EXCLUSIVE: Festival Vendors Claim They Are Still Waiting On Thousands Owed From Maitreya Owners

14 November 2016 | 2:19 pm | Neil Griffiths

"Their communication last year and this year was quite pathetic."

Following almost a year of controversy in which Victoria’s Maitreya Festival has shut down twice, been sued by its own ticketing company and not given refunds for many of their punters, the long-running event has again been thrown in the deep end, this time by some of its vendors, who claim are owed thousands from organisers.

  • Caterers allege they are still owed thousands from Maitreya organisers
  • Maitreya organisers offer vendors free spot at new event to make up for debts owed
  • Vendors say they had not heard from organisers in months

To make matters even more complicated, it can be exclusively revealed that some of the vendors have also been contacted by organisers, Lachlan Bell and Sophie Oostermeyer, in the last fortnight about a new event that will take place in March next year, offering them a free spot at the festival to make up for the debts owed.

A statement on the official Maitreya Facebook page posted earlier this month all but confirms the new festival is in the works.

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Kylee Bullen of La Crepe Downunder is just one of many allegedly owed money from the Maitreya organisers and claims that not only was she not contacted about the festival cancellation this past March, but she only found out about it once it was reported.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Bullen says of her contact with organisers since the festival was cancelled.

"We paid the site fees. I think I paid it at the end of February…haven’t heard anything from them at all."

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Bullen, who has worked with Maitreya since 2012, claims she is owed $4200 and decided to not pursue legal action against organisers.

"I honestly just had a little bit of faith and I’ve been trying to not push them or anything," she says.

"I thought I’d leave it."

However, Bullen says her dealings with promoters had become more difficult in the past two years.

"Their communication last year and this year was quite pathetic," Bullen said.

"I’ve been doing this for five years or whatever and a lot of the other festivals, you know, you’ve got your paperwork all in, they push you to do this, you’ve got to have your fees paid.

"They actually were going to let me do coffee this year on top of all my crepes and egg and bacon rolls, which would have been an extra $1000 on my site fee. They only gave me a week’s notice for that.

"Just really shit communication this year, to the point where they always used to take all the old caterers but we had to email them a lot just to see what the hell is going on. Is there applications? Is it happening? It was really loose this year."

In regards to the recent email she was sent by Bell and Oostermeyer, Bullen believes the proposed new event will not go ahead.

"I honestly reckon they are just trying to get out of paying everybody back all the money, the caterers especially," Bullen says.

"There’s three other festivals that have been created in that absence over the long weekend which I intend to try and get into one or two of them.

"I don’t think there’s an event. Where’s the site? Where’s the advertising?"

Another caterer, who has asked to remain nameless, has alleged that they are owed just under $6000.

"I’ve contacted the organiser a number of times by text," they told The Music.

"He’s responded, but he just said he’s working on getting a refund. I haven’t seen a refund yet."

The caterer confirmed they also received the email proposing to take part in the March festival, and though they will not be taking part, they do not believe the organisers are trying to take advantage of the venders.

"I think that the guy has good intentions all round. I don’t think he’s a bad person, I just think he’s screwed up.

"Aside from that, I think the guy has lost trust in the community and the music scene.

"What I’d do if I was in his place, I’d take out a personal loan, I’d get a guarantor from his family…and he should pay back his debts."

The Music has attempted to contact Maitreya organisers for comment.