Performing for audiences.
WHAT REVENUE COMES FROM
Fees for performing Ticket sales, when self-promoting Merchandise Sponsorship
WHAT THE DISTINCTION IS
Being booked transfers the risk to the promoter; self-promoting keeps it with you.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH WHEN BOOKED
Fee and when it is paid
What is provided: sound, lighting, backline, accommodation, transport
Performance duration and times Cancellation terms Who pays if the event does not happen
WHY THAT LAST POINT
Events are cancelled and the performer frequently bears it.
WHAT TO TAKE
A deposit, in advance.
WHY
It is the only protection against cancellation.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH ABOUT TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
What you need, in writing, in advance.
WHY
Arriving to find inadequate equipment ruins the performance and it is blamed on you.
WHAT SELF-PROMOTED EVENTS REQUIRE
Venue and its cost Permissions and licences Sound and technical provision Security Ticketing Promotion Contingency
WHAT TO CALCULATE
Break-even attendance.
WHY
It tells you whether the event is viable before committing.
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Costs that are fixed regardless of attendance.
WHAT TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT
Attendance.
WHY
Optimistic projections produce losses that are difficult to absorb.
WHAT SAFETY REQUIRES
Capacity limits observed Exits clear and adequate Crowd management Electrical safety First aid
WHY
Crowd incidents at events cause deaths, and the causes are known.
