|
 |
|
A note from the FNO
newsletter editor...
Greetings
FNO Bands and
Performers,
As you may have noticed, we have recently launched
some new
features here at FNO. You are now able to create a
Friends List, join in
Community Forum discussions, communicate with other members AND set up
your
own web site including: personal profile, blog,
photos/videos & a personal calendar! Start exploring the FNO Community today!
If you are new to booking
festivals, this article is talking to you! Jeri
is a great consultant and you can check her out online at PerformingBiz.com. If you
ever need help using our database to find festivals, don't be a
stranger, we are here to help!
Happy Booking!
The FNO Staff
800.200.3737
Festival Network Online
|
|
« Newsletters
Archive
|
Booking Festivals, Fairs, and Events
- By Jeri Goldstein
 March is get down to business month. With
the summer festival season on the horizon, this is a great time to
contact and line up your summer events calendar. Many of the major
festivals already have their talent lined up and contracted, but there are
still some filler slots open at most of the major festivals. But why
rely on the major festivals to fill up your calendar? There are so many
town, city, county and state-wide events that will take place
throughout the spring, summer and fall that book local and regional
talent along with some of the big name acts. Now is the time for a bit
of research on your city's website, county government website,
your state's tourist department website, US Chamber of Commerce
website and FestivalNet.com.
Sure it would be fantastic to play the big festivals and perhaps one
summer or even this summer you will. But unless you are on the list for
at least 10 festivals, one festival does not a tour make. So you need
to find some other gigs that will not only fill the summer dates, but
build your audience and your market value.
To do that, start by getting out a map of the regions where you want to
tour if you are planning to explore outside of your own home base. I
would first pick a few states and Google the state website looking for
their Department of Tourism and the state's arts council. Under
tourism, I would search for fairs, festivals and special events. If you
have specific cities in mind that you want to play, check for the city
website which is often .org rather than .com. Check the city's Chamber
of Commerce site for special city events sponsored by local
businesses. Another great way to find music festivals, other events and
crafts fairs is Festival Network
Online.
Many cities have a foundation that is often part of the city government
and is responsible for organizing entertainment events. Here in
Charlottesville, VA, for example, we have the Downtown Foundation that
is responsible for presenting "Friday's After Five" in our downtown
pavilion. This free to the public event gets the whole town out for a
concert every Friday evening from April through October. Performing
groups are paid through a city fund. It is an event such as this, that
give local, regional and national touring acts a chance to play for an
audience sometimes numbering over 5,000. This kind of gig definitely
develops future fans and opens opportunities for return gigs in other
venues around the city.
Think beyond the major festivals in your genre that you already know
about, and begin thinking about finding outdoor events that the general
public will flock to during the warmer months. Then you open a wide
range of possibilities such as: wineries with concert series or
festivals, corporate sponsored community events, city festivals and
concert series, parks and recreation events, national park sponsored
concert series, civic center major events and corporate organization
conference events.
While familiarizing yourself with regional events, don't forget to
check the area arts magazines, weekly arts newspapers with local arts
councils. These resources are often the recipient of listings of
upcoming events calendars from a variety of community presenting
organizations. Many of these listings need to be submitted many months
in advance in order to be included in special upcoming events
calendars. If your research for this coming summer gets you to the
presenting organizations too late for this season, you'll at least have
the information well in advance for the next presenting season.
This advance research has the potential to net you contacts and info
about many more publicly attended festivals, fairs and events within
your local region and beyond and help build a very strong fan base.
Here's to some great summer gigs!
Jeri Goldstein is the author of, How
To Be Your Own Booking Agent The Musician's & Performing Artist's
Guide To Successful Touring 2nd Edition UPDATED. She had been an
agent and artist's manager for 20 years. Currently she consults with
artists, agents and managers through her consultation program
Manager-In-A-Box and presents The
Performing Biz, seminars and workshops at conferences,
universities, for arts councils and to organizations. Jeri has released
a 3-hour seminar on CD-ROM, Marketing
Your Act. The Seminar is set up in 5 modules with information
about Marketing, Creating Effective Promotional Materials, How To
Access the Media, A Marketing Template and Niche Marketing. No
expensive conferences to attend-learn at your convenience to boost your
career. Her book, CD-ROM and information about her other programs are
available at are available at Performingbiz.com or
phone (434) 591-1335 or email Jeri.
|
|
|
|
|
|
We're always looking for
articles about working in the festival biz: tips, ideas, techniques,
&
resources. Send to:info@festivalnet.com
and put
"FNO Newsletter" in subject line.
To
unsubscribe, go here:
https://festivalnet.com/members
Log in, click "My Account," and "Manage Free e-lists."
If you need your user name and password, email info@festivalnet.com for
assistance or call 800.200.3737
Visit
Festival Network Online's Music Festival Directory
|
|
