PLEASE NOTE: MOST OF THE MONETARY AMOUNTS LISTED IN THE SKETCH BELOW ARE VERY INACCURATE IN 1997 DOLLARS. THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BEFORE THE ASTRONOMICAL RISE OF DJ AND PERFORMER FEES WHICH HAS RESULTED IN EVENTS WHICH REGULARLY COST $20 AND MORE. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT GOOD EVENTS ARE IMPOSSIBLE--YOU JUST HAVE TO BUILD FROM THE GROUND UP, WITH PEOPLE WHO CARE. From eluna@coil.com Date: Wed, 3 Jul 1996 08:24:10 -0400 (EDT) From: eluna To: mwraves Subject: promotional tactics (1st sketch) i'm glad the issue of promotion has come up, as i have a few things to say on the matter. i am by no means an expert nor am i very good at it, in fact i can be _very_ un-businesslike in my dealings because i think a lot of that shit is just not "me." in my case i do events for the music and to promote a certain mind-set which i could discuss at length but i wont because you'll get the just of it by the end of this post. strangely enough this also coincides with ideas i had planned to write about in my next article in MASSIVE. how convenient!! :) [sorry for the length and disorganization] ** promotion! how the hell do you get started? well for one thing if you think for one moment that you're going to make a dime doing it, please stop reading this now and _never throw an event_. not that it's bad in my opinion to want some recompense for effort involved, but it's a pretty simple equation: you simply cant make consistent money on throwing raves without a long track record and some serious infrastructure (ie, your own DJs, sound, lights, space, etc), unless you sell drugs (in which case you're often contributing to the long-term degradation of the very scene you are supposedly trying to build). at this point, there's just not enough ravers (outside of the really bug cities/scenes) to support a big event every week. simple math. also, the scene is ever-changing. you would think that because i'm part of ele_mental, with our long-ass track record of cheap, free, and some bigger events, that that would mean something...that we can expect a certain amount of people to show up at our events. wrong. the percentage of people who even remeber our last party, or who even knew a certain event was "an ele_mental joint" or whatever, is probably far less than 50%. i dont mean to say that people dont know about us, as surely many people do, but knowing us and supporting is another thing. knowing about a promoter does not translate to attendance. so forget this money-making thing. now, keep in mind that the following advice is coming from me, and i appreciate smaller, cheaper, more streamlined events that speak for something...not just parties. yuck. general concerns: space: i should say that before you even plan your event you damn well better have a space ready to go! i am speaking somewhat hypocritically here because it's come down to the wire with us many a time, but trust me the last thing you want to do is run around at the last minute trying to find a place to house 500 people. NOT FUN. promotion: the actual act of promoting is a dreadful one. putting your heart and soul into an event that people give you lackadasical response to is every promoter's reality. nowadays there's simply too much going on. that's why so many of our events are on fridays, unless we've really planned a big saturday party that we feel will push competitors to choose other days. but be aware that most promoters are not going to care about your event, in fact some of them are malicious about it or will disregard you altogether. now, sometimes it's ok. if your event is a small one and someone in the next city over decides it's ok to do a small event too, then dont pull out the guns over that. but when you've announced your event for 4 months and then someone comes along at the last minute and does a huge party close to you, you better learn to live with it. capitalism sucks and i try my best to steer away from that mindset because i dont personally want to compete and i couldnt even if i tried. basically the trick to promotion, in my experience, is a combination of things. one important factor is the flyer. it's got to be easily-accessible or pretty enough for people to want to read later. i cant believe some of the butt-ass flyers i've seen around here. man, that makes me want to throw that flyer away as soon as i've gotten it, no matter who's spinning. another important factor is the lineup, although i think this is a slightly overstated concern. a lot of ravers really have no idea who's who, as long as it's some name they kind of recognize. but it's nice to present a certain lineup that reflects your own personal taste, there are some people who will notice the effort made in compiling a good lineup. the final and probably the most important factor is to make sure your flyer is seen! this means have it out two weeks or more before the event. but out where? well, for a small event it's probably only important to cover your local area and a couple nearby cities. find the record stores or wherever ravers congregate and make sure your flyer gets there or is taken there for people to see. make sure your flyer is available at area parties near you, and of course set some down wherever you can in your own hometown, do some footwork and tell people about it as often as you can, especially the week of the event. for bigger parties, expand your network of friends further out, mail flyers to record stores in further cities, etc. the bigger the event, the bigger the radius of people you'll have to let know. also: be reachable! a reliable voicemail is a must, often costs less than $10 a month. being on the net helps a little too, i think the mw-raves calendar is accessed pretty often and printed in its entirety sometimes. if you dont have access then have someone post it, this'll help you "claim" your date or at least let people know it's even happening. general suggestion: keep it small. the smaller your event is, the easier it is to manage (especially if it is your first), the less there is to lose, the easier it is to recoup your losses. and if your first event succeeeds (or even if it doesnt) you'll have a much better idea how to manage a bigger event. [by small i mean 300 people or less, roughly, but generally i mean 200 ppl or less. if you are bound and determined to do a bigger event, you better do some serious research. i'll try to point to some directions below...] disclaimer: this outline is intended as a guideline only, as there are many ways to apporoach event-throwing. this is only one of them. also, any encouragement to lawbreaking is done with only the most altruistic notions in mind (i can back that up, really i can). i won't even talk about the renegade party which is just breaking into a warerhouse or just setting up a generator in the middle of a field or somewhere... small event (100-300 ppl): + space: for this kind of event the best places to ask are cafes, art galleries, park lodges, and a whole host of smaller spaces. depending on the place you approach, make it sound somewhat artsy-fartsy or call it an after-hours, not a rave. some cafe owners are probably willing to rent their space for afterhours events, and this wont cost much at all. park lodges often have time restrictions but i cant say this for every area. also, a good thing to tell space owners is that there will be NO ALCOHOL at the event, and their eyes often light right up because then they cant really get in trouble (more on alcohol later). cost of space: $100-$400 + permits and security: the added advantages of these smaller events is that you will probably be able to get away without needing insurance, permits, or security of any kind except whomever you bring. find some friends who will be willing to "be responsible" if the time comes. this means people you can trust who can work the door for you, keep people coralled in the proper areas, and help you should some serious crisis arise. cost of security: free or almost nothing + DJs: with an event this size it's wise not to bring in too many "big names," but on the other hand you want people to come so maybe one or two is ok. but small events are also a great way to let local talent shine, and to address political issues. by this i mean, get people from other crus to spin, if you feel they havent gotten their due. or ask all of your cru to spin if you feel they havent gotten their due. etc. cost of DJs: DJs are worth the amount of estimated people they will bring into your event. if you are asking friends or locals to spin, tell them you are just starting or explain that you are not in it for the money. if your friends dont understand that, they're not your friends. if anyone (especially a local) charges you more than $200 you dont need them that bad, they'll end up costing you more than they're worth. at most of my smaller events, no ele_mental has gotten paid, even live acts sometimes. why? because they know the situation. they're doing it to play their music to an appreciative audience, and they appreciate the effort i put into making that environment possible. they also know that any money i make will go back to them or back into the next event. another good way to alleviate the money intensity is to ask newer DJs from close-by cities to spin, promise them gas money and a little more... lots of people are willing to do this! this ensures diverity, and a more well-rounded lineup that will appeal to people from near and far. and again, this is not a seal of approval to take advantage of people, but if they are willing to work for you you should be able to offer them something. all you have to do is ask. we've even had some "big names" come and spin for us for free or close-to-nothing, because THEY GET IT. anyway, for the sake of argument, let's set aside $250 for DJ expenses. + sound: this size of event requires very little sound, 4 large speakers at the most. anything more than that will drown everyone out. also, either find out yourself about the ins and outs of sound, or find a friend who does, because that will save you oodles of time. for example, DJs need a good monitor, often to the right of the tables. it needs to be loud but not overwhelming because then they cant hear what's going on inside their headphones to cue up the next record (and if _that_ sounds like gibberish, you _really_ need to do your research or find someone else to take care of it). take stock of where power is available and be prepared to run long cords to it if necessary, and BRING CHEATERS!! ;) now, as to where to get the sound and DJ equipment... first of all, again look to your most important source: friends. and i dont mean you should become friends with people just because they own equipment, if you do that yer a piece of shit so stop reading this now you should not be throwing parties. i mean FRIENDS, people who will trust you with their stuff. this includes tables and the smaller speakers for the monitor, usually, but sometimes friends might have bigger stuff to loan out. work some kind of reasonable deal with them. in my case i take advantage of a friend or two who have good loud speakers, they have been EXTREMELY generous with them but i also try to give them what i can even if i only break even. wear and tear is a bitch. there are other ways of doing business, tho...it'll be a little more expensive but it'll probably sound awfully good if you talk to the right people. if there are any sound companies that you know have done raves before, call them, explain the situation, there's usually good deals to be made. if you're starting from scratch, try calling some of those cheesy music places...like places that sell guitars and amps and stuff, they can often let go of a couple big speakers for a night rental, altho you'll have to find a way of transporting them yourself (friends again...). price: $0-$200 + flyers: the trick here is to go with simple designs, done by you or someone close to you, and swing em off to some cheap printer or even kinko's (especially if you have a FRIEND that works there *wink wink*). you can do a lot with very little. if you want to pay for the luxury of full-color flyers, go for it. but be aware that that will cut into any potential for profit or even breaking even. seems silly that at the end of the night you'll be broke just because you wanted a really "nice" flyer. the reality is, you can do just as much with a well-designed flyer that is cheap to produce. another trick: buy your own paper. it's almost always going to cut the price, and you'll have even more creative control that way. only thing is, tho, talk to the printer before you do that to make sure it can be run on their press or whaterver other specs... price: $0-$200 + lighting: well i think lighting for a party this small is kind of silly, but it can easily be covered by a few strobes and/or really basic stuff. you can buy some of this stuff, which is cool because if you buy it once you can use it again and again and again ;) price: $50 and upwards total for small event: $750 reasonable minimum, $1200 reasonable maximum. reasonable cover charge: $5 x 150 ppl covers $750 $8 x 150 ppl covers $1200 note: as a general rule, set your budget to no more than 2/3 of the amount of expected attendees. that way if only 100 people come you'll be more prepared than if your budget was targeting say 250 people. in other words BE PESSIMISTIC!! medium event (300-600 ppl): + space: there are a good amount of spaces that are perfectly appropriate for this size event too. try roller-skating rinks, ymcas, skate parks, and obviously lofts and warehouses. when approaching these people pretty much do it the same way as a smaller event, but try and sound especially responsible, mention any security arrangements you've got in mind and again make sure to mention that there will be no alcohol (these will alleviate any wariness on the part of a space owner). if they want insurance, there is insurance available for around $200-$300 a day for such things, but i have never had to do this (luckily). it is an option, however, so offer it to space owners as something you're willing to do if necessary. realistic cost of space: $400-$1000 + security: my main source of security has been off-duty police officers. this virtually ensures there being no bust, and they are rarely concerned with drug use, they are more concerened with violence and alcohol consumption. i must add that i am speaking strictly about columbus ohio; i know there are police departments throughout the midwest who would be unwilling to allow this, but my suggestion is to talk to some officer you know or befriend one really quick, if they understand your good intentions i'm sure there's a lot of strings that can be pulled and information shared which will prevent the nightmare chicago-style swat-team scene. other securtiy options include hiring real security people, or even barbacks from local bars (ask around, some of them guys love techno). i cant stress how important it is to make sure security is covered somehow. when you get more than 300 people in one place, really shitty things can happen. but if you have 4-6 big people there who know how to handle crowds, that's one less thing you have to stress about. mike brown made an important suggestion which i, curiously, had never thought of. he suggested having an EMT or some medical personnel available at the event. this is up to you, but i do know that several events have been busted because of one person's irresponsibility or allergic reaction to a certain substance. with an EMT right at the space, you can hopefully save this person's life, and hopefully save the party if you can as well (i dont mean to sound flippant here). short of this, at least make note of where the nearest phone is and be ready to call 911 at a moment's notice and prepare to get busted. as far as permits, this is the sketchiest issue of all. every city and state has different laws regarding curfews, sound, dancing past certain hours, permitted occupancy, improper use of a space etc. my suggestion is to have someone look into these laws, even consult a lawyer (it'll pay for itself). i'm only saying that you should know the laws (if even only vaguely) so you'll know how to get around them or appease them minimally. for example, in columbus, there's a law stating that there is no dancing permitted after 2.30 AM. the law is supposed to apply only when related to alcohol, but it could be enforced if up to a police officer's discretion. this is yet another advantage to hiring a cop ;). there are ways around this, too, tho...like calling it a "private party," or other ways which are more creative. just be prepared to answer to these laws and be prepared to be prosecuted if you're violating any. but regarding specific permits, we have yet to need them. this doesnt mean YOU wont, but you'll have to look that up on your own. sound is a problem, especially when houses are nearby, but again there are ways of addressing this. one radical notion is to plan ahead and meet the neighbors and tell them that for one night (and one night only) there will be pounding music next door. also, having a police officer present is handy yet again, because, at the very first noise complaint, the officer present can take care of the problem without any new officers being called in. at that point, simply turn it down to the level requested, even if it's softer than cotton. better a quiet party than no party, i say. soundproofing/muffling can also help. find some massive junk carpets and line the walls closest to vulnerable areas, and other nonsense like that. in other words get a lot of friends involved and do a lot of preparing. cost of security: $200-$300 medical personnel: ?? permits: none + DJs: now is when you can bring in more headliners. but my suggestion again is to be rather conservative. find a couple people you really like, call them and confirm, giving them contracts if they ask for them, make travel arrangements, etc. but don't go hog wild unless you are pretty confident that they will pay for themselves. again, a DJ is only worth the number of estimated people they will bring to an event. if you think their estimate is high, talk them down or let them go. and as with the small event, find some locals and people from nearby who will spin for gas money again, and give them more if things work out to your favor. let's set aside at least $500 for DJs. + sound: should obviously be bigger, so this is where you may have to go for a real sound company. there are usually some locally, people used to doing concerts and the like, but they might not know exactly what is up with raves so be pretty specific. the other option is to go all out and get some nice sound from a reputable mw sound company like maxximum, thundersound, thunder & lighting, etc etc. the bigger the event the hairier it gets, tho, as you're noticing. cost of sound: $400-$600 + flyers: can more elaborate, but you can still do em or have a friend do em. move up to 2 colors if you're feeling frisky. the basic point, again, is that you dont need a zillion fractals to get people's attention. a small, well-designed flyer with an eye-catching graphic element is just as effective as the crazy colorful shit. not always (it's hard to compete with die cut hearts and poster-sized flyers) but that's ok. enough people will still pick up your flyer, even if it's 4th or 5th down the line. + lighting: again, i feel that lighting is somewhat optional or it can be really minimal, because 99% of people go to events for drugs, music, and to socialize...not for lights. lights can be awesome but they're not missed _too_ terribly when absent. a few strobes and colorful little stuff can be enough. but let's say you want to rent some basic roboscans or whatever, let's assume that'll be about $200. total: $2000 minimum reasonable cover charge: $7 x 285 people = $2000 $12 x 166 people = $2000 the next two are just exponential magnifications of the above. the main headache becomes DJ expenses, especially for the really big names. large event (600-1200 ppl): space: $1000-$2000 security: $500 DJs: $1000 sound: $1000 flyers: $700 lighting: $500 total: about $5000 reasonable cover charge: $10 x 500 ppl = $5000 $20 x 250 ppl = $5000 mega-rave (1200-?): space: $1000-$3000 security: $700 DJs: a lot! sound: a lot! flyers: a lot! lighting: a lot! total: $10000 minimum cover charge: $15-$30 etc etc okay i hope you get the picture now. the bigger the event, the bigger the risk. i wish i had a little more time to flesh this out, but for now it stands as my own first attempt at a "handbook for event-throwing." sorry if it incomplete, i dont know everything, damn it. and there's a lot of political issues i am not touching yet, but suffice to say that in some rather tame and non-threatening ways, the temporary autonomous zone which is the rave, can be a powerful political tool. ok, ok, enough already. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ++ e d