ABBREVIATED ORDER OF ACTION (Once your business is set up)

1. Decide on how much money you are willing to risk.

2. What city are you promoting in?

3. What dates are you interested in promoting?

4. Research competitive event dates. What is their ticket price?

5. Work up Cost Sheet. Research subcontractors/ get production estimates just after deciding on venue.

6. Contact facilities in the area and find out their available dates.

7. Contact talent agencies and find out the dates and prices of available acts.

8. Do budget and Cost Sheets on most probable shows.

9. Make offers on a particular act. Reaffirm firm offer with a mailgram or email needing response.

10. Have building manager pencil in and reserve venue for the date discussed with artist’s agent.

11. Place deposit on act at time of contract signing. Meet with and sign producer or stage manager, as soon as rider contract arrives. Request promotional information from supporting record company.

12. Place deposit on facility, sound and lights company. Building walk through.

13. Count the number of access doors to the outside, remember where they are or check them off a building diagram. Physically count every seat at some time before tickets are ordered. Make sure seating diagram matches the ticket order.

14. Order tickets. Contact ticket outlets.

15. Contact co-sponsors and mail or email simple co-promo proposals.

16. Contact security company.

17. Make sure you or producer arranges dates for limo, food, hotel, if necessary.

18. Design advertising, promotions, P.R. campaign. Set up starting web site.

19. Contact all media you intend on using.

20. Produce radio spots; design print ads.

21. When tickets arrive, count each one; distribute.

22. Advertising starts 4-8 weeks out Unless it’s a big show where you at least want to place tickets on sale as soon as possible even if you don’t start your advertising yet (festivals 16-26 weeks).

23. Track ticket sales daily.

24. Adjust advertising, change ads to keep them fresh.

25. Arrange possible day of show interviews, autograph sessions, etc.; adjust advertising as necessary. Make sure you get the free publicity- make those newsroom phone calls. It’s now a news story and the newsroom is looking for store is that are happening that day. That’s what news is, it’s happening right now.
    

Day of show: Arrive A.M.

• Make sure Box Office is open, hang there when possible.

• Inspect stage, back line rentals, backstage, dressing room.

• Fire extinguishers?

• Check on status of rider requirements for band.

• Lunch with the band’s manager?

• Is sound and lights working? When is sound check?

• A few hours before opening doors, check all doors.




26. Complete Ticket Manifest and Box Office or Ticket Agency Settlement.

On Marketing. . . .

A short marketing plan starts it all. After you have signed the talent and venue contract,
you will need to ask yourself what you are going to do to promote the show.

1. Marketing Budget (listed on a marketing calendar) and Media Mix

2. Marketing Radius

3. Marketing Schedule

4. Establish Demographic and where your target can most efficiently be found

5. Types of Advertising you have chosen

6. Principal media chosen, which radio stations, newspapers

7. Ideas and abbreviated proposed ideas for promotions
   (with radio stations, web sites, newspapers- ticket giveaways, etc.)

8. Press Release topics, release schedule and possible titles

9. Possible co-sponsors, strategic media partners

Your marketing plan has a finite number of media options. There are only so many ways to break up the marketing budget. What is the most effective means of getting to your target demographic in the your target market?

Here are the marketing mix media pie alternatives:

Electronic
Radio
Network or local affiliateTV
Cable

Internet
Web site
Newsgroups, Blogs, Forums
E-Zines
Email blasts
Viral Marketing

Outdoor
Billboards
Transit
Taxi
Bus boards
Aerial banners

Media/ Products Promotions

Field Promotions
(Remote, street field promoters)
Flyers, posters, cards

Print
Newspaper
Magazines

Throughout the rest of the book, we’ll discuss each form of media and their design, materials, planning, buying, cost, negotiation and implementation.

On Insurance Coverage. . .

General Liability Coverage

This is required by the venue. A building, ranch, race track, county fair grounds- all want to be covered from liability due to physical damage, fire, riots, accidents or whatever else may place them in a position of liability due to actions stemming from you, your workers or your patrons. You are responsible as the promoter to insure the venue.

A nightclub may require General Liability Coverage of $½ to $1 million, an arena usually about $2-5 million and a racetrack or very large facility (especially wide-open events located on large tracts of land) may require $5- $10 million of coverage, inquire.

You have to look at this from the venue’s position. They need to protect their interests; their property, reputation and good faith they have built over the years can be wiped out if someone is raped, run over, shot, stabbed or burned to death at your event.

Insurance for a small event is usually about $800 to $1,500. A medium size event will cost you about $2,000 to $3,000 to insure and a large event can range from $3,500 to $20,000 depending on the amount of bonds, the amount of general liability coverage and the inherent risk in the type of event or music format and it’s history. The promoter does not matter that much.

The concert insurance coverage business has changed dramatically recently. With nightclub fires globally, stampedes, the Woodstock 99 aftermath and the advent of punk rock mosh pits and hip-hop show stabbings and shootings, most concert insurers of 10 years ago are no more or they simply refuse to write this kind of business. Insurance coverage for your event is just plain harder to get. Instead of being put on the back burner, insurance coverage should one of your primary concerns early on. The great thing about getting a quote is that it usually just tales a phone call once you know where when and with who you will be presenting.

Usually, your subcontractors will carry their own insurance. For a security company to become licensed they need to offer a certain amount of General Liability Insurance.
Require your subcontractors to provide you with a copy of their insurance coverage for your files, make sure the dates are current.

Nowadays, the agency quoting the insurance coverage will want to:

• Know the security requirements and seat capacity
• Research a bio of the band
• Know about the Liquor liability
• Know if you intend to have a mosh pit
• Your intent to have metal detectors (are you going to pat people down)

Review the insurance requirements of the venue contract. When do they need to have the insurance certificate? Sometimes, its required right after booking the building. Do not wait until the week of the show. Have your coverage certificate in hand early.

One insurer specializing in the concert and music festival business across the country CSI can insure about 95% of the events presented to them. They are independent brokers working with about 20 insurance companies. CSI is a full service insurance agency providing a vast array of entertainment industry coverage, including spectator liability, property/ equipment, liquor liability, weather insurance, event cancellation, equipment floaters, artist liability, workers compensation and bonds.

CSI Entertainment Insurance in Dallas Texas www.csicoverage.com
Toll free: 1-800-204-1523 Push Ext. 224 to contact the Marketing Director