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Author Topic: Small Venue - common merchants - providing event production - pricing?  (Read 984 times)

Ed Taylor

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Hi All

will be meeting next week with a growing merchant venue..funds come from the common shops around the outdoor square.

typical small town - tables, etc.

they are planning to build a stage (stage only)
I've been asked to consult and possibly be the in-house production resource.

'acts' range from a Home n Garden talking head demonstrating gardening or cooking, to duo on stools, to full bands.

my pitch so far has been to 'always' have a single source in charge of production.

my reasoning has been that guitar dude on stool might bring in a ragged little amp that can't cover the outdoor area, sounds bad, looks bad, or a full band might roll in with so much PA that it's blowing the partrons away and they don't stick around to spend more money.

I'll hardwire some basic DMX for stage wash with a quick connect to a modest controller.
I may fly a couple speakers, but I tend to want to own all the gear so that they don't bump me out and let someone else come and run the "house" system.
talking heads might only need a couple Bose L1 type rigs,  while music will call for full system, but again, it'd be under my control on volume.
All acts will have advance comms with me so I can be sure they have what they need.

budget is of course the big topic as merchants are coming out of covid lockdowns.

I've already got 2 venues that are building their calendars for me to provide low-key DJ/MC type work. I've already got agreement and dates for small DJ work like this...at $350/3hrs..no stress type thing.

All this is to ask for input on pricing from you...they have to pay the acts, so I'm overhead that I'm having to upsell, I can't price myself out of them just having the acts provide their own audio.

So while I'm selling "consistency of excellence"  it needs to be affordable.

input appreciated

Ed
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Rick Powell

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Hi All

will be meeting next week with a growing merchant venue..funds come from the common shops around the outdoor square.

typical small town - tables, etc.

they are planning to build a stage (stage only)
I've been asked to consult and possibly be the in-house production resource.

'acts' range from a Home n Garden talking head demonstrating gardening or cooking, to duo on stools, to full bands.

my pitch so far has been to 'always' have a single source in charge of production.

my reasoning has been that guitar dude on stool might bring in a ragged little amp that can't cover the outdoor area, sounds bad, looks bad, or a full band might roll in with so much PA that it's blowing the partrons away and they don't stick around to spend more money.

I'll hardwire some basic DMX for stage wash with a quick connect to a modest controller.
I may fly a couple speakers, but I tend to want to own all the gear so that they don't bump me out and let someone else come and run the "house" system.
talking heads might only need a couple Bose L1 type rigs,  while music will call for full system, but again, it'd be under my control on volume.
All acts will have advance comms with me so I can be sure they have what they need.

budget is of course the big topic as merchants are coming out of covid lockdowns.

I've already got 2 venues that are building their calendars for me to provide low-key DJ/MC type work. I've already got agreement and dates for small DJ work like this...at $350/3hrs..no stress type thing.

All this is to ask for input on pricing from you...they have to pay the acts, so I'm overhead that I'm having to upsell, I can't price myself out of them just having the acts provide their own audio.

So while I'm selling "consistency of excellence"  it needs to be affordable.

input appreciated

Ed

I guess this is one of those "market value" propositions. Would you need to set up and tear down everything every performance or would this be a leave-in-place system? Would the venue own the system or would you? Set up and tear down is what half our work is, a walk up on a house system where all you are doing is running a few mic cables and stands to set up usually cuts the price in half or more. Other than that, it's just the value of your time and what you want to recoup out of your equipment, if its yours, and keeping everything in a state of good repair. It's gotta be worth your time to you, as well as worth their money to them.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2021, 10:33:02 PM by Rick Powell »
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Ed Taylor

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first off Rick...thank you for the reply...176 views and I was starting to feel REALLY LONELY!  (grin).

and the perm install will be part of the conversation. I can imagine that the venue will be willing to pay for a few hung speakers, as many of the shows might not need subs, just good coverage. That would mean rolling in with one of my mixers, pulling a small cable/mic box..worst case I would also leave a couple small monitor wedges on site in storage..so , yeah, small stuff,  I'm looking at rolling in for a 3 hr window on a weekday evening for $350 which would include up front communications with the talent to make sure everything is on hand.
The larger weekends (holidays etc) would warrant a full band, and I'd be more along the lines of $800...which is half my normal cost, but this would be as a compromise for getting all the venue's work..so across a whole season I'd have a decent bit of earnings.

anything more than that on cost and I'm really competing with the talent bringing their own stuff and the venue not worrying about the consistent quality, etc...so there is a value to me taking the headaches away from the venue manager, and it'll be budget minded all around...lot of shops struggling to get back to work...this will be a longer term partnership.
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Rick Powell

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first off Rick...thank you for the reply...176 views and I was starting to feel REALLY LONELY!  (grin).

and the perm install will be part of the conversation. I can imagine that the venue will be willing to pay for a few hung speakers, as many of the shows might not need subs, just good coverage. That would mean rolling in with one of my mixers, pulling a small cable/mic box..worst case I would also leave a couple small monitor wedges on site in storage..so , yeah, small stuff,  I'm looking at rolling in for a 3 hr window on a weekday evening for $350 which would include up front communications with the talent to make sure everything is on hand.
The larger weekends (holidays etc) would warrant a full band, and I'd be more along the lines of $800...which is half my normal cost, but this would be as a compromise for getting all the venue's work..so across a whole season I'd have a decent bit of earnings.

anything more than that on cost and I'm really competing with the talent bringing their own stuff and the venue not worrying about the consistent quality, etc...so there is a value to me taking the headaches away from the venue manager, and it'll be budget minded all around...lot of shops struggling to get back to work...this will be a longer term partnership.

I dunno, doing a light duty roll-in and mix for a singles/duo act for $350 and a more heavy duty roll-in and mix for a full band for $800 (3 hours plus set up and tear down for each) won't make you rich, but a lot of people would've killed to get a gig like that in 2020. If it's a guaranteed season of work, even more attractive.
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