Introduction
The live music events industry is a large part of the UK creative economy. The sector employs performance, production, promotion, and event management. An article published by the Economics Observatory highlights the scale of this contribution. Charlie Meyrick describes the British music industry as a cultural and economic leader, accounting for 12 per cent of the global market and ranking as the third largest domestic music market worldwide (Meyrick, 2023). In an industry like this, effective planning and structured project management are essential to deliver professional live music events. This report will outline the planning and preparation for our Motown themed event at Belgrave Music Hall.
During initial group meetings, we discussed shared interests to establish common ground. R&B and Soul were the most popular genres. From this starting point, we explored several event concepts, although reaching an agreement took time. Differences in experience influenced early discussions. Some group members had prior experience organising live events and proposed ambitious, large scale ideas. Other members (myself included) preferred a more relaxed and manageable event.
An early proposal involved booking an R&B or soul singer as a headline act, supported by a cover band to increase audience appeal. Concerns emerged around the viability of presenting a headline show without the release of new music. Further communication with the artist highlighted additional challenges, particularly around securing a suitable performance date. I also communicated with band members associated with the artist Raye during this period. Although there was initial interest, response times were slow and inconsistent. Proposed performance fees also exceeded the available budget. Due to these constraints, the group decided not to pursue this option further. These ongoing communication and scheduling issues led the group to reassess its approach to the headline artist. As a result, the group shifted towards a Motown themed event. This concept seemed more marketable and aligned with the target student audience.
The event is primarily for university students in Leeds and is designed as an experience rather than a typical headline concert. Three groups will perform Motown-era music, offering a unified and accessible event that highlights nostalgia, musical heritage, and live performance. This report aims to show how professional project management skills are used to plan and run a live music event to industry standards. It will cover key areas such as time management, production planning, contingency planning, finance, and marketing. These factors are essential for running successful live music events and match current practices in the UK music industry.
Rationale
Time Management
“Time management is the act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity” (Ahmad et al., 2012: 938). In live music event management, time management is crucial to successful event planning and delivery, particularly when coordinating multiple performers, working within a fixed venue schedule, and having limited time to promote the event.
Initial planning and confirmation of the event concept, venue, and performers were scheduled to be completed by the end of November. We were able to reach the targets, confirming venue availability, agreeing on hire terms, and outlining technical and production requirements. Getting these things sorted early made sure the next steps in planning could move forward.
We plan to start promoting the event in mid January, with regular social media content released multiple times per week leading up to the event. Social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat will be the primary promotional tool, as that’s where most of our target audience is. As noted by IBTM World, “When it comes to event marketing content, social media is one of the most valuable approaches out there” (IBTM World, 2022), highlighting its effectiveness in engaging audiences and generating event awareness. To maximise reach and engagement, we’ll look at how other promoters promote their events on social media and see what we can apply to our social media campaign. One of the bands is well known and has a strong following in the Leeds area, consistently selling out shows throughout 2025. Their existing audience provides an additional promotional advantage, increasing the likelihood of audience engagement and ticket sales.
Early in planning, we also discussed event tickets. An early-bird ticket release was scheduled approximately one month before the event, 50 ‘earlybird’ tickets at £5 + 10% DICE fees. By doing this, we create early engagement, build momentum, and provide an initial indication of the audience’s interest. Standard ticket sales were planned to open three weeks before the event, priced at £9 + 10% DICE fees, with ticket pricing remaining consistent both in advance and on the door.
On the day of the event, time management extends to Load-in, soundcheck, doors, performance slots, and curfew. A detailed event advance has been created to align performers, venue staff, and promoters, minimising delays.
Production
One of the main benefits of using this venue is that most of the technical equipment is already provided. According to the advance, they supply a PA system, lighting, mixing desk, microphones, monitors, and DJ equipment as part of the hire. Because the venue is providing most of the required equipment, no external sound or lighting hire is needed. This helps keep costs low and reduces the additional planning. As the venue does not provide backline equipment, all performing acts have been contacted and have agreed to bring their own instruments and amps. The 3rd Act, “The Pockets,” will provide most of the backline on the day, as detailed in the event’s tech spec.
Staffing requirements for the event are kept to a minimum because the venue already has staff on site. We’ll be using the in house sound engineer, with additional support from the team for roles such as artist liaison, door supervision, and general event oversight. The roles haven’t been delegated yet, but we’ll discuss them in our next meeting.
We communicated with the bands to confirm any particular needs. Due to the number of band members, a full rider could not be provided. However, we plan to supply light refreshments and snacks to ensure that the performers are comfortable. By doing this, we demonstrate a practical approach to artist hospitality within the event’s budget constraints.
Given that the venue has only two dressing rooms and a large number of performers, a rotation system will be implemented. One group will use a dressing room while waiting to go on stage, and once they start their performance, the next group will move in. This allows all acts to have adequate space without overcrowding and helps maintain a safe and organised backstage environment.
The event is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM on the 25th of February 2025. Starting at this time allows students to attend after their classes or daytime commitments, making it a convenient option for the target audience. Holding the event in late February could be advantageous because it is a period when students are often seeking indoor social activities to break up the winter months and re-engage with student life (University of Reading, 2024).
Finally, given the number of performers and the complexity of changeovers, a dedicated stage management team will be in place to assist with equipment load-ins, act changeovers, and ensure that all operations proceed seamlessly on the night. This approach will ensure the event meets the logistical demands of the three acts.
Contingency Plans
Artist Cancellation or Late Arrival
We will confirm all performance times with each act in advance. If an artist is delayed or cancels, we will adjust the running order as needed to keep the show going. Since we have multiple acts, if one drops out, we could ask them to extend their set.
Technical Issues
We will have a sound check before the event to help us identify any technical issues early. We will rely on the sound engineer to handle any problems, and if something happens during the show, we’ll adjust the schedule slightly to fix it without major delays. We could have music on standby to play if something goes wrong on stage.
Ticket Sales
We’re planning for the event to sell out, with early bird tickets at £5 and standard tickets at £9. We’ll keep an eye on ticket sales. We could consider deals like buy 1, get 1 half price or a discount for people who get their friend to buy tickets, if needed, but our pricing strategy is designed to encourage early purchases and fill the venue.
Health and Safety Considerations
To prevent overcrowding backstage, we will use a rotating dressing room system. We’ll communicate the schedule to performers so that only one group is in a dressing room at a time, keeping things safe and organised. Additional health and safety risks can be found in the risk assessment.
Finance
Finance is one of the most important parts of event planning. For our event, we created a costing chart that identifies and balances all projected costs, providing an estimate of potential profits. For this project, all funds are from our own pockets. However, after further independent research, I found that the local council provides a number of grants. Also, the government website has a “Apply for funding for community projects” page (GOV UK, 2026). I think it’s too late for this event; however, if we plan to have another event, we could always apply for funding.
Budget Planning
The event costing chart covers all expenditure areas, including venue hire, artist fees, hospitality, and marketing costs. Venue hire costs were communicated to us through the official invoicing and hire documentation provided by Belgrave, which included £180 and a £90 deposit. Which was paid in the middle of December. We are paying PRS £130.20 for music licenses to legally play copyrighted music in public or business settings. £95 on promotion and marketing, this will cover paid ads, posters, and any legal expenses related to promotion. The £100 for hospitality. As mentioned before, because of the size of our acts, it would be difficult to cover their rider or offer by outs. Instead, we will offer snacks and light refreshments. Thankfully, the acts are friends of some of the group members, so they understand that we are trying to provide them with the best experience with the resources that we have available. trying to maintain professionalism.
Artist fees were carefully considered in relation to the event’s scale, audience capacity, and projected ticket income. As a group, we discuss a flat rate. However, one of the group members suggested that we pay the third act 500, or 60% of the profits, and the second 100, or 10% of the profits. And the first act has agreed to perform for free.
Technical expenditure was deliberately kept low because Belgrave will provide most of the required equipment. According to the venue’s advance documentation, Belgrave Music Hall provides a full PA system, lighting, microphones, and monitoring as part of the hire agreement, so we don’t need to pay for external sound or lighting hire. This reduces production costs, demonstrating effective financial decision-making by leveraging existing resources.
Income
Income for our event will primarily come from ticket sales. When setting ticket prices, we wanted to balance budget-friendliness with the ability to cover costs and achieve financial sustainability. An early-bird ticket price of £5 was planned to encourage early sales and generate promotional momentum, followed by a standard ticket at £10. The venue’s capacity is approximately 300 – 350 attendees. The costing chart has calculated a potential gross of £3,100.
After reviewing the costing chart, I can see how important financial management is in project management for live music events. By creating this budget, assessing financial risks, and making good decisions about spending and pricing. We demonstrate that we understand how finances affect every aspect of event planning.
Marketing and Publicity
As mentioned before, social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok will be where we do most of our marketing and promotion. This is how most of our target audience learns about upcoming events in the area. Eventbrite research reports social media as a primary discovery route for these age groups (Eventbrite, 2025).
Video concepts that we could use:
Behind the scenes rehearsal reels
- Post short rehearsal clips from each act.
- Show progression from first run through to polished set.
- Include interviews with the acts. They can talk about the songs they are performing, their musical influences and how they formed their group.
Content about the event
- Post a simple “what you’ll get” video, live bands, Motown setlist, venue atmosphere and pricing.
- Post a short venue walkthrough at Belgrave so attendees understand the layout and vibe.
- Post a poster with the date, time and location of the event.
Posting Schedule:
- 4 weeks before: announcement video, first rehearsal teaser, ticket link launch.
- 3 weeks before: rehearsal clips twice per week, one performer spotlight per week.
- 2 weeks before: venue content, setlist hints, group rehearsal montage, society repost push.
- 1 week out: daily short videos, countdown stories, ticket urgency messaging.
- Event week: daily reminders, travel tips, door time reminders, and final ticket push.
Promoting at Uni
Stall in the café bar
- Set up at peak times (usually before lunch)
- Offer a small incentive, sweets or a limited discount code.
- Encourage people to follow social media pages using a QR code.
Posters and flyers
- Place posters in and around campus, the library, rehearsal rooms, and hallways.
- We could also contact the student union to see if they can promote it.
- Contact advertising agencies
Partnership promotion
- Approach student societies, music societies, and cultural societies for reposts and group ticket pushes.
- Approach local cafés for flyer placement with a mutual discount code exchange.
This plan sets out a clear approach to promoting the event across both digital and physical spaces. The strategy is designed to build awareness early, maintain consistent engagement, and draw attention to the event. We will release the content in phases as outlined in the plan to support audience growth and encourage ticket sales over time, instead of relying on a single promotional push.
Having a stall in the cafe bar supports online promotion by reaching students in shared social spaces and reinforcing visibility. External partnerships help extend reach beyond direct audiences and encourage wider engagement. Depending on the response from our audience, we may need to adjust our strategy.
Conclusion
This report has outlined the planning and preparation for our event. This process has been both enjoyable and highly educational for me, particularly because I have no experience in project management or event planning. I have gained insight into the level of organisation, coordination, and problem solving required to successfully deliver an event, and it has been very beneficial.
Time management will be important as we continue to prepare for the event. Establishing a clear timeline will ensure that we can track our progress. We can review what has been done so far and identify what remains, ensuring that key tasks are completed on schedule and that the event is delivered efficiently on the day.
Production planning focused on the venue’s existing facilities. Seeing what equipment they have and what we need to bring. We communicated this information to the acts, and they have agreed to bring their own instruments and are comfortable with the other acts using them. Reviewing potential safety risks and developing solutions to address them, e.g., a rotating dressing room system to prevent health risks.
For the Financial side. A working budget will be used to track costs and expected income, supported by a tiered ticket pricing system aimed at encouraging early sales and filling the venue. A Contingency plan will also be put in place to prepare for potential issues such as artist cancellations and technical problems. In the event that one of these things happen we have a solution.
Overall, the planning of this event demonstrates an understanding of the organisational, financial, and logistical considerations required in live music event management. The skills developed through this planning process, including budgeting, communication, problem solving, and organisation, will be directly transferable to future work within the live music and events industry.
Event Advance, Costing Chart, and Tech Specs
Risk Assessment
Press Kit
Artist Bio
A bio from our first act, Chlöe Jacob
With a full band behind her, Chlöe brings to the stage a genre blend of soft folk rock,
with her harmonious guitar melodies, rhythmic drums and strong vocals. Inspired by
artists such as Elbow, Beabadoobie, The Beatles, and Fleetwood Mac.
Currently studying at Leeds Conservatoire, she is a singer/songwriter, who’s been
surrounded by music her whole life. Eager to finally make a name for herself in the
music scene, she had her debut gig in the More Than A Woman Collective Palestine
fundraiser, helping raise over £700.
