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J Michael Dolan   
 The Internet provides us with an opportunity to do it all ourselves. However, there |
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Barb Fitzgerald of foodbooth.net
A concession business usually includes a commissary - a place to store and service equipment and stock between events. The commissary of a concessionaire who serves a simple menu may be something as easy as a little floor space in the corner of the garage, where, he or she has installed some shelving to store extra cases of product. However, concessionaires who operate complex operations, with large and diverse menus, need a space that functions as an equipment warehouse, stock warehouse, repair shop, and vehicle yard. Concessionaires often use what they have at home to serve this function, such as, their garage, shop or shed, and parking area, where their large collection of food service equipment and support vehicles is kept and serviced. This collection almost always includes standard equipment like grills, deep fryers, steam tables, and propane burners. With these four basic pieces a concessionaire can sell almost anything; from hamburgers, hot dogs, curly fries, elephant ears, stir fry, sausage for breakfast, and more. In fact, most dishes sold on the midway are prepared with one of these four pieces of food service equipment. The warehoused collection of equipment will also include ice chests, freezers, beverage and condiment dispensers, utensils, sneeze guards, tent poles and canvases, signs, propane tanks, water hoses, electric cords, floor mats, pop canisters, garbage cans, dish washing tubs, and much, much more.  |
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Ann Barber of National Craft Association
The secret to success in your art and craft business is to "Think Profit", not just at the point of a sale, but apply this thinking to everything you do for your business. Profits don't just happen with a sale. They are created by careful planning in every aspect of your business. Plan for profits!
 1. Make sure you have the total cost for the item before establishing the selling price. Be sure to include a reasonable labor charge, overhead and fixed expenses to your actual materials and supply cost for each item. If you don't price to cover total cost, you will not make the amount of profit you need to grow your business.
2. Be cost effective. Don't spend 10 hours creating an item that you can only retail for $30. Set a dollar amount for your labor. Design products that keep the time investment low and profit margin high. Evaluate how to be more time efficient with the products you make. Learn to group tasks together to save time. For example you are going to make 2 dozen of one item; cut all the ribbon needed at once, paint all the same color at once, do all the gluing of pieces together at once, etc.
Read more tips here... |
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An artist recently expressed her frustration at being turned down over and over again for a solo show of her work. She had submitted proposals to university and public galleries, and arts organizations with gallery space for more than a year.
Her sculptures were a series of vaguely grotesque organic-looking fleshy pods, and other pieces that looked like body parts or aliens. Asked what was unique about them, she cited a technique she had invented to work with foam rubber, which was her material.
She had previously been in a highly successful group show that toured the country. Her sculptures in that show were female nudes which made a provocative statement on sexuality.
What happened here?
The artist failed to realize that her work in the successful show related to a highly charged topic, and one that would appeal to many gallery visitors, while her current work doesn't connect with people emotionally. Nobody really cares about her foam rubber technique, and the shapeless forms of her work are more perplexing than interesting.
Read more tips here!
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David Codr of www.musicpage.com
If you are like me, you're tired of hearing how bad the economy is. But there's a silver lining to the bad economy for musicians and songwriters. A way to get paid while getting a ton of free exposure for your band. For years, motion pictures and television shows have paid big bucks to major label artists to license their music. These studios pay major label acts tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to license their songs to use in films and TV shows. But when the economy hit the proverbial crapper, many of the studios started to look for ways to cut their costs. They quickly realized that they could save thousands of dollars by using independent music instead of the songs from major label acts. Since independent artists don't have the CD sales, radio plays or name recognition of the majors, the studios found they could license great music that hadn't gone mainstream for $2,000 - $10,000 a track Its a win-win for everyone. The studios save hundreds of thousands of dollars. The independent artists are happy to get a few grand to use their song, plus they get the exposure of having their song in a major motion picture or television show.
Read more here! |
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Shane Mayer of Gyde.ly
A live event can really capitalize on this interactive growth by combining the actual event with an ongoing online presence. A new study by Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project for the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts found that digital and social media greatly impact the way cultural events are experienced. The more interactive the event can be with its attendees, the better. It makes sense as people desire to be 'in the know' with up-to-date info, and event planners are taking notice.
Read more and find an app offer from gyde.ly and FNOhere!
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Deciding whether to enter the food service business with a vending cart or food concession trailer can be a difficult choice. During the course of a week I receive one similar question time and time again; "Should I start my business with a concession trailer or a vending cart?" The answer to the question is subject to a lot of things, but at the end of the day, if this is someone's first venture into the food service industry then I usually recommend a vending cart. For the individual who has little or no experience in the food service industry, a vending cart is a much easier and much more economical entry point than a concession trailer. Used vending carts can be purchased for as little as $3K and depending on the food service that the person wants to offer, little if any food cooking or preparation experience is required. Many vending carts are little more than freezers on wheels, offering ice cream, Italian ices and popsicles. Others are food warmers, offering hotdogs, pretzels and other hot, pre-prepared foods. The more complex carts are barbeques on wheels, allowing the operator to cook items to order such as hamburgers, sausages, hotdogs, and spareribs. In recent years, vending cart franchises have started, offering the budding entrepreneur a supposedly proven methodology to a specific product. Along with the methodology comes training in everything from the item(s) to be sold to an education on finding venues and bookkeeping skills. Robert Berman of mobilecateringbusiness.com
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The Writing Team of LifeHack.org
In a recession, the entertainment industry thrives. So if you are thinking about trying your hand at event promotion, I have some suggestions for you: 
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the Writing Team of retailpackaging.com
The first rule that craft show exhibitors want to remember is that the eye likes to roam and take in the entire display. A person gets a feel for the booth and the crafts available through the presentation, and level of professionalism created by the display.
photo credit: BitchBuzz -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bitchbuzz/ |
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Jackie Bagwell
 Using social media to promote your work and yourself can be a fantastic tool for an artist. However, timing is everything. The last thing you want when using these methods is to get everything posted perfectly, only for nobody to see it.
When it comes to close friends and family, your best bet is posting on the weekend when they have leisure time to spend reading involved posts and click on links you send their way. That's not who you market your art to, though, so let's talk about the perfect times to post on various social networking sites to reach new and returning fans. These times were pin-pointed by various research projects done over the span of the last decade to determine when most people use their social networking sites, and when they pay the most attention to new posts. Each site is a little different, since they try to target slightly-to-drastically different demographics.
Read more tips here!
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The fan base 'long tail' is famously good news for two classes of people; a few lucky aggregators, such as Amazon and Netflix, and 6 billion consumers. Of those two, I think consumers earn the greater reward from the wealth hidden in infinite niches. But the long tail is a decidedly mixed blessing for creators. Individual artists, producers, inventors and makers are overlooked in the equation. The long tail does not raise the sales of creators much, but it does add massive competition and endless downward pressure on prices. Unless artists become a large aggregator of other artist's works, the long tail offers no path out of the quiet doldrums of minuscule sales. Other than aim for a blockbuster hit, what can an artist do to escape the long tail? One solution is to find 1,000 True Fans. While some artists have discovered this path without calling it that, I think it is worth trying to formalize. The gist of 1,000 True Fans can be stated simply:
Read more here! |
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Sheena Metal
It's the dream of many a musician to open up for either: their favorite band or the favorite band of their childhood. For many, the ultimate in true rock star status is to share a stage with the musicians who made you want to play music in the first place.. to see you name in lights (or printed on a flyer, as the case may be) with the guys (or gals) whose music you listen to almost as much as (if not more than) your own. But is it really a good idea, as an unsigned artist, to open up for an act already known to the general public? Will you get anywhere near the recognition opening up for "Pearl Jam" in a large venue that you would at a local club playing with other unsigned bands? Will you fans dig your music as hard as ever or will they forget all about you in a mad frenzy to have Eddie Vedder sign their backs? It's a double-edged sword that many artists forget to think over carefully before rushing starry-eyed into the excitement of being the opening act for: (Insert Name Of Famous Rock Star Here). In many cases, venues and promoters still expect your crowd to turn out and drink it up at shows, even though the headliner will draw a big crowd of their own. Many of these shows are an hour plus away from your local area and tickets can be upwards of $100. Is that something you can expect your friends will be up for?
Read more here! |
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The Writing Team of EventEducation.com
Keep following things in mind while selecting a venue for your event: 1) Target Audience/Guest Size This means the number of people you are expecting to attend your event. Make sure that your venue can easily accommodate your expected target audience. Your venue should not be too small or too large for your guests. If too small, then your guests will feel discomfort. If it is too large then you will unnecessarily end up paying more for the venue. Get firm indications whether guests plan to attend your event by sending R.S.V.P clearly printed on the invitation. The term R.S.V.P is a French acronym. Its meaning in English is 'Please Respond'. If R.S.V.P is printed on the invitation then the invited guest is expected to tell the host whether or not he/she is attending the event. Since many people don't understand the meaning of this term or don't bother to reply back, it is advisable to individually call and ask your guests about there plan to attend the event. In this way you can get quite accurate idea of the guest size which will help you in deciding food and beverage quantities also. 2) Target Audience Status If you target audience are rich people then your venue must be a five star hotel or resort and all the services provided during the event must be of very high quality. 3) Target Audience Convenience Select venue according to target audience convenience. Your venue should not be very far from the place where majority of your target audience live. Your venue should have proper lighting and ventilation. It should not be in a noisy or polluted area. It should be absolutely neat and clean and free from any type of infestation. 4) Climatic Conditions Keep Climatic conditions in mind while selecting a venue. If you are going to organize an event during rainy season or during peak winter then selecting an open-aired venue is not a good idea. Always try to organize indoor events if possible as there production cost is lesser than the outdoor events. Read more here! |
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Rob Goyette
You could be sitting at a craft show ready to take on the day - expecting hundreds... no, thousands of people going through the turnstiles and filtering their way into your craft show booth. The first hour is slow; the second brings you a few people and your first sale of the day.
After a while you start to wonder... why are there so few people coming to the craft show? That's a valid question. You just spent $200 to secure a booth, so you need to make several sales in order to make it worth your while. But, those sales just don't seem to be coming.
After you have been to a few craft shows, you'll probably be able to figure out which one are worth it, and which aren't. But, you can eliminate this trial and error experience just by doing a little homework ahead of time. Here are four things you can do before you spend money on a craft show booth:
Go as a spectator first - If you are looking for new shows to sell your crafts at, you might want to be a spectator for the first year. You can make notes on traffic, traffic patterns, most popular items at the craft show, among other things. The value of seeing what you are getting into to start is going to help you filter out the crafts shows that aren't worth the price of admission.
Read more tips here!
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by J. Michael Dolan
Ever worry that your art or products are not commercial enough? Ever think about "reinventing" your work to fit the mold because you read somewhere the "new formula" or the "new rules" for making it today? I think that redirecting your art just to make it more mainstream and commercial would just provoke your current fans & customers to look the other way, because to them, you |
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Tracy Childers, Ford Entertainment
Let's take it from the top. The decision of what the right show is becomes a battle in itself. Committees, fair & festival boards, corporate meeting planners, and marketing departments generally end up with this task. Of course, everyone is an expert in telling others what they think is best and what they like, as it should be. After all, they do know what they like and they should know what is best if given the responsibility of finding talent. The idea of knowing exactly what the right show is, staying in budget, securing the right production, filling the contract and rider requirements, promotion, ticketing, building rental, insurance, etc., is a breeze. After all, 80 to 90% of these folks do this once a year or even less. To think that an event would have to pay someone, or there is money on top of what the artist gets, is a tough thing to take in today's performance fees. Before we get any further down the road let me use the term "middle agent." Who in the world is this guy or girl and why do I need this person? First of all, I don't know that you do. The choice is certainly up to the decision maker. Those of us who have had to make a living out here seek to serve and I hope honestly represent the best interest of the decision maker, as we affectionately refer to as buyer. After all it's your money we are striving to get the best value for. Here are some caught thoughts for your consideration, and some things I have learned in my tenure as buying talent and servicing shows on behalf several different events. If you are comfortable with what show to buy and where to get it and confident of the cost... go for it. If not, consult a talent buyer, yes, middle agent; after all, it's what we do. We are plugged into the necessary sources and can get there very quick with the pertinent information. When cost and web information became assessable on the internet, the consensus was, "Well, nobody is going to need any help with buying shows now." As it turns out, there is no replacement for relevant experience and expertise. As you are probably reading this now on the internet, just take a little trip when you are done and go to http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite. Go to the charts and just take a look at how diversified the genres have become. In the old days, we had two kinds of music: rock and roll - just kidding. If you are seeking someone to help you get a show, and they have no idea of what you are looking for, they are not the right source. Read more here! |
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Fred Puglia, Perfect Impressions
WRONG! It's not that easy! First off, today's leisure-time market has more options with entertainment than "Carter has liver pills." There are virtually dozens of events every weekend in Anytown, USA, tugging at your customer's jacket. You have to fight sports on TV, Sunday shopping hours, the kids' soccer games, and discount movies. You need to razzle-dazzle them and promise 'em the silver cup or else you're just another ho-hum event. The only foreseeable problem is: If you don't deliver the glitz and the silver cup, you might as well pack up and become "another thing of the past." Have you been reading the trades lately? I'm sure you'll agree, events are changing. More commercialism. Festivals are now after the 30+ demographics, and motion picture producers are going for the 14- to 26-year-old. Read more here! |
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Barb Fitzgerald of foodbooth.net
Many food concessionaires feel that hiring and managing good help is one of the most difficult and frustrating aspects of managing a food concession business. It is also one of the most important. Working in a food concession is not rocket science. Yet, as a manager, hiring the right people with the right qualities to help your business run smoothly and profitably is often harder than you'd expect. Fortunately, with the right policies you can improve your staff for a more profitable food concession business. 
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There is an ever-increasing presence of technology in our daily activities, particularly through use of smart phones. According to Neilson, at least half of U.S. consumers are now using smartphones, and the proof is in the 'profile': 3 billion 'Likes' are doled out on Facebook every day, Twitter posts one billion tweets every 3 days and several hundred million photos are shared throughout the vast social media spectrum.
If you think all you have to do is gather a few exhibits, buy some entertainment, advertise what is going to happen... and the folks will bang down your door!