SHR6E037P~002 NIY23084361 Portfolio: Event Evaluation.
Event Evaluation – SMOOTHER SOUNDS
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to evaluate the planning, organisation, and delivery of the event Smoother Sounds, a live music event combining jazz and reggae fusion. Hosted by my group on 9th March 2026 at The Attic, the event featured headline act The Nightingales, supported by Jah Glory and Isaac Aylward and Tangerines.
My role within the project was Production, where I was responsible for technical operations, equipment setup, and ensuring the smooth running of the event from a production perspective.
The main objectives of the event were to attract a strong audience turnout, deliver a successful live event from start to finish, and generate profit. This report will evaluate key areas including operations, marketing, production, finance, and personal reflection.
Event Evidence Video
Event Atmosphere
Once the doors opened, the mood in the venue changed dramatically. The neon lighting created a vibrant and dramatic atmosphere that suited the live performances. Guests slowly arrived, ordered drinks, and socialised while waiting for the show to begin. Background music was also played to build anticipation and maintain a positive mood.
Audience numbers continued to increase during the event, with more people arriving in the middle of the show. During the performances, many guests were dancing and clapping, showing that they enjoyed the event (Appendix 1). This suggests the artists connected well with the audience and created an enjoyable atmosphere.
The venue was around 30% full, which gave people enough space to move around comfortably. However, it also made some areas look empty, which reduced the overall energy of the room.
One positive aspect was that the event ran smoothly from start to finish without any major issues. The audience appeared to enjoy the performances, showing that the planning and organisation were effective.
However, there were areas for improvement. Audience members were spread around the venue, making it look less busy (Appendix 2). In future, guests could be encouraged to stay closer to the stage. In addition, more seating should have been provided, as one audience member reported there were not enough seats available.
Overall, the event atmosphere was positive and enjoyable, but attendance levels and audience positioning could be improved in future events.
(Appendix 1)
(Appendix 2)
Smoother Sound event on the whiteboard in front of the venue
At the start of the show
Box Office
Only 7 tickets were sold online in advance (Appendix 3), but over 16 were sold on the door, which was a positive result and increased attendance.
Online customers showed their ticket reference via email or confirmation, which allowed smooth entry. Barriers were in place in case of queues (Appendix 4), but entry remained quick.
The main issue was the lack of a working card reader, so payments were taken via cash and bank transfer instead (Appendix 5). This caused some delays as many customers preferred card payments.
Overall, the box office ran well, but payment methods should be fully prepared in future to improve efficiency.
(Appendix 3)
(Appendix 4)
(Appendix 5)
Security
At the beginning of the event, one security bouncer was seen outside the venue, but as it was quiet, they later left and we were unable to gather further evidence.
ID checks were required at the bar, but not at entry, and no bag checks were carried out due to low attendance. Staff monitored the audience to maintain a safe environment.
Any intoxicated or disruptive behaviour would have been reported to venue staff to be handled according to their procedures (Appendix 6).
There were no incidents during the event, showing it was well managed. However, closer audience monitoring could improve safety in future events.
(Appendix 6)
Health and Safety
According to our risk assessment, all identified hazards were considered and appropriate precautions were followed throughout the event (Appendix 7).
For working at height, ladders were checked for stability and supported by another person when used. Damaged equipment would not be used.
Poor lighting in some areas could have caused trips or falls, so torches or phone flashlights were used when needed. Staff also moved carefully to avoid hitting objects in blind spots.
Dust, insulation, and electrical wires were additional hazards. Masks and gloves could be used if necessary, and damaged cables were avoided.
Overall, there were no health and safety incidents during the event, showing that the risk assessment was followed effectively.
For improvement, more potential hazards could be included in future risk assessments.
(Appendix 7)
Production
I was the main person in charge of the production section, so I took overall responsibility for this area.
I arranged to borrow equipment from Leeds Conservatoire by completing and submitting the required form through their website (Appendix 8). I also contacted the venue in advance to request microphones so they could prepare before the event day (Appendix 9).
For transportation, my group decided to use one member’s car as well as an Uber to move all equipment to the venue, as one car was not enough (Appendix 10). The transport cost was £8, which was reasonable and cost-effective.
The venue provided their own sound engineer as part of the hire fee, which reduced the amount of technical management required. My role was mainly to communicate with the engineer and assist if needed (Appendix 11).
For soundcheck, we started with The Nightingales, our headline act, as they required the most preparation time. This was also practical because less equipment needed to be moved before the first performance. Mixer scenes were saved on the digital desk, which helped the live show run smoothly.
I also suggested making the lighting darker to improve the atmosphere and create a stronger mood for the audience.
There were no technical problems during the performances, which showed that preparation was effective. However, after the event, one jack lead and two DI boxes were missing when returning equipment to Leeds Conservatoire (Appendix 12). I contacted the venue and asked the group members, and the next day the items were found in one member’s car (Appendix 13 & 14).
Overall, the production side was successful and ran smoothly, although equipment checks after the event could have been more organised.
(Appendix 8)
(Appendix 9)
(Appendix 10)
(Appendix 10)
(Appendix 11)
(Appendix 12)
(Appendix 13)
(Appendix 14)
Artist Liaison
The Artist Liaison role was managed by Lily, Pollyanna, and Joe.
Before the event, they found suitable artists through personal connections, recommendations, and social media contact (Appendix 15). This helped secure performers that matched the jazz and reggae fusion theme. We also provided all requested technical specifications to support performances (Appendix 16).
For hospitality, we paid extra for The Green Room, which provided a backstage area with seating, instruments, writing materials, and storage space (Appendix 17).
All artists were informed in advance that catering and travel costs would not be provided, and no issues were raised. The team also attended rehearsals when possible to offer support and ensure performers were prepared (Appendix 18).
There were no late arrivals or scheduling problems. However, hospitality could be improved in future by providing catering or additional support for performers.
(Appendix 15)
(Appendix 15)
(Appendix 15)
(Appendix 16)
(Appendix 16)
(Appendix 17)
(Appendix 18)
(Appendix 18)
Stage Management
The total event time was around 3 hours. To keep the show organised, we created the following running order:
- Artist/Band 1 – 35 minutes
- Break – 15 minutes
- Artist/Band 2 – 35 minutes
- Break – 15 minutes
- Artist/Band 3 – 35 minutes
- Break – 15 minutes
- Artist/Band 4 – 35 minutes
This timetable was used for performances and changeovers throughout the day.
Our main task was to keep the event on schedule so everything ran smoothly. This was important because finishing late could have resulted in extra venue charges, as the venue had a set closing time.
For backstage coordination, I worked closely with the sound engineer to manage any technical issues and ensure smooth transitions between acts. Possible issues included guitars not working, no sound from the PA system, or monitors not being loud enough. We also mark a stage plot for a quicker transition (Appendix 19).
The transitions between performances ran well because equipment had already been prepared during soundcheck. When it was time for the next act, we were able to switch over quickly with no major delays.
One area for improvement would be having a host or moderator during the show. This would help inform the audience about breaks, introduce the next performers, and improve communication throughout the event.
Online Marketing
Our group worked together to promote the event on social media, mainly using Instagram and Facebook (Appendix 20 / Appendix 21). These were chosen as they matched our target audience.
On Instagram, we posted artist interviews and promotional content introducing the team, which helped increase engagement (Appendix 22 / Appendix 23). On Facebook, we created event posts and tagged the venue location to reach local audiences (Appendix 21).
We also promoted the event within Leeds Conservatoire through Life (Appendix 24). In addition, we contacted BBC Radio Leeds, who successfully promoted the event on air (Appendix 25 / Appendix 26).
The most successful platform was Instagram, where we gained 55 followers. In future, marketing could be improved through paid ads and platforms such as TikTok.
(Appendix 20)
(Appendix 21)
(Appendix 22)
(Appendix 23)
(Appendix 24)
(Appendix 25)
(Appendix 25)
(Appendix 26)
Promotional Materials
We also worked really hard in a physical promotion especially flyers which we wanted every single to see and come to our event.
We started from creating our poster and importantly our poster should look catchy and feel attach to our customer a lot so we chose the green color for our flyer( Appendix 27)
Our main location to put the flyers on was the cafe inside the Leeds conservatoire because it tai the place that all student walk past so they can see our event. the place that we put was the wall, board, and even in the toilet (appendix 28). additionally we have emailed the Leeds conservatoire to put or event poster on their tv screen in the cafe to get everyone see it (Appendix 29).
To maximize the promotion, we have emailed the Leeds Conservatoire for like a small pop-up event table to promote our event do we give away our poster an we also have the physical tickets as well in case someone who’s interested buying it their (Appendix 30).
For outside the university, we have contacted the venue to put our event poster to let the venue itself advertise our event for example when a customers come to their previous event so they can see the next event ahead too we can gain more customer that’s not inside our community (Appendix 31).
The outcome was turned out in a good result when it comes to promoting inside our Leeds Conservatoire community however the result f an outsider customers was not really impressed but I think we did our branding same as the professional standard industry.
To improve, I think we could have done more promotion such as promoting more in the local musician community, putting the poster in the local shop or even advertise through the event relating to this genre.
(Appendix 27)
(Appendix 28)
(Appendix 29)
(Appendix30)
(Appendix 31)
Financial Outcomes
We did our best to keep costs as low as possible. The biggest expense was the venue hire, which cost £180, plus PRS fees charged at 4.2% of ticket sales (Appendix 32).
The total revenue from ticket sales was 23 tickets, generating £139.50 in total, divided into four sections (Appendix 33):
- Advance sales (single): £19.50
- Advance group discount: £24.00
- Cash OTD: £6.00
- Transfer OTD: £90.00
However, total costs were higher than revenue, reaching £222.19, divided into three main sections (Appendix 33):
- Venue hire + piano fees: £210.00
- PRS: £4.19
- Miscellaneous (gear transport): £8.00
This resulted in a total loss of -£82.69.
To cover the loss, the group divided the remaining cost equally, with each member contributing £20.
Although the event was not financially successful, we managed the budget carefully to reduce losses as much as possible. To improve profit in future events, the main priority would be increasing ticket sales through stronger marketing and higher attendance.
(Appendix 32)
(Ticket sales fro the Gigantic website)
(Appendix 33)
Conclusion/Reflection
The overall success of the event was we managed to run everything from the beginning to the finish of the event with everyone effort in the group, we also have create a positive experience for our audience and they seems enjoy a lot with our event and delivering a professional show.
We have learnt a lot in this event that we havent face this before and this has deveolop a lot of this skills such as communication, time management, and problem solving skills.
if I have an opportunity to organize an event in the future, I would begin doing a lot more promoting an event in both offline and online mode to gain a lot of customer as possible and I am pretty sure that I can even run more smoother because I already have an experince running this event.
