If you’ve been considering organizing a summer concert you’ll need to start making preparations now to ensure that it goes off without a hitch. Although it can be a lot of work, the experience it provides for those who want to pursue a musical career, either as a professional performer or in an administrative capacity, is invaluable. You just need to stay organized and approach each aspect with excitement and determination.
Depending on the kind of show you want to organize, getting started on the preparations early will help avoid stress. The following steps can be applied to any level concert you want to plan. Just customize them as you go.
Step 1: Outline the Show Parameters
Obviously, you’ll want to have a general plan in mind before you start calling all the musicians you know or selling any tickets. So, take what you’ve envisioned, the performance, technique, and genre you want to showcase and start building from there. Ask yourself:
- What kind of venue is required? Consider whether the show is going to feature a few single performances in turn, or one concert by a number of musicians and plan the stage area accordingly.
- What funds will be needed? If you choose a community location, it may not cost you anything, but you’ll still need to schedule your use of the facility through the appropriate channels.
- Who will your audience be? This will largely depend on the type of music you’re going to perform. Just like all public appearances, you need to ask yourself who will be attending and why.
- Are you going to charge admission? This is a tricky question. Ticket sales can make all your efforts worth it, especially if you’re planning your concert as a means to help with college funds.
- Is the concert going to be a benefit for any local or national charity? Putting on a concert for the benefit of a charity has a lot of appeal. Plus, you get to do something for others with your talent, which is extremely rewarding.
Step 2: Create a Budget
Specifically examine the costs of the event. One of the best ways to do this is to create a budget. Almost every computer has some type of program that you can use to list all anticipated expenses and possible revenues (from ticket sales) or the amount you’re investing in the performance. Items to consider include:
- Venue rental cost
- Labor costs
- Decoration and small items costs
- Equipment rental or transportation costs
- Advertisements
- Hiring technicians or other artists
Step 3: Make sure everyone’s on board—and get help
Before you can proceed, you need to ensure that all of your workers and musicians are on board for the concert. Solidifying your talent beforehand will help make the next steps easier because you’ll be able to show exactly who will be performing. It’s also important to have verbal agreements with any technicians you plan to use, and have clear agreements with rental companies for the delivery or pick up of the equipment you’ll need. Delegate responsibilities.
Step 4: Find your Funds
Perhaps you’re planning an elaborate summer concert and you need to find a sponsor to help get it off the ground. Or, maybe you plan to arrange for all the funding yourself. Either way, you’re going to need money immediately. Approach sponsors with clear information regarding the time, date, and plans you have. If you’re planning a charity event, many local businesses will be happy to help support you. Crowd funding sites can also be used to generate funds.
If you decide to sell tickets, you’ll need to buy them. You can get really cool original tickets online at faketicketgenerator for free, but you have to print each one. Or, you can go to TicketPrinting.com and buy personalized tickets for around $.02 each.
Step 5: Promotion
Now that you have planned your concert, made your budget, arranged for your talent, and created your tickets (if you’re using them), it’s time to promote your event. Flyers delivered to local businesses and schools are good techniques, but you’ll also want to utilize social media platforms to get the word out.
Step 6: Breathe and have a “Plan B”
With any type of large event, unforeseen problems can occur. So, it’s a good idea to have back up plans in place. For example, if your concert is scheduled outdoors, what if it rains? What if some performers are delayed by traffic? How will you collect funds from people who don’t have cash? The time to consider solutions is before an issue occurs. If you're prepared for any problems, you'll be able to relax and enjoy your concert.
Putting on a summer concert is an extremely worthwhile endeavor. By making your preparations now you’ll be able to organize an event that will be awesomely fun.
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