Rationale
Summary of Event:
Lowlite Events presents an alternative rock night featuring headline band Sair with support from Janata, Bio-Exile, and New Damage, playing in the basement at Hyde Park Book Club on Monday, 2nd of March 2026.
Time Management:
Effective time management is crucial in the run-up to live events as they run on strict schedules, fixed dates and specific venue access times. Therefore, effective time management is needed to ensure that the event can run smoothly. Neglecting effective time management in the lead-up to the event can be critical and detrimental to the event, causing an array of disruptions across the day, such as disruptions with load-ins, artist soundchecks, performance times and loading out times. These will then harm the audience’s enjoyment of the event, further inducing health and safety concerns and negative financial outcomes. Therefore, utilising effective time management eliminates potential risks and demonstrates professional practice.
To demonstrate clear and effective time management, we have curated a spreadsheet as a central planning tool, with segregated sections that detail the different tasks, deadlines and responsibilities in a clear format to avoid confusion. This is a clear and effective planning tool, as it is designed to keep all members of the team accountable for their tasks. It also helps prevent last-minute rushes and allows any issues to be identified earlier, preventing potential disruptions.
To maintain effective time management, we are using an event advance. An event advance is a document that highlights all the details of load-in times, sound checks, door times, set times and the closure of the event. The event advance can also be used to source contact information from the bands and the event rep at the venue in case of emergencies. The event advance states that venue access starts at 4 pm and the soundcheck begins at 4:30 pm. Artists have then been given 30-minute slots with soundcheck due to finish at 6:30 pm. Doors will open at 7.30 pm, and the first act will perform at 8 pm with 30-minute time slots throughout the night. The headliner will be performing from 9.15 pm until curfew (11 pm). Having an event advance is crucial for time management as it delegates specific times to work towards to ensure a smooth delivery. Artist arrivals will therefore be coordinated with the event schedule to ensure there is an adequate amount of time for load-in and sound checks before doors open. This, therefore, minimises the potential risk for delays in the running order.
Buffer times within an event advance refers to the time we have in between sets, changeovers and prior to doors opening. Ensuring we have adequate amounts of buffer time throughout the night ensures that, specifically, the artists are ready before they play. Buffer times also provide a platform for enhancing the technical reliability throughout a performance, enabling us to fix any issues before performances to ensure the night runs smoothly. For our event, the running order consists of minimal buffer times due to the nature of bands sharing the backline. Adopting this approach means we can ensure that the event will run smoothly due to minimal disruptions with artist changeovers. Whilst there are limited buffer times within the performance, it allows us to have an hour to have a final run through with a further 30 mins once doors open to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Using the spreadsheet, we currently aim for daily check-ins and highlighting any missing bits of information and then further delegate tasks to one another to retrieve bits of information that are missing. Once we receive the new bits of information, we then go onto updating the spreadsheet and set new tasks to ensure consistent development and identify any issues along the way. Developing a system like this ensures that there is consistent development and clear communication with the team so that there is never a period where we are unsure what has been done or what needs deciding, as it is all in the spreadsheet we set up. This system, therefore, demonstrates industry standard project management by pinning areas for development, financial standpoints, marketing and most importantly, the safety of the event. There are links to the event advance attached in the appendix that are to be read in conjunction with this document.
Production:
Technical:
The venue tech spec provides sufficient detail of all the equipment they have to offer and what we potentially need to source from elsewhere. We collectively decided to take on the offer to use their sound engineer and their PA system, as this will free up the time to source other bits of equipment. Using the venue’s sound engineer and PA system is optimal to ensure a professional live mix and audience comfort. The venue also offers microphones, DI boxes, stands and venue lighting, which we have opted to use as well. Utilising the venue’s lighting and power supplies is optimal in reducing electrical fault risks when using external equipment. Additionally, this takes care of most of the equipment we need already stationed at the venue. However, it is to be noted that the venue does not supply or offer any instrumental backline; therefore, this is something we need to supply ourselves. We will therefore be hiring guitar amps, bass amps, a drum kit and a range of cables such as instrument cables from the conservatoire, which will then be transferred to the venue.
The decision to hire the backline was made due to the nature of how many bands we have performing. Therefore, sharing a backline reduces the need for excessive time consumption by changing the equipment after every set. Sharing backline will ensure the smooth delivery of the event, as disruption is kept to a minimum. Artists can bring their own personal instruments, such as guitars, basses, and any other personal items they wish to use. This has been decided with the intent to respect artists’ preferences for tone, familiarity, etc.
Moving on to the artist tech specs, I can see that all bands have similar input lists, which allows for efficient changeovers and supports smoother transitions between the acts. Additionally, the stage plots are of a similar nature, which allows for a smooth transition between bands. Further details on the tech specs, input lists and stage plots are available for review in the appendix. Although all bands are using the same backline, we run the risk of equipment failure. To solve this potential risk, we plan to bring spare cables and extra instrumental backline to avoid technical disruption from equipment failure.
Logistical:
The logistical decisions behind the event have been informed by the geographical locations of the bands participating. This includes all bands based within the Leeds area, excluding one. As a result, artists have agreed to make their own way to the event, which frees up resources that can be used for other important expenses, such as transporting the equipment from the Conservatoire via Uber/ Taxi.
Logistical planning also includes the movement and storage of technical equipment. Designated storage areas will be coordinated on the day to ensure that all equipment does not obstruct walkways and fire exits, and to prevent any disruption during an evacuation. Furthermore, effective logistical planning is vital in ensuring performer welfare and a positive audience experience. All logistics will be detailed in the advance attached in the appendix.
Hospitality:
Providing hospitality to performers is vital in the development of positive relationships between the venue, promoters and the artists. The hospitality we can provide for the bands is 10% off food and drink at the venue. Due to all artists making their own way to the venue and one band travelling from outside the region, and due to the costings sheet, I am contributing towards some of the cost of a hotel for the band to stay at whilst they’re in Leeds.
Health and Safety:
Health and safety planning is a shared responsibility between event organisers and the venue to ensure the provision of legal and ethical care to staff, performers, and members of the public (Legislation.gov.uk, 2011). Therefore, to comply with this, a well-structured risk assessment is used to calculate the severity and probability of potential hazards, enabling us to implement control measures to ensure a safe delivery of the event.
Key physical risks within the live event industry included physical risks such as manual handling and the presence of equipment and cables. There are also increased environmental risks concerning hearing and visual discomfort. Further risks involve crowd management; poor crowd management can lead to congestion and safety concerns, therefore ensuring to monitor capacity levels and crowd movement to prevent overcrowding (HSE, 1998). Additionally, there are emergency risks, such as the risk of fire. Therefore, we need to be aware of evacuation plans and ensure that all exits are clear.
Risk control measures are therefore enforced to minimise their severity and probability of occurrence. Manual handling should only be carried out by trained individuals to reduce the risk of injury. The sound engineer will ensure that volumes aren’t too high to avoid discomfort. There will also be hearing protection available where appropriate. Crowd management will be in place to ensure that the maximum capacity is enforced alongside clear routes to ease the flow of movement. Exit and entry points will also be clearly signposted to ease queues and potential congestion.
A full risk assessment is available in the appendix to be read in conjunction with the rationale that outlines the potential hazards and the appropriate mitigations we’ve implemented.
Contingency Plans:
There is a range of disruptions that could prevent our event from going ahead. Here are some potential risks and the measures we would take to mitigate them.
Venue Closure:
In the event of a venue closure, we would prioritise early communication with all members of the team and the public to minimise disruption whilst we search for a similar venue that could host us within the delegated period. Potential venue alternatives could include Headrow House, Oporto or the Lending Room.
Artist Availability:
In the event of an artist cancellation or withdrawal from the event, we would consult the backup bands we have in place to fill the gaps if needed.
Schedule Overruns:
In the event of conflicting schedules, we will ensure to carefully create a schedule for the day and send it to all bands playing, confirming with them that they’re happy with what we have proposed. Doing this will ensure that no activity will overrun another, therefore creating a smooth schedule for the day.
Weather (Travel Affected):
In the event of adverse weather conditions that may cause travel delays, we will encourage all participants to travel at their earliest convenience to ensure that if there are delays, they will arrive early to avoid potential disruptions.
Financial Risk:
We have set up a small emergency fund of £30, which replicates the scale of the event. These funds will be used should an emergency arise.
Finance:
Finances are a crucial aspect in the setup of an event, and this is to ensure that we are sticking within budget and not spending more than we can afford. Ticket prices are slowly increasing, with ticket prices for grassroots venues typically ranging anywhere from £9.50 to £12.50 (Live&Local, 2024) compared to Savage (2023) suggesting that the “average price of a ticket rising to £10.90 – up 24% from £8.74 in 2019”. Despite these sources claiming different prices, we have set our ticket price at £7, which we feel is right compared to our general demographic. We have also settled on £5 tickets for those on our guestlist, whilst also adopting an early bird (2 for 1) seat at £7 for 2. Any remaining tickets will be priced at more on the door, with it costing £10 a ticket. Pricing our tickets this low provides accessibility to our target demographic, considering that they’re university students with low income. Therefore, our target audience specifically consists of 18-25-year-olds, Leeds-based, alt – rock fans and university students. We aim to attract these specific groups of people, as they are likely looking for small events and have similar interests to alt rock music.
Additionally, there are a few fixed costs we must account for, such as the venue hire, which costs £210, which includes a PA system and sound engineer. We also have marketing costs, which consist of posters and social media targeted ads. The budget for posters is set to £50, which will include 500x A6 flyers and 20x A3 posters. A £50 budget for posters/ flyers is suitable as it leaves us plenty to leave around the university campus, and the flyers will enable us to utilise exit flyering outside events if we have the required badge, which will set us back around £50 (Leeds City Council, 2025). We will likely aim to start posting these posters after the announcement of the event, ensuring we leave plenty of time before the event to attract an audience. Additionally, to the fixed costs, we have settled on an equal artists’ split where each support receives £20, and the headliner receives £30. This will be paid alongside the 10% off food and drink at the venue during the performance. Finally, we have also set up an emergency fund to cover any hidden/ unexpected expenses on the night. This is set at £30. For further details, please see the attached costings chart in the appendix.
Additionally, whilst this event was specifically planned to be self-funded for future events, we can look into the early promoter’s fund offered by the PRS Foundation that offers grants of up to £3,500 (PRS Foundation, 2024). This fund would further enable us to expand our marketing capabilities, bigger venues and pay our artists an equal and fair pay. This could further translate to bigger profits, therefore enabling us to continue building our brand, putting on more events within the vicinity.
Marketing and Publicity:
Our target demographic consists of university students aged 18 – 25 based in the Leeds local area. Our psychographics focus on the interest of alt-rock music and low-cost local gigs that are likely discovered through social media and word of mouth. Given the increased use of social media, we aim to focus on Instagram as our main social media platform. We aim to use Instagram due to its high student usage, and the use of targeted ads allows us to geographically target our users. While we recognise that building a brand from the ground up on social media isn’t easy, we have delegated a budget for ad usage that the bands can use to draw attention, as they are the product we are trying to sell. Splitting this budget across 4 bands will maximise our potential reach through attracting fans from different backgrounds, which increases our chances of selling out. Although Instagram is our focus, we could also utilise TikTok as a supplementary channel where we can create rehearsal clips and behind-the-scenes footage, which creates a personal connection between bands and our potential audience.
While we recognise that social media is the main form of advertising today, there is still a demand for physical promotion as seen throughout the city centre. This is where we are focused on printing flyers and posters that we can post around in student hotspots such as cafes, bars, record shops, student accommodation, and the Leeds Conservatoire campus. Now, understanding the legalities of posting flyers and posters around the city, we are building strong relationships with the venue by attracting attention through ethical methods, as suggested.
Finally, we have created a press kit which entails the details of the event alongside high-resolution HD photos and bios for all the bands, which can be further used to send to local companies like the Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds live and other local newspaper companies to get the word out. We will also utilise local student radio stations like the one at Leeds Conservatoire to create hype in the final two weeks before the event.
Based on all the information that’s been provided, here’s a timeline we can follow. We are likely to aim for an announcement post 5 -6 weeks before the event and begin rolling out poster releases and artist announcements. Following this, we will post artist introductions around 4-5 weeks out from the event. At the 3 – 4-week benchmark, we will split the ad budget and begin to schedule posts across the weeks and target them to our demographic up to the day of the event. Alongside the targeted ads, we plan to post an announcement closer to the event announcing the final tickets left. Throughout our consistent posting schedule, we will be monitoring the engagement received from each of the posts and repeating the content styles that are high performing with the hopes of converting clicks to ticket sales.
Technical Specifications
Press Kit
Press release
Artist Biographies
Sair:
“Drawing influence from Madison Cunningham and Jeff Buckley, his music strives to evoke emotion out of an audience – whatever the feeling.”
Janata:
‘”Janata are a band hailing from Leeds, influenced by the progressive and experimental rock sounds of artists such as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Geordie Greep, and Porcupine Tree. Their sound is characterised by powerful drums and catchy guitar riffs, with sporadic chaotic soundscapes scattered throughout.”
New Damage:
“New Damage are a 4 piece post-punk band formed in 2023. With an emphasis on fusing the relentless energy of punk music with dissonant jazz harmony, they have gained a reputation around the Leeds underground scene as a result of their intense live sets and fugazi-esque rhythmic hooks. New Damage draws influence from old as well as modern post-punk bands, with the recent wave of acts from the post-brexit UK scene inspiring a great deal of the band’s songwriting, coupled with an infectious rawness in their delivery that perfectly translates from a live setting to the studio. With their long-anticipated debut single, ‘Loud In The Ken’, the 4-piece outfit captures the vigour of their live shows as well as their tight musical chemistry to create a tirelessly dynamic track with infinite energy.”
Bio – Exile
“For the past year and a half, Bio-Exile have been making a name for themselves on the live circuit, both in their native Northampton, and as far out as London. Equipped with over an hour’s worth of original live material and a small selection of covers, no two shows are the same.
Bio-Exile takes influence from many hard rock and post hardcore acts that play before them adding in their own blend of grunge attitude and classic rock guitar wizardry to create a sonic experience unique to them. Bio-Exile has grown a small community on social media and has two songs on streaming. If Bio-Exile comes to your town, make sure you get there.”
Artist HD Photographs
Risk Assessment
Additional Material:
Spreadsheet Categories:
Email Communications:
Marketing Avenues:
Reference List
HSE (1998). Event safety – Crowd-management – Assess crowd safety risks and identify hazards. [online] Hse.gov.uk. Available at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety/crowd-management-assess.htm [Accessed 6 Jan. 2026].
Leeds City Council (2025). Flyer consents and badges. [online] www.leeds.gov.uk. Available at: https://www.leeds.gov.uk/licensing/other-licences/flyer-consents [Accessed 7 Jan. 2026].
Legislation.gov.uk (2011). The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. [online] Legislation.gov.uk. Available at: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1999/3242/regulation/3/made [Accessed 6 Jan. 2026].
Live&Local (2024). Ticket Prices. [online] Liveandlocal.org.uk. Available at: https://www.liveandlocal.org.uk/promoter-area/handbook/tickets-pricing-box-office/ticket-prices/ [Accessed 7 Jan. 2026].
PRS Foundation (2024). Early Career Promoter Fund. [online] PRS for Music Foundation. Available at: https://prsfoundation.com/funding-support/funding-for-industry-professionals/early-career-promoter-fund/.
Savage, M. (2023). Live music at grassroots venues still below pre-pandemic levels, report says. BBC News. [online] 31 Jan. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-64457809 [Accessed 7 Jan. 2026].
