Rationale

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A summary of the event

On the 10th of March 2026, our country music event will be taking place at Headrow House, in Leeds city centre. We have 3 acts scheduled, 2 support slots and our headline act. The Wranglers will be headlining the event, supported by Murmuration and Daisy Castellaro. Doors will open at 19:00, Daisy will start at 19:30, and The Wranglers will finish just before 22:00 (see event advance). We aim to make sure the event runs as smoothly as possible, whilst keeping the artists and venue happy. By being organised as a group, we will achieve this.

Time Management

Effective time management is crucial to the success of our event. By delegating roles to individual group members, we have been able to use our time more productively during the planning process. Responsibilities were assigned based on each person’s strengths and weaknesses, ensuring that tasks were allocated to the most suitable individuals. In the early stages of planning our event, one group member put himself and his band, The Wranglers, forward to be the headline act, while another group member proposed their band, Murmuration, as a support act. As a result, it was appropriate for these two members to take on the role of artist liaisons, as they could communicate directly with their respective bands. The involvement of these two acts made it a clear decision for the event to be country themed, leading us to source an additional support act that aligned with this brief. 

Communication within the group has primarily been managed through regular in-person meetings and a shared WhatsApp group chat, allowing for quick updates and decision-making between meetings. While this approach has generally been effective, there have been occasions where inconsistent attendance and delayed responses have impacted the efficiency of communication. To minimise disruption to the planning process, key decisions have been summarised in the group chat and responsibilities clearly assigned to those present. Our group consists of six members, which Shone and Parry identify as an effective group size. However, they note that ‘the larger the group the more difficult it may be to achieve an integrated approach’, while acknowledging that ‘even with a small group there may be problems of cohesion, or difficulties in getting people to work together’ (Shone and Parry, 2019:88). This suggests that, although communication within our group has presented challenges at times, it is useful we have recognised these issues early on so we can adapt our process moving forward.

To ensure effective communication with the venue, one group member took on the role of venue liaison, acting as the main point of contact with the venue promoter. This involved ongoing communication regarding availability and logistics. Although our initial preference was a different venue managed by the same promoter, the desired date was unavailable. As a result, Headrow House was chosen, a decision the group remained confident and satisfied with. One of the key reasons for choosing this venue was its central city location, which maximises accessibility and visibility for our target audience (Getz, 1997:83). A deposit of £90 was required to secure the venue, which was shared equally among group members at £15 each, finalising the booking. Assigning a single venue liaison reduced the risk of miscommunication and allowed decisions to be made efficiently; having a dedicated liaison streamlines communication and helps keep planning details on schedule, which research suggests is one of the core benefits of this role in event settings (The Spite Haus, 2025).

According to Tum, Norton and Wright (2006:214), ‘the date has to be set and the venue booked…before any advertising can be done’. Following this guidance, our venue for the event, Headrow House, was confirmed on the 18th of November, allowing four months to plan and market the gig. The event will be announced on the 26th of January, six weeks in advance, which we feel allows plenty of time to promote the event.

To ensure this time is used effectively, we have created a marketing timeline to guide our promotional activity (see additional materials). Ari (2018) suggests that ‘a timeline gives you a clear roadmap complete with mile markers to keep you organised’, which supports our structured approach. As part of this timeline, announcements about the event and acts will be staggered to build anticipation and maintain audience interest. Physical posters will not be displayed until all acts have been announced, at which point a corresponding social media post will also be released. While we expect this approach to work, it relies on one group member taking primary responsibility for managing the social media; however, should this role need to be redistributed, another group member is prepared to take over to ensure consistency is maintained. 

In addition, we are planning to host a promotional stand in the Leeds Conservatoire cafe-bar on the 24th of February, close to the event date. This will allow us to engage directly with our target audience and promote the gig in person, with a food-based incentive included to help encourage ticket sales. 

As shown in our event advance, each act has been allocated a soundcheck slot, scheduled in reverse order of the performance running order. Daisy’s soundcheck is last, which is useful for the sound engineer, as ‘the console settings will be immediately ready for the first band or performer’ (Astral Sound, n.d.). The Wranglers have been given a one-hour soundcheck as they are a five-piece band with several instruments requiring level adjustments. Murmuration, also a five-piece band, has been given a shorter forty-five-minute soundcheck, as most of the backline will already be set up following The Wranglers’ soundcheck. Daisys requires only two vocal inputs and a guitar; therefore, a 30-minute soundcheck will be appropriate (see input lists).

Overall, effective delegation and structured scheduling have allowed us to manage our time efficiently while remaining flexible as we move forward. 

Production

Headrow House has hosted a large number of artists, highlighting its experience as a live music venue. As a result, the venue is equipped with most of the technical requirements for our event, including a PA system, mixing desk and lighting rig (see venue technical specification). However, the venue does not provide a backline for the artists. To resolve this, The Wranglers have agreed to supply their own backline and have also offered to share this equipment with Murmuration to simplify changeovers on the night. Careers in Music (2024) clarifies that ‘the backline refers to the musical instruments required to perform a live show, excluding the PA, monitors and lighting systems’.

Health and safety are important aspects of our event, and careful consideration has been given to ensuring the safety of both attendees and the artists. Shortly after securing the venue, the majority of our group visited Headrow House to identify any potential hazards within the space. A video walkthrough of the venue was recorded to document these hazards so we could complete a risk assessment, which identifies risks and the measures that will be put in place to mitigate them. These include fire hazards, slip and trip risks, potential injuries from manual handling, hearing damage, and risks associated with sound and lighting rigging (see risk assessment).

In relation to sound levels, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that audience exposure should not exceed an average of 107dB over the duration of an event, with a recommended minimum distance of three metres from loudspeakers (HSE, n.d.). As a result of this, we will ensure appropriate speaker placement and monitoring of sound levels to reduce the risk of hearing damage. Hearing protection will be available at the venue for our audience upon request.

Additionally, ensuring that all equipment used is PAT tested is a key consideration. While PAT testing is not a legal requirement, event organisers have a duty to ensure that any equipment provided is safe, properly maintained and suitable for use (Musicians’ Union, 2023).

We are expecting a predominantly youthful demographic at our event, as the majority of the advertising will be targeted towards university students. Tarlow (2014:62) suggests that ‘perhaps no place is alcohol feared more than a function with young adults, such as a university function or a concert/festival that caters to young adults’. In response to this, and to reduce the risk of injury associated with broken glass, we will encourage the venue to serve drinks in plastic cups. However, Headrow operates under a ‘Green Policy’, outlined in the venue’s event advance, which encourages artists to avoid single-use plastic water bottles and provides tap water refills for reusable water bottles. Recycling is actively promoted by the venue, so any plastic cups used during the event should be disposed of responsibly.

Ensuring the well-being of the performing artists will be a priority for the events team. Travel costs will not require reimbursement, as all artists are based in Leeds; however, as discussed later on, artists will be paid a percentage of the profit, which can contribute to any minor travel costs, such as bus fares or petrol. In terms of artist hospitality, some beers will be provided in the venue’s green room, a private space designated for performers, which includes access to a private toilet.

Contingency Plans

Having contingency plans in place is essential for event management, as a range of issues may arise on the day. As a group, we have discussed alternatives to several potential scenarios. If Headrow were to close due to unforeseen circumstances, such as severe weather or technical issues, we would try and find an alternative venue in the city centre, such as Oporto on Call Lane. If this were not possible, ticket holders would be offered the option to transfer their tickets to a rescheduled date.

If a support act is unable to perform due to illness, the running order would be adjusted, or a replacement act could be sourced from within the group, as all members of our group are active gigging musicians. However, if the headline act were unable to perform, the event would be postponed, avoiding misleading the audience. Illness within our group would be manageable due to the size of the team, and flexibility has also been built into the event advance to account for potential delays to soundchecks. 

In the event of equipment failure, we would initially request a replacement from the venue. If this was not available, equipment could be sourced from the Leeds Conservatoire facilities desk, which is a short walk from Headrow House. 

Finance

Financial viability is a crucial consideration when planning an event. The country night we are organising is a ticketed event, allowing audiences to purchase tickets in advance. When setting the ticket price, we kept our target audience in mind, which had a significant influence on pricing decisions. As musicians who regularly attend live music events, we used our own experience of ticket pricing to set a realistic price point. Tickets will be priced at £7 when purchased in advance online, increasing to £9 on the door. This price difference provides an incentive for our audience to buy their tickets ahead of the event and also allows us to monitor ticket sales in advance. We will mainly be using DICE to host our ticket sales, which the venue’s promoter encouraged us to use. 

To encourage early ticket purchases, we are using a pricing strategy known as price anchoring. This involves offering a limited number of early-bird tickets at a reduced price before reverting to the standard ticket price (Banez, 2025). Early-bird tickets will be available at £5 for two weeks, which is £2 less than the general advance price of £7. We have budgeted for 20 early-bird tickets to be sold within this timeframe, after which the offer will end. As Banez (2025) explains, limiting the availability of discounted tickets creates a sense of urgency, encouraging audiences to purchase before the opportunity passes. We also considered offering an early-bird ticket that included a cowboy hat; however, this would have required a higher price point of £12. We concluded that this was unlikely to appeal to our audience and would undermine the purpose of an early-bird offer. As a result, hats will instead be sold separately at the event.

As summarised in the costings sheet, our artists will be receiving 35% of the net profits generated by the event. This will then be split appropriately between the acts: 50% to our headline act, and 25% to each of our supports. Ensuring that artists receive a fair and transparent deal was important to us. The Musicians’ Union (2024) provides guidance on negotiating fair agreements between artists and promoters with its ‘Fair Play Guide’, which guided our approach. Given the variable nature of ticket sales for live events, we were unable to confirm a fixed artist fee in advance. However, the agreed terms were discussed with each act, and all artists were satisfied with the arrangement. Offering a fair and clearly communicated payment structure may also encourage artists to work with us again in the future.

In addition to ticket sales, Shone and Parry (2019:125) emphasise the importance of exploring additional income streams when planning an event. For our country night, merchandise sales were identified as a suitable source of additional revenue, specifically through the sale of cowboy hats. As outlined in the costings sheet, £30.40 has been budgeted for the purchase of forty hats, bought at £0.76 each (see additional materials section). Twenty will be standard brown cowboy hats, while the remaining twenty will be pink, fluffy cowboy hats, which will be sold at a higher price point. The brown hats will be sold at £3, with the pink hats at £5, generating a potential profit of £129.60 if all the hats are sold. This would add a valuable secondary income stream alongside ticket sales. We are also considering running a best-dressed competition, with a cowboy hat as a possible prize, although this has yet to be confirmed. 

Before the event takes place, there are several financial outgoings required to ensure our event is successful. Firstly, £50 has been allocated towards Instagram advertising, as this platform is widely used by our target audience. Research suggests that ‘Instagram advertising helps you to get in front of the right audience for your brand and increase the chances of engagement or conversion’ (Logica Digital, 2025), making this a worthwhile use of our budget.

Secondly, £21.32 has been allocated for printing promotional posters (see additional materials). Although all group members have access to printers at Leeds Conservatoire, this cost has been included as a contingency in case printing quality does not meet expectations.

Finally, £50 has been set aside for miscellaneous expenses, including providing beers for artists in the green room, potential parking costs for both the group and performers, food incentives for a ticket stand in the cafe-bar, and any other unforeseen expenses. As outlined previously, looking after our artists is a priority for our events team; however, performers will be expected to act responsibly with regard to alcohol consumption and its timing in relation to their performance.

After the event has taken place, two main costs will be deducted from the profits. These are the venue hire fee and the percentage paid to PRS. As Headrow operate under a ‘Tariff LP’ license, 4.2% of our gross ticket sales will be paid to PRS (Musicians’ Union, 2023). Once these costs, along with the other expenses outlined previously, have been deducted from the profit, we will then be able to distribute the agreed percentage splits to the artists. Based on our costings, we need to sell 38% of available tickets to break even, which we feel is achievable. 

Sponsorship for our event was considered by the group; however, we ultimately decided against it. Shone and Parry (2019:146) discuss the potential benefits of event sponsorship, while also acknowledging circumstances in which it may not be necessary. They suggest that ‘if the costs of servicing a sponsor are going to be more than the sponsor is actually paying, then other sources of funding will be preferable’. When comparing our event to similar student-led events in Leeds, sponsorship is not commonly used, as often costs are kept low. 

We have also discussed the possibility of securing funding from local authorities in Leeds; however, Shone and Parry suggest that this process can be lengthy, and due to our event taking place in March, we may not have allowed enough time to explore this option fully. Fortunately, we have incorporated a secondary income stream through selling cowboy hats, which will help generate additional profit alongside ticket sales. 

Marketing and Publicity

To help manage promotion effectively, one group member will take primary responsibility for overseeing our social media activity, specifically our Instagram and TikTok accounts. While all group members will share content from these accounts on their own social media to help increase reach, having one person in charge will help maintain consistency and avoid confusion. Our promotion name, Northbound Productions, will feature clearly in our logo, ensuring our audience can easily identify who we are.

Although several social media platforms are available, Instagram and TikTok will be our primary focus, as both align closely with our target audience. By focusing on a specific demographic rather than attempting to appeal to all audiences, this approach can be used to our marketing advantage (Shone and Parry, 2019:180). Research shows that the largest proportion of Instagram users is aged between 18 and 24, accounting for 31.8% of users (Haigen, 2025). Similarly, 32.8% of TikTok users fall within the same age bracket (Calloway, 2026). Together, these platforms provide an effective way of reaching our target audience.

We have developed several ideas for content as part of our promotional strategy. Platforms such as Instagram and TikTok prioritise short-form video content, which will include behind-the-scenes clips of artists rehearsing, talking to the camera, and practical videos such as how to find the venue. Dodds (2024) suggests that this short-form content is ‘a dynamic and captivating way for brands to engage with their target market’, which is why we think this will be successful. While this form of content will work across both platforms, still images with captions are more suited to Instagram, as they are commonly used on both stories and the main feed. These will be utilised to initially announce the event and subsequently reveal the support acts, with ticket links attached to encourage engagement and sales. 

We will also be utilising a more traditional marketing method by using posters. These will clearly advertise our event with all the essential information. Posters will be displayed in several relevant locations, including Leeds Conservatoire, other universities within the city centre, and the venue itself. The Musicians’ Union (2024) advises caution when displaying posters in public, as a council license is required; therefore, these locations have been deliberately chosen. They also note that ‘it’s useful to display posters in the venue/s that you are playing at in the run-up to shows’, which further supports our approach. 

Finally, although Headrow has a capacity of 150, we have chosen to release only 120 tickets for sale. The remaining 30 will be reserved for artist guest lists and any press the artists may wish to invite. This allows artists the opportunity to gain industry contacts, which may support brand development and provide opportunities for media exposure. 

By combining these marketing techniques, we aim to maximise audience reach and engagement, while remaining flexible and ready to adapt our strategy as the event approaches. 

Reference List

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Ari (2018) Why it’s super important to have a marketing timeline. Available online: https://arimeghlen.co.uk/2018/10/15/why-its-important-to-have-a-marketing-timeline/ [Accessed 06/01/26].

Astral Sound (n.d.) Sound check. Available online: https://www.astralsound.com/soundcheck.htm#:~:text=Where%20more%20than%20one%20group,is%20to%20be%20sound%2Dchecked. [Accessed 01/01/26].

Banez, B. (2025) Boost ticket sales with an early bird discount strategy. Available online: https://www.ticketinghub.com/blog/boost-ticket-sales-early-bird-discount-strategy [Accessed 05/01/26].

Calloway, J. (2026) TikTok user statistics UK (2026) – users, trends & key data. Available online: https://www.limelightdigital.co.uk/tiktok-user-statistics/ [Accessed 07/01/26].

Careers in Music (2024) Backline in music: what it is and why performers need one. Available online: https://www.careersinmusic.com/backline/ [Accessed 01/01/26].

Dodds, D. Short-form video content: capturing attention in the digital age. Available online: https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2024/03/19/short-form-video-content-capturing-attention-in-the-digital-age/ [Accessed 07/01/26].

Getz, D. (1997) Event management & event tourism. Pennsylvania State University: Cognizant Communication Corporation.

Haigan, W. (2025) UK Instagram stats you need to know for 2025. Available online: https://sproutsocial.com/insights/instagram-statistics-uk/ [Accessed 06/01/26].

Health and Safety Executive (n.d.) Noise. Available online: https://www.hse.gov.uk/event-safety/noise.htm. [Accessed 01/01/26].

Logica Digital (2025) Pros and cons of instagram advertising. Available online: https://www.logica-digital.co.uk/2025/07/01/pros-and-cons-of-instagram-advertising/ [Accessed 06/01/26].

Musicians’ Union (2023) Electrical safety and PAT testing. Available online: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/health-safety-wellbeing/health-and-safety/key-health-and-safety-issues/electrical-safety-and-pat-testing. [Accessed 01/01/26].

Musicians’ Union (2023) How to report live performances to PRS for music. Available online: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/working-performing/gigs-and-live-performances/how-to-report-live-performances-to-prs-for-music [Accessed 07/01/26].

Musicians’ Union (2024) Fair play guide. Available online: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/working-performing/gigs-and-live-performance/fair-play-guide [Accessed 05/01/26].

Musicians Union (2024) Showcasing your music. Available online: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/career-development/career-guides/marketing-and-promotion/showcasing-your-music [Accessed online 07/01/26].

Shone, A. & Parry, B. (2019) Successful event management: a practical handbook. 5th Edition. Andover: Cengage Learning.

Tarlow, P.E. (2002) Event risk management and safety. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The Spite Haus (2025) What is an artist liaison – and why you need one. Available online: https://www.thespitehaus.com/tshblog/what-is-an-artist-liaisonand-why-you-need-one?srsltid=AfmBOoqiKtvxny6G3WvcC8im_PM47-wD74H6NaD-u0_e_AAHoK08HIQX [Accessed 29/12/25].

Tum, J. Norton, P. Wright, J.N.(2006) Management of event operations. London and New York: Routledge.

Appendicies

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Technical Specifications

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