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Author Topic: Benefit shows  (Read 20538 times)

Bill Schnake

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #20 on: January 13, 2014, 03:37:10 PM »


Having a personal connection to the 'cause' is enough justification to provide a service on whatever terms you want. :)

I'm with Tim on this one, no big surprise at that.  The personal connection makes a difference.  We do 3 freebies a year all because of a personal connection to the causes the events support.

Bill
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Bill Schnake

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Patrick Tracy

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #21 on: January 13, 2014, 03:52:09 PM »

How do you all approach a request for sound for a benefit show?  Do you offer them a deal, do you ask for price with some of it going back to the benefit, etc.  Just looking at tips for when you're asked, especially when they ask you to do it for free...

"Get a corporate sponsor to cover the cost of production. Credit them in the posters, let them hang some banners or whatever. I have to buy gas, food, cables, gaff tape, batteries etc., and schedule some prep and recovery time (for me and the gear) during which I won't be making money on something else."

g'bye, Dick Rees

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #22 on: January 13, 2014, 04:00:09 PM »

"Get a corporate sponsor to cover the cost of production."

Yupper.
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Jason Lavoie

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #23 on: January 13, 2014, 04:59:01 PM »

"Get a corporate sponsor to cover the cost of production. Credit them in the posters, let them hang some banners or whatever. I have to buy gas, food, cables, gaff tape, batteries etc., and schedule some prep and recovery time (for me and the gear) during which I won't be making money on something else."

YES!

however, the event planners who are smart enough to do this are the same ones who are smart enough not to even ask for free services.

When someone asks you to work for free simply because they didn't budget for it I find that insulting
If only I could pull that at the store.. "my TV broke and I'm out of money and the kids can't watch cartoons, can I have one for free? and can you deliver and install it for free too?.. no? but think of the kids!"

Jason
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Spenser Hamilton

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #24 on: January 13, 2014, 05:32:06 PM »

How do you all approach a request for sound for a benefit show?  Do you offer them a deal, do you ask for price with some of it going back to the benefit, etc.  Just looking at tips for when you're asked, especially when they ask you to do it for free...

I'll donate any amount of gear/labour to any cause...

...if they donate an appropriate amount back into my "keep a roof over my kid's head" charity.
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Mike Monte

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #25 on: January 13, 2014, 05:40:22 PM »

YES!

however, the event planners who are smart enough to do this are the same ones who are smart enough not to even ask for free services.

When someone asks you to work for free simply because they didn't budget for it I find that insulting
If only I could pull that at the store.. "my TV broke and I'm out of money and the kids can't watch cartoons, can I have one for free? and can you deliver and install it for free too?.. no? but think of the kids!"

Jason

I think that I have posted a response that is similar to this one at another time:
Every year I am approached several times to donate my sound production for different causes....all of which are admirable. 
This past summer I was approached to donate my production services for a town-wide event at the waterfront.  "Everyone is donating their services, yada yada yada...."
I told them that I would gladly donate my time if someone (other than me) supplied the gear.  I gave the person-in-charge a list of gear (everything from racks/stacks to mics/cables, power cords, yes; everything) to procure and have delivered to the stage at 7:00am.  I would set it all up, tech the stage for the day/evening and pack it all up by 10:00pm for pickup.  I gave him a few rental houses to call.

The person-in-charge almost had a heart-attack when he found out how much the gear would be to rent/deliver/pick-up.
I was then asked how much it would cost to rent my gear = score!

I have no problem donating my time for a worthy cause but gear costs money...

Mike M
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Rob Spence

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #26 on: January 13, 2014, 06:31:46 PM »

I do one freebie fundraiser each year. Same one. I do it because it is directly helping kids with challenges and is run by some of my oldest and dearest friends.

All else gets a quote.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
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Ray Aberle

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #27 on: January 14, 2014, 12:19:52 AM »

I think that I have posted a response that is similar to this one at another time:
Every year I am approached several times to donate my sound production for different causes....all of which are admirable. 
This past summer I was approached to donate my production services for a town-wide event at the waterfront.  "Everyone is donating their services, yada yada yada...."
I told them that I would gladly donate my time if someone (other than me) supplied the gear.  I gave the person-in-charge a list of gear (everything from racks/stacks to mics/cables, power cords, yes; everything) to procure and have delivered to the stage at 7:00am.  I would set it all up, tech the stage for the day/evening and pack it all up by 10:00pm for pickup.  I gave him a few rental houses to call.

The person-in-charge almost had a heart-attack when he found out how much the gear would be to rent/deliver/pick-up.
I was then asked how much it would cost to rent my gear = score!

I have no problem donating my time for a worthy cause but gear costs money...

Mike M
This is a super smart way to handle it. I have had the problem (?) over the past few years where I have provided a varying level of "community sponsorship discount" on the gear rental, and now that my business is growing, and I (finally!!) need to start paying the bills with this (left the day job for good yesterday, woo hoo!), I am trying to slowly weed those discounts out. One client I did last year, since it was their first time working with a pro production company, I gave them this year's CS discount last year, to help soften the blow. Now this year's invoice is $600 more then last years. Haha.

I have a lot of events that are looking for reduced rates, and as a lot of other people have pointed out, the other vendors involved are getting paid, why should I be the exception? The trick is to work with the client, and help them to recognize the value of production services. There's a big difference, after all, between JoeSchmoDJ with his EON15s and my flown VRX rig with LS9... I had the CEO of one company (Arthritis Foundation) look at what we were providing (2 VRX per side flown on truss/ST180 lifts, 2 VRX918s per side, plus a generator, cable ramps, good wireless, etc) versus what he was used to (Aforementioned DJs with cute little speakers on stands) and totally got it, that the increased rate was worth it.

The key is getting the clients/organizers to realise a) the service needs to be paid for and b) a great sound/lighting/video/etc setup is going to bring them more money in the future as their participants/vendors/sponsors see them as a much "bigger deal" then they are with cute-lil-dj playing his tunes.

Edjumacation.

-Ray
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Tom Roche

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #28 on: January 14, 2014, 01:53:44 AM »

I won't work for free.  Been there and done that ... about 4 years worth doing benefit shows, CD release parties, comedy troupes, and even prominent Contemporary Christian touring acts.  All uncompensated.  It served a purpose for a period in my life, but my time is too valuable now.
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Lyle Williams

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Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #29 on: January 14, 2014, 04:00:39 AM »

Seeing 500 people listening to a couple of speakers on sticks is not as sad as seeing 20 people in front of a monster array.  Sometimes people get sold too much rig for a gig, and then benefit of the benefit evaporates.
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Benefit shows
« Reply #29 on: January 14, 2014, 04:00:39 AM »


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