Welcome back to our Ambassador Spotlight series! We’re featuring the top ambassadors of various programs from all around the SocialLadder ambassador network to give our ambassadors a chance to tell everyone about their memories, interests and passions – all of the things that fuel awesome communities and experiences!
New Spotlight Ambassadors are selected each month. Be sure to keep up with the top tier of ambassadors and you could be featured next!
This month’s Spotlight Ambassador is Marissa!
We got the chance to talk with Marissa and find out a little bit about her and her favorite festival experiences!
What has been your best festival experience?
My best festival experience would have to be Tomorrowworld USA 2015. My crew and I decided to go last minute, which always leads to uncertainty. I packed up all my luggage and camping gear, checked 3 bags, and hopped on a plane to Georgia. It was my first and only Tomorrowworld experience.
It amazed me how all of the extravagant stages came from Tomorrowland Belgium the year before. Every detail of TW from the theme, to the stages, to the decorations, to the development of Dreamville gave it a feel where you didn’t feel like you were on earth but a magical land living in a dream for 4 days. It was full of the best vibes I have ever experienced. It was also extremely spread out on beautiful grounds, so you rarely bumped into people and had plenty of room to dance. Despite all the rain and mud 2015 endured, I wouldn’t trade it or have wanted it any other way.
What’s your favorite part of being an ambassador?
One of my favorite parts of being an ambassador is all the friendships I have made over the years from the people I have sold tickets to and people I have been ambassadors with. Being an ambassador for EDM events and festivals for the past 3 years has truly changed my life in so many ways. I never thought I would ever be selling the amount of tickets I am today for big music festivals.
There was a time about 5 years ago I couldn’t even make it to a concert because it was hard to find a friend that wanted to go to an EDM show or festival. I live in upstate NY, just under 5 hours away from NYC. There are no nightclubs here. We rarely get shows and it’s usually just smaller names. I will never forget 4 years ago, I was finally going to make it to my first festival ever – Electric Zoo. Unfortunately, people backed out last minute and I was stuck with a 3-day ticket I had to sell. I wanted to cry inside and thought to myself “how am I ever going to sell this ticket?” After days of stress and anger, I got lucky and was able to sell the ticket. I ended up going to Electric Zoo that year just for one day with a couple of friends I met at a local EDM show. I was sad to not get the full experience but happy I at least got to experience one day of a festival for the first time.
Since that year, I have attended Electric Zoo every year for all 3 days. 2016 was my first year as an ambassador for Mysteryland and Electric Zoo. I sold over 150 tickets for MLUSA and almost 250 tickets for ezoo. In 2017, I still remain in first place in ticket sales. Every festival and every show is a new opportunity to make new friends who share the same love and passion you do from all over the world. In the past 5 years, I have went from not knowing anyone in the EDM world to not being able to walk 10 steps without knowing someone. I never thought I would ever have friends to go on these amazing adventures with. I have met life long friends that will be at my wedding someday.
What are some tips you have for people who are just starting up and want to sell more tickets?
My advice to fellow ambassadors and new ambassadors one of the most important traits to have to be successful is you have to be social – bottom line. If you’re quiet, shy, and barely associate with people in the edm scene by keeping to yourself and just going to a festival to do your own thing, then being an ambassador is not for you. You probably won’t even sell the bare minimum to earn that free ticket. Be social – it’s all about networking whether you are at a festival, in line at the porta potties or in line for a drink. You have to have that ‘make friends with everyone’ personality.
My favorite part of going to festivals?
The music is definitely what brings us all there and together but everything that goes along with it is what brings you back over and over. My favorite part of going to festivals aside from the amazing mind blowing music that I’m so addicted to is the people and the amazing vibes from every person you cross paths with. I love the creative funny totem signs that can’t stop making you laugh (so you have to take a picture and meet its creator), the crazy costumes, the creativity, everyone expressing themselves how they want, dressing as their favorite character as a child that they still love, or dressing as a sparkly mermaid or thinking you’re a Disney princess still in your mid 20s. Anything goes! No one cares what you do for a living, how much money you make, what you believe in or your sexual orientation. We are all beautiful! You are looking at life through a glass of no judgement the second you walk past those gates.
Thanks to Marissa for her awesome answers, and for painting such a great picture of her passion and experiences as a music fan and an ambassador!
You can go follow Marissa on Instagram and twitter at @315ravegirl!
