Rationale
Overview
In this overview, I will discuss how my group planned for our event at Headrow house on the 10th of March. We initially had a group meeting and discussed our options for the type of event we wanted to host. We considered all the different options but as we are all musicians who perform and regularly go to live music events, we thought that was the best option for us to do. We then considered what type of music we wanted our event to be. One of the people in our group, Leo is in a country band, and he told us that they have an upcoming release. Therefore, we thought doing a country event would be perfect, and after looking into what the other groups where doing a country night was different and would allow us to stand out.
This then led us to research the local scene and identify a good venue for our event. Firstly, we thought about Belgrave music hall, but then realised the footfall of Headrow house and it’s more central location in Leeds would suit our event better. After looking into headrow house, we found they have a very established reputation in the Leeds live music scene, and we believe it is appropriate and strategic choice for a ticketed student facing event. We believe having our event at Headrow house will fit our target audience of 18-25-years-old students, due to it being one of the main student bars in Leeds. We also believe that having Leos band the wranglers, as a headline act would help the success of the event, while also allowing us to showcase up and coming artists Daisy Castello and Murmuration as supports. In our meeting, we also discussed the dates which we could hold our event, we chose March 10th as we thought it would allow students to be back from the xmas holidays and be settled back into the routine of university, and leave us enough time to advertise the event to them. We also believed it would be benefitted to have a mid-week event as these are big student nights there for more footfall for our event and it also kept our venue costs down. So, after a couple of meetings with my group, we decided Headrow house was album. We were told a country event with the wranglers headlining, and our target audience was students.
I will number to the rationale of the event which will critically examine our planning our organisation and execution of our event. I will reference time management, production, our contingency planning, finance and marketing and how we have applied each one within the events plan.
Production
In production I am going to break it down into 4 parts: Technical, Logistical, Hospitality and Health and Safety.
Technical:
For the technical production of the event, we needed the technical specifications for the venue headrow house. So, we could identify what equipment would be available for use on the evening. In the venue hire park it was shown an engineer would be provided and there was an option for a lighting engineer which would have an additional cost.
We also discussed and decided that we would use the in-house sound and lighting systems which meant there would be lower costs and it ensured that the event would run smooth. Using the in-house systems also allows us to work closely with the staff of headrow house which ensures good coordination on how our event will run.
We also then obtained the tech specs for each performer (see in index), and cross referenced them with the venue’s tech specs, doing this allows us to identify any potential problems that may arise and address them well in advance of the event.
As a group we discussed the design of the event space having some suitable, lighting and decoration would create the best atmosphere for our country night.
logistical
Leo and I created the event advance that will be sent to the venue and artists before the gig, in this we structured the load in, soundcheck, and performance time for each band, having this schedule allows us sufficient time of each artist while making it efficient. Changeovers were planned carefully considering any shared equipment and stage layouts that will be used which minimises downtimes between sets. Having this approach ensures a smooth-running event while also keeping the audiences engaged from start to finish.
Due to the event being ticketed, we will speak closely with the front of house staff to make it seamless for the audience’s arrival. I also considered the capacity of the venue and planned times accordingly to avoid congestion, when the audience arrives leaves, and if they go to the bar for a drink.
Hospitality
When planning the hospitality side of the event, we decided to make the decision to scale provisions for the event appropriately, according to the size and the budget of the event. However, we still want to prioritise the artists welfare. We are good play each artist, basic refreshments, such as water and some snacks and there is a designated green room which will be available to each artist before and after the event.
We believe having clear communications with the artist and venue around schedules and expectations from us, and for us form a key part of our hospitality planning as this supports a mutual respect between every party.
As we have emerging performers performing at our event, we wanted to make it as supportive and welcoming for them. However, having extensive hospitality may not be financially viable we want to focus on ensuring that their essential needs are met. This is a common practice within grassroots, live music events as it creates a positive working relationship with artists and event runners.
Health and safety
Health and safety are key in planning a gig, so Katie completed a comprehensive risk assessment in line with legal requirements and the venues policies. She identified potential hazards such as movement of the crowd, any electrical equipment and trip hazards which could be caused by any loose cables. To manage these potential hazards we will implement control measures such as cable management, adhering to the venues capacity limit and we will have clear communication of the emergency procedures that headrow house have. Lorna and Leo have been in communication already with the venues liaison and we will contact them prior to the gig to confirm any evacuation routes, first air provision and the emergency response protocols, doing this will allow us to have a clear understanding of what to do in case of emergency on the night of our event.
By having a clear health and safety plan in all of our production decisions it ensures we meet professional and legal standards for our event. I believe having the mentality of the importance of health and safety shows we understand the duty of care we have toward our artists, staff and audiences throughout the event.
Finance
Our approach to financial planning for our event was based around being realistic as we are university students therefore the budget has to be manageable to reflect the scale of a ticketed event at headrow House.
At the beginning when we were discussing where to hold our event, we had a look at prices of each event space. After looking into headrow we found that the price was from £150-£200 which split between the 6 of us in our group seemed like the best option for what we have in mind. After Lorna spoke with the venue manager and booked our event the price was confirmed at £180, this is our fixed cost for the event. We also looked into the cost of PRS licensing, and we calculated that the price would be £35.28 if we have a sold out audience.
We had a look into the best way to be cost effective with our marketing budget, so we are allocating £50 to Instagram advertising to target the university students based in Leeds, and then £21.32 for posters on the physical promotion side within student-based areas. We then allocated a budget of £50 for miscellaneous needs such as minor unforeseen expenses and beers, water and snacks for the green room for the artists.
We also then looked into a way we could create more revenue on the night. What we have found is for £30.40 we can buy cowboy hats to sell at the evet. If we can sell all of the cowboy hats, we will generate £160 in revenue which will contribute nicely to the overall events finance. We thought it would be the best thing to do as it enhances, he theme of “country” and it would give us more revenue behind just the ticket sales.
We then discussed the best way of selling tickets as this would be our primary revenue stream. We want to make it affordable for our student audience while still making it possible to recover from the cost. We thought the best way of assuring ticket sales was to start with early bird tickets being priced at £5 with 20 tickets available we thought this would help build momentum for the gig. We then decided that standard advance tickets would be priced at £7 with 100 tickets available online. To create a good atmosphere, we are the tickets held for friends and family of the artists which will boost the attendance and maintain the control of the capacity of the venue.
As members of our group have had gigs in Leeds booked out the best way to pay our artists through a split deal with the artists receiving £2.50 per ticket sold, his is based on the 120 tickets which equals a total artist pay-out of £300 split between the three performers. This was Leo’s idea seemed the fairest way to pay the artists and still make money us. This is quite a common practice within grassroots live music promotion.
Overall, our financial plan is realistic and manageable between the six people in our group.
Contingency Planning
I believe it is very important to have a contingency plan for anything going wrong in our event as live performances can be unpredictable and require a proactive approach on risk management. I have identified a range of potential risks and have planned appropriately incase of emergency.
One of the biggest risks if one of the artists cancel or arrive late. As the event relies on upcoming artists we have made sure to have clear communication with all of the artists. We have already sent them the days schedule for load ins, soundchecks, and performances to allow for a smooth run, but incase of lateness which is too long we are able to rearrange the support acts if necessary, and having multiple acts reduces the impact of any one artist being unable to perform.
We also identified technical failure as another big risk, specifically in relation to the sound equipment. To manage this risk, we’ve chosen to work with headrow houses in house set up and technical staff, which reduces the likelihood of any issues as they are used to the technical set up of the venue. We are also ensuring that there are spare microphones, spare cables and spare DI boxes available for the artists in case of emergency. We will also be sending our technical requirements to the venue well before the night of the event to further reduce the risk of any last-minute technical problems.
Another big risk is low ticket sales, particularly as our target audience is university students. To manage this risk, we have decided to base our projection more modestly instead of assuming a sell-out event. We also structured ticket pricing with the use of a cheaper early bird ticket option which will be suited more to students. We are also using targeted Instagram ads to increase our visibility in case the sales are slower than we anticipated. And to support a baseline attendance we are holding a small number of tickets for friends and family.
We also discussed the risk of illness or absence of key personnel of headrow house’s staff members, which could affect the front of house operations on the night of the event. As the event is smaller it allows for flexibility with responsibilities of staff.
Finally, we discussed the risks of the audience such as overcrowding, delays of the entry and incase of bad behaviour. These risks can be maintained through keeping the venue capacity limit, having clear doorways, and being in collaboration with the venue staff who are experienced in managing student events while also having security on the night. We will also have had the run through on the emergency procedures.
Time Management
Effective time management is key to planning professionally and delivering a live music event. We firstly met up to discuss a way of having a structured plan, working backwards from the confirmed event date so we could ensure all the tasks where completed. This let us prioritise the essential steps in our plan.
The first step plan was to secure the venue and confirm the three artists which will be playing. These were first because it allowed us then to plan the marketing, the technical advances and the budget for our event. Once we confirmed the date, March 10th we created a production timeline that outlined the key points, such as when we would begin to market our event and the technical specification deadlines to reduce the risk of last minute issues.
Our marketing plan was carefully made to relate to the student audience we are going for. We are going to begin advertisement six weeks before the gig where we will launch an early bird ticket option which will be cheaper for two weeks or until they sell out. During this time there will be Instagram ads and posters put up around our university and other student areas to boost visibility for the event. By monitoring our ticket sales we will be able to adjust promotional activity strategically to be more efficient.
Time management on the day of the event will be crucial so we have made a precise schedule that I have talked about previously to ensure a smooth-running event. We have made adequate change over times between performances to avoid any delays between performances and to keep the audience engaged throughout.
Marketing and Publicity
Marketing and publicity will be the most essential component of a successful event because of our target students audience.
The main part of our marketing strategy is digital promotion. Our plan is to advertise with a £50 budget on Instagram’s targeted advertisements. We have allocated this money due to the platform being mainly used by university students therefore we can target it to the students based in Leeds as the targeting is based on age, location and interest. We have scheduled the ads weekly from when we launch the event to drive visibility. Doing this we believe we will reach students on a wider network compared to the students our group know.
In adittion to the paid promotion we are all going to advertise the event on our own social media and the artists have been asked to do the same through their own social media platforms, weve chosen to do this as it means there is no further cost and we will benefit from the promotion and increase awareness of our event.
Another way of marketing we have chosen to do is through physical promotion, we will be buying posters for £21.32 and putting them up in our university, other universities and other student areas in Leeds. This way of promotion will increase visibility for the event due to student footfall in those areas.
We have also used a ticketing stratergy as a marketing tool. By using early bird tickets priced lower than our normal ticket price it creates urgency and encourages early commitment from our target audience. This will help generate initial interest as posts on Instagram can be made promoting it and giving a countdown to how many early bird tickets are left.
To strengthen the presentation of our event, we have developed a press kit which includes a press release with artists biographies and photos of each artist performing.
Throughout the marketing campaign we will be monitoring ticket sales and audience engagement to make the best choices for our promotion of our event.
Technical Specifications
Artist Biographies
The Wranglers:
The Wranglers are a 5 piece, independent Country band. They champion showmanship and storytelling, inviting the audience into their world of freedom, heart and belief.
Their songs are shaped from a lifetime of loving music. They bring the energy of the 80s, inspired by legends like Bruce Springsteen, Journey and
Foreigner, while incorporating modern Country from Luke Combs, The Shires and Lady A.
While only forming in April 2024, The Wranglers have already made waves in the UK Country scene, rallying a small but dedicated following and performing at some of the UKs best upcoming Country venues like Lil’ Nashville in London, and The Long Road Festival.
Expect audience participation and a powerful, mesmerising performance.
Murmuration:
Mumuration are a new indie/folk act led by Adam Scott and Loola. Their honest and vivid lyrics are crafted to make you think, booming into the Leeds music scene in just two years murmuration have made a name for themselves at music venues such as Hyde park book club and the sound of Scarborough festival.
Daisy Casellaro:
Daisy Castellaro is a folk-inspired singer-songwriter based in Leeds who, with the help of her guitarist and co-writer Greyson Cadman, creates complex harmonies and emotional lyricism designed to capture, not only her own, but also the experiences of the listener. Influenced by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy Mcapline and Sam Fender, she conveys deep emotion through her songs and their intricate melodies, whilst creating a feel of relatability in all of her live performances.
Artist HD Photographs
Replace these with your own HD photographs, minimum of 3.
