Rationale

INTRODUCTION

The nature of our live music event will be a country themed gig held at Headrow House in Leeds on the 10th of March 2026. The name of my group and I who are organising and managing this event is named “Northbound Productions”. The headline act will be The Wranglers who are an energetic and lively country band who will be performing alongside two supporting acts ‘Murmuration’ and Daisy Castellaro. The idea to make our event country themed stemmed from a member in our group who offered his country band ‘The Wranglers’ to headline the event, and so we searched for acoustic and guitar based support acts who align with the event’s theme and audience. Our aim is to ensure the event runs as smoothly as possible while making sure all health and safety precautions have been followed, as well as prioritising hospitality and making sure the artists and audience are well looked after. 

TIME MANAGEMENT

Roles were delegated in the early stages of planning so that all members could begin their tasks as soon as possible. The roles such as venue and artist liaison were prioritised as those roles would secure the event and allow planning for the more detailed factors such as marketing and financing. I myself was the venue liaison as I had previous experience in this role and so I felt confident in my abilities to make enquiries via email while replying to any responses quickly and efficiently. We discussed venue options at length as we needed a space that would be most suitable for our event’s technical requirements as well as taking acoustics and size into consideration. Our first choice for a venue was Belgrave, and so I wrote an email to the venue manager, Joe Hughes to enquire. I shortly received a response from Joe saying that Belgrave was unavailable and he offered us Headrow House as an alternative. My group and I were content with this choice as it was still a well known venue, which is easily accessible as it is located in the city centre. Further emails were exchanged regarding costs and marketing and I made sure to communicate any updates between my group and the venue manager to make sure everyone was informed and in agreement. In early November, we officially secured the date for Headrow House for the 10th of March 2026, giving us 4 months to thoroughly plan the event and allow plenty of time for marketing and to create contingency plans for any setbacks. A few of us visited the venue shortly after securing the booking while walking around the space and doing a risk assessment. Any potential hazards were acknowledged and noted down in preparation for creating the risk assessment document. Since securing the booking, we have been communicating frequently in person and online to relay any contingency plans or marketing ideas that may have been thought of whilst separated.

An event schedule has been made in advance for the event, which lists the timings for each soundcheck and performance. Extra time was given in order to have some wiggle room in case of any technical difficulties or delays on the day. 

At our current stage of planning which is just under 2 months until the event, our group is collectively using this time effectively by planning marketing strategies such as the design of the poster and the use of social media platforms. From now until the day of the event, we will create a ticket link and a social media page to bring it to people’s attention and allow as much exposure as possible. The poster will be published online and well as printed and placed on the walls of suitable places such as other venues, student accomodation, leeds conservatoire and the leeds beckett music building. The tickets will be released for purchase from the 27th of January 2026, which is 6 weeks before the event date allowing plenty of time for marketing and publicity. The headline act will be announced first that week, followed by the announcement of the two support acts a few days apart to increase suspense and anticipation. This is a common timeline for accounting events according to a 2023 article by Splash.

PRODUCTION

Technical

The Headrow house tech specs and venue logistics were requested from the venue manager and were sent over via email, and in preparation, the artists and bands have their individual tech specs and requirements ready to be sent over closer to the date of the event.  A sound and lighting engineer will also be provided on the day to whom specific lighting and sound requests will be given to personalise each performance to the artist’s needs. 

We have ensured that the amount of equipment for each act is appropriate and practical for the order of each soundcheck and performance. The first act with the least instrumental requirements has the final soundcheck slot whereas the headline act with the largest stage plot will soundcheck first as they have more instruments to adjust and therefore require some extra time in the case of technical difficulties and faults. This precaution ensures that the time of opening of the doors has less chance of being delayed.

This method is also suggested by Altralsound (2002):

        Where more than one group of performers is involved (e.g. where there is a support band) the normal practice is to sound-check in the reverse of performance order. This means that the console settings will be immediately ready for the first band or performer. It is important that performers keep to their sound-check times where more than one band is to be sound-checked.

Logistics

The event schedule has been prepared as shown in the technical specifications document below, where extra buffer time for each window has been included in case of delays to ensure the event runs accordingly. The load-in times will be from 14:30 to 16:30 and the artists will have access to the loading bay provided which is located on The Headrow. We will then proceed to do sound checks from 16:30 to 18:30 which allows us 30 minutes for potential technical delays until the doors open at 19:00. The timings will be sent over to each of the artists so that everyone will be well informed in advance and can cooperate as such, as well as factor in transport needs to ensure punctuality for the event. We have already communicated with the artists regarding transport, and no financial support will be needed as each act is travelling from within Leeds with means to a car or taxi. Those arriving by car will be informed on the day regarding parking and can contact the venue manager with any questions. 

Health and Safety

Health and safety is a very important factor that has been taken into consideration while organising this event. As the event managers, we are responsible for maintaining the overall safety of the event and for everyone attending. This responsibility involves having health and safety measures in place to control risks, such as ensuring all equipment has been pat tested and is safe to use, while making sure qualified staff are on-site at the venue to tend to any emergencies. The sound engineers have a responsibility to maintain safe noise levels to protect the audience and staff from noise damage. These precautions are legal requirements under ‘The Health And Safety At Work Act 1974’ and ‘The Noise At Work Regulations 2005’. 

To conform with the health and safety requirements, a risk assessment was conducted by myself and those also managing the event. We arranged a visit to the venue in person to inspect any potential hazards for the artists and audience. We collectively observed the area while taking a video recording in case of any missed hazards at the time of visiting. 

Some hazards we observed include: 

• Raised platforms within the venue.

These are a trip hazard and could potentially cause injury especially as the visibility will be reduced due to dimmed lighting and crowded space. This hazard will be prevented by making the attendees aware of the platform by putting up a sign by the entrance and applying reflective tape on the step that is also visible in the dark.

• Heavy equipment hanging from the ceiling/wall. 

Large lights and speakers were seen hanging from high above which is hazardous in the event of one of them falling down. 

Safety checks will be performed prior to the event and the security of the equipment will be confirmed by an appropriate member of staff. 

• Weather risks, slippery floors and stairs.

Floors and stairs are increasingly hazardous in the event of rain and extreme weather. Therefore the venue must provide wet floor signs and doormats in this case to raise awareness and caution.

The remaining hazards have been listed in the official risk assessment document below. 

Hospitality

The performing artists at an event should be kept content, comfortable and fairly paid for their work. This means providing essentials like food and water, a safe and secure place for them to store their gear, and a comfortable green room. Therefore, these factors will be included and budgeted in the event to make sure the performers’ experiences are as stress-free and welcoming as possible.

Reimbursements for travel costs and overnight accommodation will not be required as they will all be travelling locally with a journey duration of approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Refreshments such as snacks and drinks will be provided in the green room to maintain the performers’ energy and wellbeing, and specific items can be requested through a rider. 

CONTINGENCY PLANS 

We cannot assume things will go exactly according to plan on the day and we have therefore prepared for potential setbacks beyond our control. In the chance of bad weather such as snow, the group members and performers will plan transport in advance and allow more time to arrive at the venue. If the venue has to close due to the weather, we will hold the tickets and postpone the gig to another day while keeping in contact with the venue manager to arrange the details.

There is a risk that one of the artists could become ill close to the day of the event and could affect their ability to perform. In this case, we would remove them from the lineup and try to find a replacement act, as each member of our group is a musician themselves we would ask to see if someone was willing to perform as the second support. In the case that no one is willing, we would run the event with the remaining support act and potentially offer them and the headliner a slightly longer set. However, in the unfortunate instance that one of the members of ‘The Wranglers’ could not attend, this would have a more impactful effect on the event as the headliners. In this case we would have to postpone the event in order to guarantee the event’s main act.  

If during soundcheck one of the musician’s instruments or pieces of equipment stops working, we will request a replacement from the venue or one of the other bands in the lineup. However if that item is unavailable, someone will rent what is needed from the facilities desk at Leeds Conservatoire which is a 10 minute walk away.

 In the case of a power cut or electrical faults on the day, the event will need to be postponed to ensure safety and efficiency for the gig. 

As we are managing this event as a group, the gig can still run as planned if one of the group members is unable to attend. We will remain in contact frequently with the artists and offer them support and advice regarding transport to help them arrive on time. However, if an unexpected delay interferes, we have planned soundcheck times to allow for extra delays and should reduce the chances of running late. If one of the bands arrives too late into their soundcheck slot, we will have to adjust their mix and volume levels as they play their set, in this scenario the sound will be not be as prepared as it could be but this still allows them to perform as planned.

FINANCE

The hiring fee for Headrow House was £150+VAT which totalled to £180. To secure the booking, the venue required a 50% deposit of £90, so we split this cost between the six of us resulting in each member paying £15. Once the booking was secured, we then began to plan ticket prices and the sales required to break even. A guest list has also been included to allow 3 guests per act to allow friends or family to attend to support the performers free of charge, as well as a guest photographer who has offered to take industry standard photographs for free in order to gain experience. 

As the venue has a capacity of 150, we will only release 120 tickets for sale to ensure the venue does not become too overcrowded whilst taking the performers, the guest list and the 6 members of our group into consideration. The price for the tickets were determined after gathering some data from the Headrow House website which showed the average ticket price for upcoming bands performing on a weekday. The prices ranged from £5-£10, and so the decision was made to vary the prices within this range.

In the first 2 weeks of the tickets going on sale, we will offer 20 discounted early bird tickets for £5 and will then go to the full price of £7 online for the remaining 4 weeks. The tickets will then rise to £9 for on the door purchases, however cash payments will not be accepted due to the added risk of cash notes going missing, being stolen or being counterfeit. Solely accepting card payments will be a more efficient way of monitoring sales and transactions with increased transparency, according to a 2023 article by Esmee Spaan.

The website “DICE” will be used to sell the tickets, and on this platform the buyer will be given an option to select the band they are coming to see. The profits of sales will be split between each act depending on the amount of selections the bands have received from the buyers upon purchasing. The bands will receive 35% of the profits after breaking even to ensure the necessary funds such as the venue hire fee and marketing expenses have been paid. Within the 35% of profitable money, 50% of that sum will go to the headline, and each support act will get 25% each. In addition to the venue hire fee, £50 will be spent on social media advertising on platforms such as Instagram, £21 for posters and £50 on cowboy hats to sell at the event. 

As a way to enhance the country music theme, we will sell country hats to the audience on the day to allow them to embrace the fashion culture and have a souvenir for the event. At £0.75 each on the website Aliexpress, 20 brown and 20 pink feathered cowboy hats will be purchased for resale. This cost is £30.40, however the brown cowboy hats will be resold at £3, and the pink will be resold at £5 which will create a total profit of £129.60 if all of the hats are sold. £50 will be put aside to accommodate the performers through a rider. Refreshments such as water, soft drinks and beer will be purchased for them to have in the green room. Any requests for snacks and certain requirements from the artists will be acknowledged as hospitality and comfort for the bands is a priority for us as promoters. 

MARKETING

Ticket links will be shared consistently on social media with reminders and countdowns until the event. Certain marketing strategies such as deadlines have shown to be successful, such as selling early bird tickets for a limited time. This should encourage buyers to secure their tickets in advance and save the date for the event. According to a 2025 article by Wiz Team, “Early bird registration boosts event success by encouraging early commitment and generating revenue before the event starts”. Early purchasing can also increase the chances of the ticket buyers using word of mouth to promote the event by inviting others to attend. 

Listed below are the multiple marketing strategies that will be implemented to achieve maximum exposure, these consist of digital, traditional and in-person methods. Due to the nature of the venue, the target audience will be students (approximately aged 18-30). This age range primarily engages with social media content such as images, reels and instagram stories and therefore the selected platforms will be Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook.

Digital:

This form of marketing offers a captivating way of promoting events while allowing the posts to be shared amongst friends, increasing exposure and shareability. Accounts will be made on all of these platforms under the name of the event with short form content and posters included. This will include interactive videos of rehearsals and behind the scenes footage. 

Traditional:

According to Jack Marketing Solutions (2025), posters offer a cost-effective, highly visible marketing solution with a high impact as it is a powerful tool for grabbing people’s attention in busy environments. Therefore, we will create an eye-catching poster with a QR code for the ticket link for people to quickly scan while they are on the go. These posters will be printed and put around Leeds Conservatoire, Leeds Beckett and student accommodations to attract the target audience. 

In-Person:

Statistics show that in-person marketing is one of the most successful forms of marketing as it is more personal and interactive. “Live events are the most effective strategy to promote content according to 75% of surveyed content marketers.” (Content Marketing Institute, 2016).

Physically informing people of an event can provide more intrigue to what is involved by encouraging fellow musicians to attend while giving a sense of community engagement. This effectively builds anticipation and can be done by setting up a stand at our university’s common area and offering discounted tickets/prizes. We plan to do this around 4 weeks before the event to increase exposure in advance. 

We aim to make this event memorable and enjoyable for all those involved while ensuring all legal and health and safety measures are put in place. “If the event is well planned behind the scenes, this means fewer surprises, quicker problem-solving, and a more confident, calm delivery. Because when you’re prepared for anything, nothing can throw you off track.” (First Event, 2025).

Technical Specifications

Press Kit

Risk Assessment