Austin Simar
CEO, The Battle of Byron Festival
chairman@battleofbyron.com
Number of events in 2025: Up to 10
Types of events: Large annual festival and 5-10 smaller community events, including holiday events, outdoor movies, and car shows
Average number of attendees in 2025: 25-5,000+
What is your primary role associated with meetings and events?
I have overseen The Battle of Byron Festival and organization as CEO and chairman of the board since 2022, handling the day-to-day operations, planning, and decisions of running the festival and the organization. Prior to 2022, The Battle of Byron Festival ran from 1979 to 2015 as a single-day community event. My goal when relaunching the festival in 2023 was to expand it to have a broader community impact throughout the year, with monthly community events like outdoor movies in the summer, car shows in the fall, and a children’s breakfast with Santa in December. The Battle of Byron Festival is designed for all ages of the community to come together and connect through a giant field day of fun games, competitions, and challenges.
What skills do you think are essential for planning successful meetings and events?
The most essential skill is the ability to take constructive criticism, which isn’t always easy. As the lead planner, executor, and face of an event, you must be willing to hear the good, the bad, and the ugly, as well as take the thorns with the roses.
Just as important is the ability to stay calm. No event ever goes exactly as planned; that’s just the nature of the business. If you can maintain composure and focus on solutions rather than problems, everything will work out.
Finally, to be a successful event planner, you must be a great listener to your board, team, and community. If you can’t listen, you can’t lead.
What is your philosophy or approach to challenges and unexpected issues?
Stay calm and build a strong support system. Also, finding reliable, supportive people takes time and trust. Once you have both composure and a solid team, it’s no longer about what happens—it’s about how you respond to it.
How do you keep up with industry trends, changes, and cutting-edge developments?
I hand-pick people who excel in specialized areas like technology, marketing, finance, etc. The best way to stay on top of changes is to rely on those who truly know their fields. Second, I do my own research. I ask questions, conduct surveys and polls, read, and study what’s new. Staying informed personally and professionally is key to keeping The Battle of Byron Festival relevant.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The most rewarding moment is on festival day, when I look at thousands of smiling faces. As I hear the laughter, see families together, and watch the community come alive, I know we’ve made a difference.
How would you describe your biggest professional success?
My biggest success was organizing my first major event. I was only 18 and a high school senior, balancing a job, school, family, and a lot of doubters waiting for me to fail. Anything is possible with determination and vision.
Please share an anecdote about a unique or unusual event that you organized.
The Battle of Byron Festival stands out for its creativity and fun. It features wacky, entertaining games and challenges designed to bring people together, such as adult tricycle races, men’s high-heel races, men’s prettiest legs contest, bed races, and pie-eating competitions, just to name a few. Our entire festival is a celebration of the unusual—a one-of-a-kind event built around laughter, community, and friendly competition.
What is the best professional advice you ever received, and what advice would you offer others in the industry?
The best advice I ever received was simple: “Do it.” Do it scared. Do it alone. Do it even when the odds are against you. Don’t let fear or doubt stop you from pursuing your goals.
My advice to others in the industry is to choose your team wisely. The right team can make or break any event or organization. A dedicated, trustworthy team is the foundation of success.
What do you hope to achieve or look forward to as you plan events in 2026?
In 2026, I hope to expand the number of events we host and increase attendance at each event, especially The Battle of Byron Festival. I also plan to strengthen our board’s structure, enhance organization, and deepen community involvement throughout every level of the festival.
