I'm just wondering if any has ideas/suggestions on how to use this site to make gig connections. The site certainly looks like it has a lot of resources and potential and I'm on the learning curve of figuring out how to get the most out of it. Any and all replies welcome.
Thanks! Harry
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Festivalnet.Com - Asheville
Friday, November 8, 2013 03:06 pm EST
Booking Festival Gigs, it's a numbers game. This is because music and entertainment is highly subjective, one festival booker will love your stuff and what you do, the next may hate it. Therefore, you must get your material in front of a LOT of festival entertainment buyers in order to score a few gigs! Here are some guidelines to help you get some gigs.
1) Create your list of possible shows; research all the likely events on a given weekend within your driving radius, aim for at least five to twenty possibilities for each open weekend. Build your list far in advance, like 6-12 months, so you don't miss deadlines. Then organize your list in priority order by the application deadline. If you have events on your list that you don't have the deadline for, call those first to get the deadline and make sure it has not passed.
2) Next, make contact and request some applications. Call each event (working your list in order of deadlines) and verify the information you have. This is always a good idea regardless of the source where you got your information, things change and sometimes wrong information is provided by the event sponsor. Verify how and when to submit your material for review and who to send it to. Any email you send, you MUST follow up by phone. Email is becoming less and less effective due to spam filters. That follow up phone call is needed today more than ever. Frequently that call will result in the contact person pulling the email you sent out of his/her spam box or requesting that you re-send the email!
3) Keep it all on track. Now that you have lots of applications coming in, make sure nothing slips through the cracks. You may want use a contact manager or database program to keep your information organized. One thing you absolutely must have, is a "To Do" calendar, be it a day planner, or a computer-based program. Every time you do something on an event (make initial call/request application, return application/send in material, make a follow-up call, make additional follow up call...) you must make an entry in your "To Do" calendar/planner for the next step that needs to be taken and when. You should always pursue 5-20 events for each weekend you want to work. This will maximize your odds of being booked as much as you want to work.
4) Last but not least, follow-up is very important. Stay on top of each and every detail about each event. Once the application is requested, put a follow-up in your "To Do" calendar to check back in two weeks if the application has not arrived. If it has not, call them back! After the application is filled out and sent in, put a new follow-up in your "To Do" calendar to call them in two weeks and make sure they got it.
* One of the most important things to remember is that the deadline doesn't mean they will continue accepting applications up until that date. Festivals will frequently book up all open slots before their posted deadline. That's due to no fault of your information source, but simply the way the business works! Some festivals are listed at Festivalnet.com, but an outside company is handling their entertainment booking, so the details might be sparse.
Always call the phone number provided far before the deadline to learn what your first step must be with that event. Some events will require an EPK (electronic press kit) and some will ask for an old-fashioned press kit. You can create an EPK within your FestivalNet profile, go to "my account" to get started.
We are happy to help.
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Richard Lee Wilson
Friday, June 5, 2015 09:44 am EDT
Thanks so much on the response, I have a question hopefully you can help.
I have been a pro member and let my membership lapse last may but do plan on renewing soon. Anyway before I tried booking full band shows and did get some great response although no bookings.
This time I am thinking of doing a solo acoustic show and selling CD's as a vendor in a tent.
My question is can I actually do this at most events, I mean will the events allow a music act in a booth
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Festivalnet.Com - Asheville
Monday, June 8, 2015 03:34 pm EDT
Though there are events that permit such, we don't have a data field to filter out those types of events. You would want to contact the event directly to inquiry if you can sell and perform in a booth.
Thanks.
