How To Organize A Performance Or A Live Music Gathering – The Budget

Three times in the final month I’ve been asked the question, “what do I need to do to organize a gig?” In reality, when this question is asked it can mean a few things: How do I find a Club? How do I sort out the PA? How do I get an fans? And so on.

But there is a stage before all of this: the budget. I would suggest that the moment you start thinking about organizing an get together you should write a budget. This budget spreadsheet informs you of most things that you’ll need to contemplate and will likewise demonstrate for you the risk, projected profit and the breakeven point. A sample spreadshhet is available to download from this address http://www.josaka.com/features/2005/Organize-A-Gig/Event-PandL.pdf

If the budget numbers don’t look like they are working perhaps the get together is not the right thing to be running. If you don’t like the level of risk, perhaps you aren’t cut out to be a  promoter.

So the start point is a spreadsheet. This should include all expenses and all incomes. The key headings for expenses should include: performer cost, PA, lighting, Venue hire, marketing, box office expenses etc. The income is prefer ly to be largely ticket sales but do not forget the opening  to add a sponsor to the event.

The spreadsheet will advocate you work out the breakeven point for the gathering i.e. how a lot of tickets you need to sell to cover all expenses. Every sale beyond breakeven is of course profit (exluding any box office commision). The added bonus of creating an gathering spreadsheet is that advocates define all the key tasks to be performed.

The realisation of the forecasted numbers developing into actual figures suggests that all parties have got the deal they were looking for or agreed to. The sample speadsheet additionally illustrates that anybody at all else involved in the performance is largely earning a fixed fee and as a result the only individual taking a financial risk is the  promoter.

So if you’re thinking of organizing a live gathering I coomed you to work on the numbers first. This will advocate ensure you deliver a excellent show and have control over the resources.