5 steps new promoters need to get right (with PRS Foundation)

Event promoting is risky business. Even the most seasoned promoters often run their events on a financial knife edge. Getting started as a promoter can be daunting and overwhelming.

But there’s so much to be gained from launching your own party, and local scenes need more investment. Ben Price is Grants and Programmes Manager for the Early Career Promoter Fund at @prsfoundation. If you’re a fledgling party promoter, or interested to know what goes on behind the scenes of getting parties up and running, here’s what it takes to make a new party successful…

DO YOUR RESEARCH
Think about your experience of events that you’ve liked and what you liked about them, and build your night in that sense. This also involves checking out any competitive events, canvassing people in your area and curating something that caters to them. Understanding your audience is vital.

BUDGETING & FINANCE
Get yourself up to speed on the different deal types that exist and different ways of doing shows. Learn about cash flow and how to manage the finance for your show because it can be a complicated process. Doing your due diligence on the financial basics is key when first starting.

DEVELOPING YOURSELF
Besides developing your event, working on yourself is vital. Networking, going to conferences, identifying skills gaps, taking a course, finding a mentor; all these things will help you be better at what you do, benefitting the event itself in the long run.

MARKETING
Social media marketing can be a minefield, but it’s necessary and can pay off with the right targeting. Similarly, having a good run up to promote the event and perhaps engaging with people who will be useful in spreading the word can also do wonders for selling tickets.

MOTIVATION & INTENTION
Think about your ‘Why’. What do you want to achieve? Why are you doing this event? Is it a side hustle or do you want to make it a full-time career? Take time to consider your intention and motivation. Once you have those cemented, you have a strong ethos to guide you.