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FEATURE | ||
Back to Facility Manager
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Facilities have many options when it comes to nabbing the big act. It may “still be rock ‘n roll” to Billy Joel, but for facility managers, the potential surrounding hosting a headliner event would be akin to a small-town talent being selected to appear on American Idol. All told, U.S. concert revenue hit $2.22 billion in 2004, up a tad from 2003, according to industry tracker Billboard. Still a nice chunk of change considering attendance was down about five percent. And for those looking to fill an otherwise empty arena, such an event carries a sweet harmony. “Concerts are fun events and they can be high profile,” says Brad Parsons, president of Arena Network. Based in Los Angeles to tap into the music scene, Arena Network is essentially a lobbying body that works with acts to get them to play member facilities. “All of these people are stars, and people want stars in their market,” he says. “If you have a luxury suite, you expect to see the Lakers or the Celtics play. But you also expect a certain number of high-profile concerts each year. They expect to see Cher.”
Peter Kernan of Pacific Coast Concerts in Malibu, California says music also is a great opportunity to appeal to various interests and attract a diverse crowd. “Concerts can help keep the lights on and also bring in different events to the community,” he says. “When your job is to have a variety of events that appeal to different parts of the community, concerts can be a lucrative way to do so.” Agent Wendy Kay, owner of Mars Talent Agency, concurs. “Concerts of different genres draw people of all ages into the venues,” she says. “Some people are music lovers and not sport lovers. By doing all different concerts, you will draw various types of people.”
Talk, Talk, Talk “Your first line of discussion is with the agents,” says Ed Rubinstein, executive director of the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, SC. “Meet them and start to get to know them so they begin to know your name. Keep the lines of communication open with them.”
“The concert promoter rents the venue and risks the dollars to put on the event. The agent is the artist’s representative and makes commission, not profits. The promoter makes all the profits and also the losses. If the venue works with a promoter, they get a guarantee rental. They make no profits, but they also have no risks. If the venue takes the risk and promotes their own show, they can make considerable dollars, yet possibly lose, also.” Parsons encourages facility managers to talk to anyone and everyone they can in the industry. Attend events, such as South By Southwest in Austin. Meet people at the Concert Industry Consortium. “The short version: talk to everyone,” Parsons says. “The promoters do this for a living and they know what they’re doing. If you know you want a specific act, find out who their agent is and talk to them.” Kay believes hiring an agent is a smart investment. “Find a local promoter or use in house promotions and use a reputable agent for advice. Find a good agent to help book reliable artists,” says Kay. “Most agents make 10 percent. Establishing a loyal, trusting relationship is worth every dime. The venue is a one-time buyer, but an agent like myself buys in bulk and works with all the major agencies for many years and knows pricing and the reliability of the artists.” Another traditional approach is for the facility to work with a promoter who would rent their venue and then host the show, taking on all of the risk. Kernan of Pacific Coast Concerts encourages facility managers to work with both agents and promoters. “The promoter is the buyer of the talent and the agent is the seller of the talent,” he says. “Both are needed to make the world go around and a facility needs both sides, so work with both.” One group to steer clear of, Parsons suggests, are band managers. While they may ultimately approve tour dates and road schedules, they are not the people to approach when you’re hoping to land their show.
Location, Location, Location Most facilities that play this tune do so because they have to do it, not because they want to do it. “Many touring acts will look at the Carolinas – both North and South Carolina – and decide to play two areas, at most,” says Rubinstein, who is one of a handful of facilities aggressive about going after acts and promoting the shows. “That means we are competing with at least six or seven other facilities, some of which are newer, and some of which are larger.
The reality, Rubinstein says, is they end up either promoting or co-promoting anywhere from half to three quarters of the 20 to 25 concerts they host each year.
To Promote, Or Not To Promote “Can you imagine someone offering you that kind of money and you simply blow it off?” he says. “So....I'm a very frustrated independent guy who actually has the real financial resources to sign off on major deals. I'm willing to risk a lot of my personal money to simply bring entertainment out to my part of the country, and yet...somehow that's not enough.” Holland continues to plug away at trying to land a national touring act for his neck of the woods. In the meantime, he’s focusing on smaller names or regional approaches including a six-city tour of Texas with Irish band The Chieftains. “My thinking is to just keep plugging away at the bigger picture while trying to be content and consistent booking the smaller, regional acts that I can approach or call personally and book into small clubs that will work with me,” he says. “It's not much but it's ‘something’ while I continue to try to ‘bust through’ the barriers of the big boys.”
Do Your Homework Kay of Mars Talent Agency suggests learning from the local radio stations. “Find out the music being played and understand their demographics,” Kay says. “If, for example, the oldies radio station is strong, consider hosting an oldies show.” But before committing to the oldies show, make sure you really know your audience, she encourages. Rubinstein concurs. “We only focus on the shows we think will do well in our market,” he says. “We then do a lot of research. We talk to the local radio stations. We talk to the record companies. We probably also will talk to other venues that have hosted that same show, either elsewhere or locally.”
If All Else Fails… As Rubinstein says, “Remember that the amount you’re paying an act is negotiable. It is always negotiable. There is never such a thing as a fixed price.” Rani Cher Monson is a freelance writer in Dallas, TX. |
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2002-2005 International
Association of Assembly Managers |
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Kay
has been in the business since 1972. With offices in New York, Los
Angeles, Cleveland and Florida, her booking agency specializes in
representing and booking artists from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. 
“We
would feel much safer if we were just renting out the building,” he says.
“But that just isn’t the reality. In the secondary markets such as
Greenville, we just don’t have that luxury.” 