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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.

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!

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.

1. Hire the Right People. Successfully staffing your concession business starts with finding and hiring the right people for the job. Honesty and reliability are the first qualities we look for in a concession worker. A worker who also learns quickly and can multi-task is much better. If they are also friendly, outgoing, and energetic they are ideal. Perhaps, equally important; because the success of a food concession business depends on maximizing sales during peak sales times a worker must be able to work quickly and competently, while confidently managing hordes of impatient, hungry customers.

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All crafters hate reading these words in the top of an email from a craft fair they've been dying to get into. It really sucks, especially when you are trying to plan a craft fair schedule or you know it's a cool event and just really want to be part of it! What usually follows that regrettable sentence is a polite decline of your application, and some encouraging words that make you want to barf. Since it's that time of year where acceptance/decline emails are going out for some of the spring shows (in fact, I've already received a few non- acceptances for spring myself!), I thought I would share some of my thoughts on what to do when you get declined from a craft show.

What to do:

1. Remember that those who are running a craft fair might be looking at hundreds or even thousands of really great businesses, and at some point they will have to turn down applicants that are really great, just because of space. They simply have to accept some and have to decline some. They also have to offer a variety of different crafts for their event, so some really talented purse designers, for example, might be declined just because there happen to be lots of equally great purse designers entering that year.

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Jeri Goldstein Copyright 2012 The New Music Times, Inc.

Timing is everything. So having some idea of when artistic directors are most likely to focus on booking next year's festival will certainly give you an edge.

Since so many artists and agents are attempting to contact the festival, their booking schedule is not likely one of those items announced on their website. So here are a few guidelines to follow:

1. One month prior to the festival, they are busy and will be very unreceptive to booking calls.

2. Never call during the week prior to the festival or during the festival.

3. The week after the festival is usually a bad time since they are recuperating, regrouping or just plain relaxing.

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Two words, success and successful, have sparked heated conversations between artists on my blog.

I’ve learned that the definition of a ‘successful artist’ is subjective, and tends to vary from person to person. Nevertheless, there truly are things that most successful artists do differently.

Things Successful Artists Do Differently

Follow Their Effort:

Successful artists know their strengths, and that’s where they focus their efforts. In this world, the value of hard work cannot be substituted. Effort is the life-force and core reason for success. Yes, artists are passionate. But, passion and talent alone cannot take the place of hard work!

When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible. ~Unknown

At first glance, the following points by billionaire businessman Mark Cuban might seem counterintuitive. However, successful artists are constantly striving to better their craft with effort. Cuban states, “Don

Are You Considering Using A Daily Deal In Your Food Business?

Daily Deal sites like Groupon and Living Social have been around for a few years now. You've probably heard many arguments as to whether these programs are good for the independent food business owner. I admit that there are many pros and cons for using these and other types of coupon-ing or discount deal methods to attract customers to your business. I also think that the success or the benefit of using these programs depends on the preparation taken before you sign on.

The costs for taking part in a daily deal can be overwhelming for food business operators. Basically, if you choose to offer a daily deal, you will pay at least half of your sales to the Daily Deal companies. Then you must add-in any extra employees (yes, you may need this because many buyers will wait until the deal has almost ended before showing up-that could add up to a lot of extra customers in one or two days). Of course, you have your food cost to take into account as well. When you look at these numbers, you could view the daily deal method of marketing as a losing venture.

Do Daily Deals work for food businesses? It has been proven that you will increase the number of customers who will walk through your door. If you are not prepared for this onslaught of coupon- waving deal participants, it could be devastating to your business (as seen on the video).

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Adding your event for free in the FestivalNet.com database is a great first step! You're on your way to getting noticed in a big way as we get over 750,000+ monthly visitors! Be sure your listing has a great description and your event details are accurate and complete. Here are some additional ways to increase your exposure.

Co-Promote with FNO

We offer some sweet co-promotion opportunities! You scratch our back, we scratch yours! You get free Featured Event exposure for your event in exchange for promoting FNO! Learn more here.

Featured Events

Place your event at the top of the FNO general search results and on the FestivalNet.com Featured Events Map. Learn more here.

Advertising

You can also buy advertising like Banner, Button, or Newsletter ads. View our very reasonable rates and learn more here.

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Jeri Goldstein Copyright 2012 The New Music Times, Inc.

Getting into your festival of choice is not an easy task. There is so much competition vying for just so many performance slots. So how can you make yourself look more attractive to the artistic director?

First spend some time on the festival site and get familiar with what the festival is about. Get a real understanding of the scope of the festival and what the director is trying to accomplish with their programming. Look over last year's schedule and read all the workshop titles and who performed in those workshops. See anything familiar or performers that you know? Can you do something like what is being promoted here? Take a look at all the stages if it is a multi-stage festival. Those smaller stages are probably the right place for you to enter the festival if you are a first timer. As you view the main stage time slots and acts, can you see potential time slots that might be good for you to get your foot in the door that are not the prime time evening slots if the festival runs night stages?

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FNO Shop Plans Basic -Up to 5 items, 10% of sales, no monthly fee Pro -Up to 10 items, 5% of sales, no monthly fee, Pro members only Advanced -Unlimited items, 3% of sales, $9.00/month Ultimate -Unlimited items, NO 0% of sales, $14.00/month (Access these options from 'My Account' - 'Upgrade/Renew' - 'Change Shop Plan')

One of the most difficult challenges that new food concession operators face is how to find venues such as fairs, festivals, and other events and then how to convince the management of those venues that it is in their best interests to have them attend.

Fairs and festivals are always looking for new and somewhat unique items to have at their venue. After all, they want increased attendance and fairs and festivals that are always the same have a tendency to see attendance slowly drop from one year to next.

If you, as a new food concession operator, are providing nothing more than a "me too" menu with nothing new, exciting, or out of the ordinary, you will definitely have an uphill challenge to obtain space. New and exciting does not have to mean some exotic food, although a new or unusual food concept is usually a fair management grabber. It can mean a well or uniquely decorated trailer, or unusual outfits for the staff. Always be careful if you are trying to promote anything that is audio oriented, theme music can be a negative as far as some fair managers are concerned.

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1) Reach back in the past and cast out a huge safety net into the future, confidently confirming what we already know.

2) Step into the "unknown" and create something new, out of the endless field of all possibilities.

"The biggest obstacle to creativity, innovation and freedom is the false idea that "I know." - Anand

Most opt to reach back and repeat the past. Creating ORDINARY, again and again. It's safer, proven, time-tested, familiar and often very profitable. That's why music and art is so repetitive, and products and services are mostly copycats. And often, those who have plenty of "experience," those that think they "know" just fool themselves into thinking they're creating something new- but they're not. They're just refreshing the same screen over & over again.

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If you are an event director as happy, positive, and colorful as your festival, chances are you've picked the right job. When your staff digs the mission too, probably the event is a successful one. "Live Life Like LEAF", that's the philosophy of Jennifer Pickering; executive director and founder of the LEAF (Lake Eden Arts Festival) in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

The heart of this festival beats a very positive vibration & emanates the spice of life, variety! It's not just the diverse international and local musical acts that make LEAF sell out in advance year after year. The interactive healing arts workshops, outdoor excitement like zip lining, canoeing, hikes, mountain side drum circles, an ever-expanding kid zone, and stunning arts and crafts vendors round out a very colorful, breathing, and loving festival so varied that you can't see everything it has to offer in one weekend, so you come back for more six months later.

The staff & volunteers wear LEAF's values on their sleeves; riding around in uniquely decorated golf carts, festively decked out and smiling. Positive energy is contagious; festival goers will feel it. Vendors feel it and desire to match it too. As leaders of an event, it is vital to blaze the path by example. The folks attending will catch on quickly and be transported to another dimension; one that as event producers, the framework is yours to build.

LEAF founder Jennifer Pickering offers these tips so you can enjoy your festival too

• TRICK YOURSELF TO BE ZEN. "I always try to breathe a little bit, bring my voice down, walk a little softer, and not use certain words to trick myself that I am calm and zen."
• DETAILS & MOMENTS. "Details count. People count. The little things do make a difference, and it is important to go out of your way to help people when you can- this can also drive your staff crazy."
• PREPARE. "Prepare as far in advance as possible so that during the event you can talk and adhere to the moments needed."

Jeri Goldstein Copyright 2012 The New Music Times, Inc.

There's no doubt that playing festivals can expand your audience within the festival market. There are so many to play and choose from as you plan your festival booking search. If you feel ready to pitch your act to the festival market, here is what I would suggest you do before picking up the phone or emailing a link to your Electronic Press Kit or your website to every festival on some huge list.

1. Set some touring goals as to the markets that are logical for you to tour at this time in your career.

2. Research the festivals that are prominent in that market and make a list, even if it's not the major, well known festival that "everyone is trying to get into." There are plenty of state, county and city-wide events that would be a great place to begin building your audience.

3. Spend some time on these festival websites and make a note of the following:

• a. The time of year those festivals occur
• b. The contact information
• c. Who played the festival last year?
• d. How many stages do they run?
• e. Do they do any kind of workshops in addition to the performance stages?
• f. Do they have a showcase stage for emerging artists and a separate submission process or contact?
• g. Do they have a children's performance area?
• h. Do they have novelty acts or acts that play during stage changeovers between artists?

Yes, believe it or not, there is such a plan.

A Business Plan That Always Works - from popcorn vendors to jugglers, musicians to artists, jewelers to carpenters - And believe it or not, you’re going to learn how to create such a plan, YOUR plan, in the next few moments.

Now for those of you who believe deep down that there can’t possibly be anything that always works - especially a plan – the following is going to be a bit of a stretch for you. The Business Plan That Always Works (or BPTAW for short) is so devilishly simple and straightforward, you’ll wonder why you didn’t see it before. Anyone who understands it can do it - which is to say, that if you can’t do a plan easily, there’s no point in planning. Despite what you’ve learned over the years, planning is only hard when it’s done the wrong way. And to do a plan easily requires that you approach the whole subject of planning in a completely different way than you’re accustomed to. But I’m getting ahead of my story.

The BPTAW is built upon one Fundamental Principle that all the plans that never work fail to understand. You know the kind of plans I’m talking about here. The kind of plans that create gobs of guilt because you don’t keep them? The kind of plans you make with great effort and tedium, only to find yourself later on doing something completely different than you had planned to do and wondering how you got there from where you began?

But let’s get back to that one Fundamental Principle I’m talking about that differentiates The BPTAW from every other plan that doesn’t.

I call this Fundamental Principle, the Heart-Centered Principle of Planning.

The Heart-Centered Plan is so distinctly different from its opposite, The Head-Centered Plan, that it’s important to define the distinctions carefully.

Getting Into the Minds of Festival Artistic Directors

Jeri Goldstein Copyright 2012 The New Music Times, Inc.

So, you would like to play some festivals?

So far they’ve seemed pretty illusive.

It would probably be a huge help if you began to think like a festival director. Since they have to knit together a cohesive, interesting, ticket-selling program, they are not just thinking about one act and how that act will sell, they are thinking about how to piece together multiple shows each day of the festival. They often start their creative process of thinking about the next year’s festival while this year’s festival is happening. They are constantly analyzing how the acts are working, how the audience is reacting.

If the festivals you are interested in playing also have workshop stages along with their multiple stage areas, then you need to pay attention to this aspect of the festival. Here is where artistic director really shows their creativity.

As you research each festival, review the most recent festival. Check out the previous year’s acts. But most of all check out the schedule, the way the festival is put together. See who followed whom and what the titles of any of the workshops are. This will give you the most insight into how the director thinks and plans.

Here’s what you should be looking and planning for:

1. Workshop titles and the acts that are lined up in each workshop.

2. Main stage and minor stage line-up.

3. Side stage line-up-the stage that might have brief performances while the main stage is being set up for the next big act. If you are a novelty act that can perform 2-10 minute sets, you might just be perfect on these stages and get to play in front of the main stage audience multiple times throughout the main show.

4. Ease or difficulty of load-in and set up.

5. The size of the act.