting additional permission (and perhaps a signed release form, especially if a person’s face is clearly shown). Using someone’s likeness in advertising can invoke separate “right of publicity” laws in many jurisdictions. So play it safe – keep UGC uses to social media and maybe your website, unless you’ve made a clear arrangement for broader usage.

Scaling Your UGC Strategy for Any Size Festival

UGC rights and guidelines need to be scaled appropriately to the size and style of your event. A small regional wine festival and a massive international wine expo will have different volumes of content and resources, but the principles remain the same.

For smaller festivals (say a local wine & cheese weekend that draws a few hundred attendees), you might handle UGC in a very personal, one-to-one manner. You can likely see most of the posts people share and respond individually. The festival organiser (or a single social media manager) can manage reaching out to each guest who posts something nice. The tone can be very intimate and community-oriented – which fits a small festival’s character. In communities where everyone knows everyone, word will get around that the festival team politely asks before sharing, which sets a positive example. You might even pre-identify some enthusiastic community members or local photographers, and encourage them to be unofficial “content captains” who will definitely share great pictures. With a smaller crowd, it’s feasible to personally thank those who post and maybe even reward them (perhaps highlight them in a post-festival newsletter or give them a discount code for next year). This builds a loyal local following over time.

For large-scale festivals, on the other hand, a more systematic approach is needed. A major wine festival that draws tens of thousands (like the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival or Canada’s Niagara Grape & Wine Festival) could generate an overwhelming amount of social media chatter. It’s a good idea to assemble a dedicated social media team or hire a service to help. These bigger events often use UGC management tools or platforms (for example, software that aggregates all posts with your hashtag across platforms into one feed). Such tools can sometimes help automate the rights request process – you can have templated permission requests and even pre-written responses. Having a workflow is critical: who monitors the feed, who flags the best content, who sends the request, and who actually does the reposting once approved. Aim to respond quickly; in the rapid pace of social media, getting permission and sharing a fan’s post during the event or immediately after keeps the momentum high.

With a large festival, also consider assigning content moderation duties. Not every piece of UGC will be something you want to share. Some posts might be off-brand or inappropriate (e.g. someone over-imbibing in a photo, or a post with a complaint about long lines – obviously you wouldn’t repost that!). You need to filter UGC carefully. Establish criteria for what’s share-worthy: it should be positive, visually appealing, and reflective of the atmosphere you want to promote. Especially with anything related to alcohol, ensure that the content you share aligns with responsible drinking messages and any local advertising codes (many countries have guidelines on not depicting excessive drinking or underage individuals in alcohol marketing). This diligence protects your festival’s image and keeps your social feeds inspiring and fun.

Adapting for different audiences is another consideration. Know your demographic: is your wine festival attracting a younger, social-media-savvy crowd, or an older, more traditional audience? Younger attendees (20s-30s) will likely be all over Instagram Stories, TikTok videos, and Snapchat, sharing every moment. They’ll respond well to campaigns like hashtags, photo contests, or AR filters (imagine a fun AR effect with floating wine barrels or grape vines that people can use on Instagram – these can go viral if done right). Just be sure to include in the filter’s info that by using it and tagging you, they’re cool with you re-sharing their creations.

Older audiences might be more active on Facebook or might share photos in more closed circles (or not at all). For events with a mature crowd, you could adapt by perhaps encouraging email submissions of photos for a post-event gallery or contest, rather than expecting everyone to blast it on social media. Also, some cultures or age-groups are more cautious about privacy; they might love taking photos for themselves but not post them publicly. In such cases, you relying solely on UGC for marketing could fall flat, so recognise those signals. Perhaps hire a photographer to take candid shots (with people’s consent on-site) and then share those with attendees (who can choose to post them). Or set up a kiosk where people can upload their snapshots for an official “festival album”, giving you permission in the process. Flexibility is key – the goal is to collect those authentic moments one way or another, with respect for how your particular audience is comfortable sharing.

No matter the scale or audience, always coordinate with your stakeholders. If you have wineries, sponsors, or partners, brief them on your UGC guidelines. You don’t want a scenario where a winery at your festival reuses a guest’s photo that features their booth without permission, thinking it’s fine because it’s “from the festival”. Make sure everyone is on the same page that permission and credit are required. In fact, you can turn this into a collaborative effort: encourage vendors and sponsors to share attendee posts through your festival’s channels (have them forward great UGC to your team), so there’s a centralized, consent-aware process. This way, a guest’s photo gets shared once on official channels with approval, rather than, say, five different wine brands all reposting it without asking.

A final note on global festivals: language and cultural differences matter. If you spot a fantastic post in a language you don’t understand, do a bit of due diligence before resharing or asking to use it. Use translation tools or ask a bilingual team member – the caption might be saying something you wouldn’t want to amplify unknowingly. It could be a joke, or even a complaint, that just looks happy in the photo. Context is crucial. Also, certain gestures or imagery might be interpreted differently across cultures, so double-check that a seemingly fun photo is universally appropriate. This extra step is part of being a culturally sensitive festival organiser, especially as content spreads worldwide.

By scaling your approach appropriately and staying attentive to who your attendees are, you’ll ensure that your UGC efforts are efficient, effective, and well-received by the community.

Key Takeaways

• UGC is a Marketing Goldmine – Handle With Care: User-generated content from your guests can greatly boost your wine festival’s authenticity and reach (remember, consumers trust real posts more than ads). Embrace it, but always obtain permission and respect the creator’s rights.

• Set the Stage for Sharing: Encourage attendees to post by providing hashtags, photo-op spots, and friendly reminders. Make it clear (via signage or announcements) that you may reshare their content – this transparency both invites more sharing and serves as a form of consent.

• Always Ask and Credit: Never assume you can use a guest’s photo or video – ask first. A simple direct message or comment request is usually met with a yes. Once permission is given, credit the creator visibly in your repost. This keeps things legal and shows appreciation.

• Protect Your Festival Legally: Understand that the attendee owns their content. Using it without consent can lead to copyright or privacy issues. Avoid legal headaches by securing usage rights (a quick “Can we share this?” and a “Yes” in writing), and by not sharing content that could infringe on someone’s privacy or image rights (e.g. identifiable people who haven’t agreed, minors, etc.).

• Moderate and Match Your Brand: Curate the UGC you choose to republish. Only share guest content that reflects well on your event and aligns with any alcohol advertising standards. Ensure it portrays responsible fun – for instance, no content showing unsafe behaviour or anything that could harm your festival’s reputation.

• Scale Your Approach: For a small festival, a personal touch in requesting and sharing UGC works great. For a large festival, deploy a team and tools to efficiently manage the flood of posts. In all cases, adapt to your audience’s social media habits and comfort levels, whether they’re Instagram-happy millennials or camera-shy connoisseurs.

• Build Community Through Collaboration: Treat your guests like creative partners. By valuing their content, you turn attendees into enthusiastic ambassadors for your festival. Over time this community-driven marketing not only yields fantastic content but also strengthens loyalty – people love events that celebrate their fans.

By implementing UGC rights and creator guidelines at your wine festival – starting from those pour stations all the way to your social media pages – you ensure that you can share the amazing moments your guests capture with their blessing. The result is a vibrant, lively online presence that amplifies your festival’s story to the world, all while keeping things on the right side of the law and public goodwill. Cheers to that!