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Event Evaluation
Introduction
Our event, ‘Eclypse Presents: Garage Takeover’, took place at Headrow House in Leeds on Wednesday, 25th March. The main aim of the event was to showcase emerging artists within the UK garage scene, providing them an opportunity to perform to a live audience. The lineup consisted of four artists, including one headliner and three supporting acts.
From my previous experience in event management, I took on the role of Project Lead, overseeing the planning and execution of the event. This involved coordinating the team and ensuring the event was delivered to the highest quality.
My responsibilities included securing the venue and booking the artists, and all artwork and content creation. In addition, I managed the setup of ticketing platforms and contributed to production planning, ensuring that production requirements were met. Other responsibilities included Stage Manager, Artist Liaison, Box Office, Content/Marketing and Runner.
In my evaluation, I will analyse my role and performance as well as our group’s performance, supported by photographic and video evidence. I assess key areas such as event atmosphere, box office operations, security, health and safety and financial outcomes. I will reflect on my contribution and identify key areas for improvement.
Event Atmosphere
The atmosphere of the event was a key factor in determining its overall success. We chose the genre of UK Garage (UKG) as the focus of our event, due to Leeds having a strong garage music scene. This attracted a diverse audience who shared a clear interest in the genre, contributing to a positive crowd dynamic.
To enhance the event and make it more immersive, we adopted an “in the round” layout, positioning the artists within the crowd rather than traditionally on a stage. This had a significant impact on the audience between them and the artists, as it allowed for a more engaging environment. As shown in Figure 1, the crowd is up close and personal with the artists, demonstrating good crowd engagement.
The venue supported this very well as the lighting fixtures were spread around the space, ensuring no area felt disconnected from the event (Figure 2). In addition, the sound was spread to the back of the room, which helped maintain a good vibe throughout the whole room (Figure 3). However, attendance was lower than we had hoped, which resulted in the space appearing less full than planned (Figure 4).Despite this, the atmosphere remained positive, and the feedback was positive and showed that attendees enjoyed the night (Figures 5, 6 & 7).
Box Office
The box office operation played a key role in both managing entry and maximising attendance. Ticketing for the event was distributed across three platforms: Fatsoma, Resident Advisor (RA) and Dice (Figures 8, 9 & 10) . We did this to increase potential audience reach as different platforms attract different people. For example, Fatsoma is commonly used by students, whereas RA tends to attract audiences who are searching for music events. While using multiple platforms increased admin workload, it was effective in broadening exposure to different people within our target audience.
To improve efficiency on the night, all ticket data was consolidated onto the RA Scanner app prior to the event (Figure 11). This ensured that box office staff only needed to use one system for scanning tickets, reducing queues or delays. Once online sales had been disabled, we provided tickets on the door, taking payments using the Square app (Figure 12). This allowed for quick payments using our phones.
The door was managed by three staff members who each had their own role: ticket scanning, payment handling and distributing wristbands (Figures 13 & 14). Whilst this seemed effective, it didn’t work as smoothly as intended. Due to a lack of experience between them, some attendees weren’t scanned in, leading to false numbers. This highlights the importance of ensuring that everyone has been trained and briefed properly prior to the event.
Attendance was lower than expected, with 71/118 ticket holders attending alongside 6 door sales, which meant we had a 40% dropout rate (Figure 15). This suggests that initial interest was strong, but audience retention could have been better. In future, we could have increased engagement prior to the event, such as reminder emails. We also added student discount tickets on sale a few days prior to the event in the hope of increasing ticket sales. These were promoted on student group chats (Figure 43).
Security
Security is crucial when running an event to ensure that attendees are safe, particularly within an intoxicated environment. Due to the low number of tickets sold, only 2 security guards were assigned to our event: one at the entrance and another by the artist’s green room (Figure 16).
I briefed green room security on the wristband system to ensure only authorised individuals could access the space (Figure 17). At the main entrance to the venue, there was a security guard who was ID-checking everyone who entered to maintain venue policies.
There were no incidents during the event, meaning that the security measures were effective. This contributed to a safe and positive atmosphere. However, for higher capacity shows, additional security is important to maintain this standard.
Health & Safety
Prior to the event, we undertook a risk assessment, which allowed us to highlight any risks and act on them prior to the event taking place (Figure 18). Key risks included raised platforms (trip hazards) and limited queuing space (Figures 19 & 20). Due to the lower attendance, these risks were reduced but monitored.
On the day of the show, an additional risk was identified from the in-the-round setup, as we had to run cables through the room centre. This was managed by covering them with a ped barrier to reduce any potential trip hazards (Figure 21).
The venue has clear safety hazards such as visible fire exits and extinguishers (Figures 22, 23 & 24). No incidents occurred, which shows that risks were controlled. As well as that, the venue had a no-glass policy within the event space. Plastic cups were provided upon entrance to the event (Figure 25). In addition, the bar provided us with hearing protection, which we gave out at entry (Figure 26).
Production
Due to budget constraints, we didn’t hire a lighting designer, so I managed lighting myself using prior experience and understanding of the genre (Figure 27). On venue hire, a sound engineer is provided, who was also able to assist with lighting operation if needed.
A one-hour turnaround between events required an efficient setup. With support from the group, all equipment was set up, and we opened the doors on time (Figure 28). During setup, the requested mixer (DJM A9) was unavailable. After checking with all artists, a DJM V10 was used as a replacement (Figure 29).
The final setup included 4x CDJ 3000s, a V10 and a microphone (Figure 30). There were no technical issues throughout the event, and both sound and lighting had no issues.
In future, I should reconfirm technical requirements with the venue closer to the event to prevent last-minute changes. Overall, production was delivered effectively despite the minor hiccup.
Artist Liaison
During the advancing stage, we asked for all contact details and hospitality riders from all artists to ensure their requirements were met (Figure 31). This allowed us to prepare the green room in advance and provide all the requested items.
The day before the show, we created group chats with each artist to keep clear communication regarding arrival times, set times and any needs they might have on the day of the show (Figure 32).
On the night, artists were greeted and taken to the green room where their riders were prepared (Figure 33). Most artists arrived independently without issue.
Feedback from artists at the end of the event was positive, with no issues happening during the night. This indicates the artist liaison process was effective. However, for future events with more staff, assigning a dedicated liaison to each artist would maximise response time.
Stage Management
Stage management was handled by a dedicated team member responsible for ensuring smooth transitions between artists and keeping to the schedule. This included giving 10-minute warnings before the end of each set and liaising with the sound engineer regarding technical requirements/issues.
This structure allowed the event to run efficiently with all performances starting and ending on time (Figure 34). The consistent communication between the stage manager and production helped minimise disruptions.
In terms of soundcheck, we didn’t have any apart from AJ. who was using a microphone during this set to rap. Doing this made sure that we could get all levels right to avoid any issues during the performance.
Overall, the stage manager was effective in maintaining the flow of the event. However, for future events, using radios could further improve communication and coordination, especially in bigger venues and busier crowds.
Online Marketing
Online marketing was mainly done through Instagram and TikTok, as these platforms are most effective for reaching an audience. Meta ads were also used throughout the campaign, including pre-sale and on-sale ads to help increase visibility (Figure 35).
We did not have a content strategy and instead focused on creating posts that would stick out on social media feeds. We found that TikTok generated the most reach with 25.7K views since 1st February, compared to Instagram at 25.4K views (Figure 36), particularly when using collaboration posts with artists, as this allowed content to be posted to their audience (Figure 37). Static flyer posts were less effective than these.
Finally, we also reached out to Leeds-based magazines to publish our press release in their online magazines (Figure 38). From the many we reached out to, we only had 2 that went through on it. Even though this is a small number, this helps our reach.
Promotion
A range of content was created, including static flyers which we put up around the venue and at the Conservatoire (Figure 44), as well as animated versions to improve engagement, adapted for different platforms. In the final days leading up to the event, we created additional content featuring artists GREENHOUSE and Jae Depz, including venue tours, introductions and Q&A videos (Figure 39). These were created using Adobe software such as Premiere Pro, Photoshop and After Effects (Figure 40). For the other artists who couldn’t make it in person, we asked them to send us a personal shoutout video (Figure 41).
This final content push was particularly effective in increasing engagement and interest in the day leading up to the event. However, marketing output was limited by the limited contributions from the rest of the team, reducing our potential reach. In future, a more planned and coordinated marketing campaign would improve overall performance.
Financial Outcomes
Financially, this event didn’t go as intended. With total costs of £906.21 and revenue of £419.50, the event resulted in a loss of £486.71.
Several factors contributed to this. The decision to host the event mid-week was hoped to reduce venue costs and appeal to a student audience, being the main student night. However, this resulted in direct competition with the two biggest student nights in Leeds, affecting our potential attendance. for a lower venue fee, which we thought would have been better, being a student night. In addition, for our first event, selecting a smaller venue may have reduced financial risk.
In terms of the artist bookings, the headliner did not generate little to no ticket sales, with most tickets coming from personal friends / families. Marketing also had an impact on ticket sales, where Meta ads generated impressions but did not convert to ticket purchases. When booking the artists, we promised every artist a £150 sell-out bonus as an initiative to promote the event as much as possible (Figure 42).
In future, improved audience targeting and stronger use of social media would be required to avoid loss.
Reflection
In terms of strengths as a group, we worked well together, allowing us to make practical and financial decisions efficiently. This helped the event run smoothly on the night and left no artists’ balances unpaid because of disagreement or confusion. The overall branding and content for the event looked polished and professional, adding positively to the brand image.
However, there are definitely clear areas for improvement, particularly in marketing and organisation. The lack of a structured marketing plans and inconsistent effort across the group limited our reach. This had a direct impact on attendance, which contributed to the financial loss we experienced. In future, with better planning and more promotion the turnout and success could have been significantly improved.
Throughout this process, I developed my skills in event management, leadership, budgeting and organisation. I also gained experience in artist booking and contracts, and improved my graphic design.
In future, I would focus on improving communication within the group and ensuring that marketing efforts are consistent and maximised. I would also create a more structured budgeting plan, estimating costs before anything else to reduce the financial loss we experienced.
Conclusion
Overall, the event was successful in terms of organisation and delivery, but didn’t meet financial targets. In my role as project lead, responsible for overseeing everything and making key decisions, I believe I contributed effectively to ensuring the event was organised and executed positively.
The biggest takeaway for me from this experience is the importance of using social media. Consistency is key when posting, as building up a strong algorithm over time can improve overall reach, eventually converting into ticket sales.
If Eclypse Events were to put on another event, I would ensure that social media is used more effectively, as well as stronger planning and budgeting to maximise attendance and reduce financial loss.
Event Evidence Video
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Event Atmosphere
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Box Office
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Security
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As seen in the video above, the security guard is walking around, doing their security rounds around the room.
Health and Safety
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Production
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Artist Liaison
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Stage Management
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Online Marketing
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More than 3 pieces of evidence needed in this section to show a range of marketing and promotional techniques utilised.
Guidance on adding media to show.
Promotional Materials
Please embed your promotion evidence below. This can include posters, flyers, influencer mixes, videos, or any other relevant promotional materials. More than 3 pieces of evidence will be accepted.
Guidance on adding media to show.
Financial Outcomes
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Appendix
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 16
Figure 18
Figure 39
Figure 41
Figure 44
