BLAIR HUGHES15/2/2013

PWS MUSIC BUSINESS MSIT TAFE 15/2/2013

RUNNING A GIG

Event management is the application of project management to the creation and development of festivals, events and conferences.

Event management involves studying the intricacies of the brand, identifying the target audiences, devising the event concept, planning the logistics and co-ordinating the technical aspects before actually launching the event. Post event analysis and ensuring a return on investment have become signif icant drivers for the event industry.

The industry now includes events of all sizes from the Olympics down to a breakfast meeting for ten business people. Many industries, charitable organisations and interest groups will hold many events of some size in order to market themselves, build business relationships, raise money or celebrate.

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Before do ing anything, have a th ink about why you want to organise the g ig and what others invo lved wi l l want to get out o f the event .

As the organiser , understanding everyone’s mot ivat ions wi l l make i t eas ier for you achieve what you want, wi l l be usefu l dur ing negot iat ions and wi l l ensure that everybody working on the g ig wants to be there – so that u l t imately you put on a good show.

Here are some examples of object ives when p lanning a g ig:

The band: To se l l records, for audiences to hear their music , ra ise the band’s profi le, more l ive performing exper ience and make cash

Agent or band manager: Ra ise the band’s profi le and make cash Promoter: Make money, bui ld their reputat ion and a name for the event Venue: Enterta in ex ist ing customers, att ract new customers, ra ise the venue’s

profi le and make money Event student: Get event p lanning and management exper ience and make contacts Charity fundraiser: Increase awareness of the organisat ion and ra ise money

Depending on the s ize of the event , you may be one or even three of those ro les, but whoever you are, and whatever your reasons for putt ing on the g ig, your main job is to put on an awesome event and exceed your audience’s expectat ions. I f your audience is hav ing a good t ime, they’re more l ike ly to buy your CDs or raffl e t ickets , return to the venue for another event , look out for other events you’re organis ing and want to see you perform l ive again.

WHY PLAN A GIG?

Events can be classified into four broad categories based on their purpose and objective:

Leisure events e.g. leisure sport, music, recreation.

Cultural events e.g. ceremonial, religious, art, heritage, and folklore.

Personal events e.g. weddings, birthdays, anniversaries.

Organizational events e.g. commercial, political, charitable, sales, product launch,expo.

TYPES OF EVENTS

What skills do event managers need?Time Management Good communication skills (verbal/written)Respect and HonestyProblem solvingBuilding interpersonal relationshipsWhat else?

Find two skills which are not mentioned above and be ready to talk about why they are important to have as an event manager.

TASK 1: EVENT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

Plans and executes the event. Behind-the-scenes running the event. The event manager is an expert at the creative, technical

and logistical elements that help an event succeed. This includes event design, audio-visual production, scriptwriting, logistics, budgeting, negotiation, client service. It is a multidimensional profession.

Event managers will need to source the following people and sort out these jobs:

WHAT DO EVENT MANAGERS DO?

Site surveyors Securing staff/volunteers

Venue hire Press releases and publicity

Bars and Food

Stage Props Police Transport of artists

Social Media Equipment/ Backline

Artists Security Accommodation Sound & Lighting

Posters

Sourcing Riders Budgeting First aid/ OWHS Road crews Stationary/supplies

1. Make Contacts and Networks (Go and see bands, p lan a g ig that would work for both part ies , something to ‘brand’ and market!)

2. Book a Venue (Careful on dates! , Does your venue sui t your art is ts? , Venue can be ANYTHING!, Cost of h i re? What equipment do they have (PA compris ing mix ing desk, ampl ifi ers , microphones etc?) , 6 weeks lead in t ime, capac i ty , sound engineer, insurance, APRA, fee’s - refer to box)

3. Book Art is ts (Choose bands that wi l l put on a good l ive show, Avai labi l i ty-p lay ing too often, s imi lar sounds, look the part , sound good, 3-4 bands, set t imes, headl iner vs . supports , cost of bands, r iders , change-overs , back l ine/equipment shar ing, merch, t ickets , music dur ing breaks. contracts)

4. Posters (bands, cost , venue, date, t ime, what e lse to sel l th is event! B&W vs Colour, How many? Where can you put these up? Distr ibut ion)

5. Advert is ing, Publ ic i ty , PR, Soc ia l Media (Must have a story! , Pr int vs Digi ta l vs Radio, Fo l lowing up, Press re leases, Advert is ing, Advertor ia l , s treet press , bands promoting show, competi t ions, )

6. On the Night of the Gig (Guest l i s t , Ta lk to everyone, be helpful , rev iewers/photographers , B lutac, n ikko pens and GAFFA TAPE!!! Enjoy the event)

7. After the Gig (Paying bands, sett lement, GST/TAX)

STEPS TO RUN A GIG

Start small scale/ Life Long Learning Professionalism at all times Use as least $$$ as possible Know your audience Plan the END to START. Lawyer Up Treat it as a business not a hobby. Be careful not to mix business

with friendships. I.e. booking a mates band because you like them. You have to think about your audience, not yourself.

Planning/Preparation is key. Back up plan B’s. Mistakes happen. Learn from them. Network but don’t kiss ass Take calculated risks Think GLOBALLY. Don’t be a jerk as it’s a small industry. Think outside the box at all times….anything goes in the music

biz!

CORE BELIEFS FOR BOOKING GIGS

Split into groups of 3-4

Choose a genre that you all agree on to promote for our gig

Decide on a serious music industry business name for your group that will be used to book your bands and venue.

Choose a logo/font or design one (use DAFONT.COM)

Think about how you could promote your music event management business?

TASK 3: WHAT IS YOUR EVENT GROUP NAME?

Do some research into the cost of the following services you will need to run your gig:

How could you cut down on some of these costs but still be successful?

TASK 2: COST OF SERVICES

Posters

Supports Rider Transport of artists

Poster Distro

Sound engineer

Social Media

Accommodation for bands

Artists?

Venue Hire

Backline

Publicity

Portable Toilets

Police

What else?

Design a festival using YouTube or any music sites which includes:

A line up of 50 artists, but you can choose more! Decided on your main headliners and work out which bands are

mid range bands and then the lower range support bands. Work out how much a ticket to this festival would cost. Where is it going to take place and why? What date? I.e summer/winter/day/night/one day- two days? Will there be a theme? Think of colours, branding, styles that

might go with this event? What would they be? What would your festival look, feel, smell, sound like?

What name will you give your festival/event? What other elements will it have? Merch? Food/Drink? Signing

Tents…what’s something else that is creative? Use pens and paper to sketch out a rough idea of your ‘Ultimate

Gig’.

TASK 4: THE ULTIMATE GIG

Research an event/festival/venue and identify the following:

What is the name of the festival/event or venue?What is the capacity of the venue?How much are tickets generally?Where is the event/venue/festival located?What type of music does the venue cater for? Name an

artist that has played hereWhat arrangements does the venue provide for

posters, sound engineering, publicity etcHas the event had any OWHS issues?Put this information into a PowerPoint including images

and video.

TASK 5: EVENT RESEARCH