Want to Produce an Event?
Looking to bring your favorite artist to your favorite city?. Trying to produce a concert and manage all logistics from Step One to Step 100. Maybe you’d like to have the Migos book an appearance at your favorite club or produce a Beyoncè Concert in your hometown.. What steps do you take? How do you ensure maximum return and what marketing tactics do you need implement to ensure brand equity and awareness, more importantly attendance?
I still remember my first production, Three 6 Mafia and Gorilla Zoe, at Austin Music Hall on May 9, 2009. My best friends just started their own production company and recently booked the same acts for Little 500 at the University of Indiana(AEPI & Blue Ocean Live Present Three 6 Mafia Little 500 Indana University 2007). It seemed like the perfect alignment of variables to not only allow me to bring my favorite artists growing up in Memphis, TN to my new adopted hometown, Austin, TX, but also a great way to begin what should be an incredibly successful business.
Well, needless to say, the production was anything but successful. About the only things that were successful were the vast amount of lessons that came from it along with the great connections I was able to retain and who continue to help make the Austin entertainment scene what it is today. Those same connections and incredible relationships, now nine years later, continue to contribute positivity to my everyday life (including this very website). Those lessons also helped me continue my dream of live event production and promotion through my LLC, Red Ocean Ventures, whicht has produced more than 30 oncerts and live events, four weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and affiliations with a large amount of Austin-based companies.
I’ve created a checklist to help you create successful events based on my success and failures. Use these tips and tricks to product events like booking Wiz Khalifa at Aces Lounge, Paul Van Dyk at Zouk in Dallas, and Jazzsteppa at Republic Live.
-Conduct a demographics analysis of your local market. This can be done via focus groups, surveys on Facebook, or past
event analysis within the market.
-Finalize all venue and artist contracts, including signatured, no later than 3 ½ months prior to the event.
– All contracts need to be reviewed over by legal representation. Do not skip this step! It covers you and your interests from any potential liability in the future and can save you thousands of dollars.
– Ensure all your questions around sound/stage/lighting are answered and covered in the contracts and find out, whether you are allowed to bring product sponsors in by law
-Should you need investors, I recommend a one page summary including time, date, location, and a brief description of event (What makes it unique? Why should they invest?).
– Create a variety of Sponsorship Packages – I recommend at least three options.
– These should include social media post guarantees, email blast inclusions, image placement on flyers, product placement at venue, and other sponsorship benefits.
-Flyer Creation/Order Flyers – I recommend using a national based printing company like rushflyers.com
-Create anevent website (not always necessary).
-Sell tickets on multiple end-user enabled ticket sites (Eventbrite, Eventjoy, Ticketed, Ticket Leap, Thunder Tix).
-This includes creating ticket tiers(Early Bird, GA, VIP, Backstage, and Packages).
-Create social media pages (both fan & group).
-Upload the event on Goldstar, Spotify, Bandsintown, Eventful.
-Upload the event or source to local live event websites (Do512, 512now).
-Involve locally-based, incentivized Promoters(Remember, we want everyone to win).
-Promoters can help with social media posts andlyer distribution
-VIP Lounge Type Furniture Rentals
-Implement extraneous differentiation factors (VR Technology, product giveaways, promotions).