Irrespective of the era, culture, or genre, music has a peculiar way of unifying and making connections among people of various communities and age groups. Note that watching live musicians perform touches the soil and can fire the imagination in ways that pre-recorded music can not. However, planning an amazing music event, whether small or big, begins by getting the basics right.
Regarding events, people with live music are part of the most entertaining and engaging for attendees. Yet, they can as well be the most likely to hit certain bumps on the road.
Through the help of elements and moving pieces more than a typical event, a concert has some more things that can go wrong at any given time. Injuries or illnesses, technical problems with audio-visual equipment, and even inclement weather can all have certain negative impacts on the experience of people who are involved.
Planning a successful music festival is a thrilling experience, and those who are involved would not wish to miss out. Hence, this article is set to serve as a guide for planning a successful live music event.
How to Plan a Live Music Event
Make a Budget
Everything begins with the budgeting of the event and the scale at which you wish to organize your event. Stick to a budget template which you can use for all your upcoming music events. Ensure you come up with a realistic budget that can cater for all expenses associated with booking a venue, logistics, infrastructure, talent buying, as well as any contingency.
At this point, you should be certain if you need to generate the exposure of sponsorship for your event. Also, ensure you frequently track your budget, in order to ensure you do not overspend.
Find Your Talent
More than anything else, the musical talent you bring in is expected to shape the atmosphere of your event. That may also be one of your main budget line items, based on the type of talent you intend to bring in.
Try to get the talent that properly fits the concept and objectives of your event, and ensure that their audience will greatly overlap with your target audience for the event. For example, you would not want a band with a mainly teenage audience playing in a room with more seniors.
Bear in mind that if you get out-of-town talent, you will probably need to pay for their travel expenses. This could place you over budget, except if you are careful. So, by selecting local talent, it may be possible for you to save some money and develop a connection with the local community.
Finalize Your Venue
The moment you decide on your artists, the next thing is to finalize the event venue. If you wish to have an indoor event and you have a pub or casino, the venue should no longer be a serious concern. However, if you are looking to host the event outdoors, you can consider choosing a stadium or open space that will accommodate everyone.
Ensure you conclude on your venue according to your budget and the number of attendees your venue can accommodate. For example, the Fox Pointe Amphitheater is a suitable venue choice, if you wish to host a group of people as large as the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra.
Conclude on the Event Date
Depending on the availability of your chosen artists, you should conclude your concert event date. Afterwards, you can then create the buzz around the concert. In the process of launching the concert, you could send out email campaigns and reminders to both the stakeholders and your audience.
Moreover, ensure the date of your event does not clash with other popular events, so you can get the maximum number of attendees. The moment you conclude the event date, you can then begin your event marketing strategy.
Settle Logistics
Whether it is a small gig or a big concert, make sure you book an excellent sound system needed for that memorable experience. If it is an outdoor space, you can set up the bug stage for your artists, as well as rent the stage equipment, including sound and light.
Besides, ensure you set up a dressing room, backstage, and also take care of the event catering at the concert. However, in the process of taking care of the logistics, do not miss out on procuring the necessary permits.
This is because you may need to obtain permits for noise, food, alcohol, and even the event itself. You should confirm with your venue and local authorities to see the required things. Moreover, you can also get insurance for your event, so you can be covered for common mishaps.
In addition, you could start your team recruitment process in advance, considering the fact that you will need to welcome volunteers, respond to queries, and attend to any issue attendees may face while at the event. Bear in mind that if you will be providing liquor at the event, ensure you have CCTV surveillance, trained security, and drones to sort out unpleasant situations.
Ticket Pricing
Pricing your tickets is one of the essential factors for growing the revenue of your event. The moment you know the expenses your event will require and the number of attendees expected at the concert, you may include an additional margin to sort out extra expenses and set your price accordingly.
Additionally, you may create multiple types of tickets with seating combinations to give your attendees the ultimate flexibility of selecting what is best for them as well as their group.
Post-Concert
After you have successfully hosted your live music event, make sure you build and maintain relationships with your artists and audience. It could just be a feedback form or post-event survey that will help you know what their thoughts are regarding your event.
The moment they become your loyal fans, you can then leave it to their word of mouth to get you improved success, compared to any other promotion.
