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Gerry Walkowski Inner circle 1450 Posts |
The more I try and branch out to book festival type shows in the Mid-Atlantic region here in the US, I’m surprised that many (not all) are on such tight budgets that they’re not willing to spend $500 or more for a children’s entertainer to provide several shows throughout the day at their event.
Lately, it seems like I’m pulling teeth to get fairly large size festival groups - that are expecting crowds in the 10,000 – 100,000 range – that will actually spend decent money for entertainment. One festival group told me they are now being charged such high fees for clean-up and police, that they’re being forced to count pennies everywhere. I’m curious to know if others are experiencing the same problem. Please note I AM NOT talking about fairs which I think will usually spend more money for good acts. I’m also not talking about those situations whereby you’re allowed to set up a booth and pitch items which, in a way, offset any fee you would have received from doing your regular act. Any thoughts on this? Gerry |
Alan Munro Inner circle Kentwood, Michigan, USA 5952 Posts |
I do a stripped down show when a large budget isn't there. I don't get calls for festivals, though. If you can't cut costs any further, maybe the market isn't worth pursuing.
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Regan Inner circle U.S.A. 5726 Posts |
I just found out that a major sponsor pulled out of a festival where I perform at each year. I was told they contributed about 30% of all sponsor donations, so it really hurt the festival operators. They are trying to find mors sponsors to make up some of the donations thay will miss this year. I guess many are on a tighter budget these days. I think a lot of sponsor moneys were diverted toward hurricane Katrina, and there is always only so much they are going to give out. I am sure they have more requests for donations than money they are going to give. Figuring out how to distribute that money is probably a daughting task.
Regan
Mister Mystery
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Bill Nuvo Inner circle 3094 Posts or 2742 Posts |
As a festival organizer myself I can say from my experience...
We always had to count pennies. We were a winter festival committee of all volunteers. None of us got paid to put on the four-seven day festival. Sponsors and money is always a big issue. When a major sponsor pulls out or drops down to a lower level it is quite stressful to get more sponsors to fill in the gap. We came up with some good ways to make the festival a success. We asked various community groups if they would like to add an event. We had a church put on an excellent puppet show (was a non-denominational show teaching standard right and wrongs). They were very popular and we have had them 4 years in a row. The Optimist club puts on a Hawaiin Luau dance with DJs and Bands. The local "Active Living" group puts on healthy activities like obstacle courses and games to keep in touch with their mission statement. Various businesses put on events to promote their business (McDonalds gives us toys to place into iceblocks to hand out as prizes, Tim Horton's provides free timbits and an inflatable hockey shootout game). My own company donates carnival games to be played. The majority of our budget goes to IceCultures (they make ice sculptures and an ice maze). It costs around 10,000. Another big bit goes to advertising. And then another goes to entertainment. And then another bit goes to festival needs (portapotty, stands, signage...). The problem with most festivals is that it is volunteers running the show. This can cause a lack of motivation is some people after a while. When that happens, funds have a tendacy to go down. It is also tough to convince potential sponsors and previous ones of donations being worth their while. With our festival, I obviously helped out by getting entertainment. Some were expensive and other were not. But I made sure that the act was good. Our theme each year was different and so the entertainment/attraction hired was different each year (this makes good sense for the festival to keep things fresh and keep people coming back). One year we had a circus theme. We have four major performers. Bandaloni, High Strung, Circus Jonathan and Me. That's $5000 right there. Previously we had a Medievel theme and spent a lot less because we found a local group that was into educating the public about their hobby and they were good too. Only spent $2000. Often our theme is chosen due to our estimated budget. Doing festivals where you can make a package deal and offer more will get you in. Often if you can sell stuff after a show, set-up a booth you can decrease your fee. I have done festivals where they have paid me in full for 2-3 shows and then I give them half the proceeds from my balloon twisting or my booth. They always like to hear they are saving money and everybody wins. |
magic4u02 Eternal Order Philadelphia, PA 15110 Posts |
I want to post a thread here as we talked a lot about this very subject as a part of this very long thread all about working the fair and festival market. I am sure you will find the answer within it's pages or could post an additional question there from which we can all help and learn from. the post for the festival and fair thread is below. Hope it helps.
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......forum=44 Kyle
Kyle Peron
http://www.kylekellymagic.com Entertainers Product Site http://kpmagicproducts.com Join Our Facebook Fan Page at http://facebook.com/perondesign |
Al Angello Eternal Order Collegeville, Pa. USA 11045 Posts |
The entertainmant is always the first thing cut, and for every festival cutting expenses there are other festivals looking to add something special. Nothing is carved in stone. I have done about 6 cub scout banquets every year, and in 20 years I have never done the same cub pack twice.
Al Angello
Al Angello The Comic Juggler/Magician
http://www.juggleral.com http://home.comcast.net/~juggleral/ "Footprints on your ceiling are almost gone" |
Tony James Inner circle Cheshire UK 1398 Posts |
Festival type shows. Gerry - these are outdoor events. Yes?
Well, we have similar problems over here. Everything from licencing upwards. A licence for one day can cost $16,000 for an audience of 20,000. It can be less. Depends how the local government plays the system. You might get away with $2000. your identical next door neighbour under an adjoining authority, $16000. For the same thing. There are ways around these things but big three day events, 100,000 plus crowds look at something like $80-90,000. It's just a taxing thing. They don't care if they shag the show. And they are doing. Police - yes, now they are supposed to charge 'the going rate'. A lot of shows, audience 20,000 would have a couple of police for the day. Now they are looking like having to have perhaps 12. Costs, free before. Now anything up to $1000 each policeman/woman. But it depends on the Chief Constable of your area. You might get it all for a few hundred. And then again, you might not. Stewards. Have to be approved, sent on training courses and then lisensed and depending which local government you talk to they wantrequire I steward to every 100 or 250 visitors. And they have all of them to wear special clothing - it goes on and on and on. it's a wonder any show gets off the ground, especially as they run by volunteers!!!! Without them hardly any shows would exoist in the UK. These people do it for love. Yours sound much the same. Am I right? Costs have tgone up and entertainment is still dragging itself along. There's nothing new, the orgaisers complain. It's the same old stuff and prices have risen. Lots of Truckstaged magic shows for children or familes charge $3000 per day. You won't get a clown, meeting and greeting for under $500. It's the value shows - not the cheapest - which get booked. How do they judge value? On four counts. 1. What they see when you've built up. Does the show look attractive, inviting? 2. When you start do ytou crowdpull serious numbers? 3. Do you hold your audience, right to the end? 4. Are you easy and business like to deal with? They're all important. But if you get the first three and are 'ify' on number 4, you're on a loser. Believe me, more people in this business HOLD their business because they are reliable, dependable, get on with the job, cause no bother, and give the organiser a warm glow of confidence. Even if they are the most espensive in the business. Even if others are more clever and talented and skilled. Provided they pull and hold the audience and fulfill 4 above, they will get and hold that job, usually!!! There's always the new broom who arrives and messes things up.
Tony James
Still A Child At Heart |
Potty the Pirate Inner circle 4632 Posts |
The number one requirement for an entertainer is turning up at your gigs. No matter how brilliant your show may be, if you're not there to perform it, well, you're going to lose business.
I work for some festivals, and the festivals I work for hire a professional "events organiser" to coordinate things. One lady has a budget of About £10,000 for entertainments over 2 1/2 days. She manages to arrange a staggering array of performers, as she books both amateurs and professionals, and very cleverly fills a whole village with top-notch public entertainment. We have several amateur groups, such as the local belly-dancers (who are brilliant, colourful, funny, and a big crowd-pleaser), we have marching bands and static bands, barbershop singers and and jazz orchestras, kids' groups, the lot. There is a Punch and Judy operated by a 16-year old who's fast becoming highly skilled in his trade. Then there are various professionals, by far the smaller contingent of entertainers, who offer walkabout balloon modelling, magic shows, puppets, storytelling, etc. The combination of so many performers makes the event what it is. I think there would be only a fraction of the turnout if the entertainment was cut. This is what draws the visitors, as much or more than the actual event itself. Running a festival is a serious business, and done right, it's a joy to be a participant, though invariably hard work. I suspect the problems with established festivals having only small budgets for entertainment are due to lack of imagination and business sense among the organisers. And there is very little one can do to change that! Another public event I regularly attend, which costs the organisers a similar amount (about £10,000), routinely fails to attract many visitors. Why? Because they spend so much on entertainment, but almost nothing on advertising! No one knows the event is happening! Can you believe it? At last I've convinced them to use some of my promotional material this year, maybe at last we'll have a better turnout! |
Tony James Inner circle Cheshire UK 1398 Posts |
One of the problems I notice, especially in the south of England is the difficulties organisers have gaining permission to display directions to their show. Councils won't always allow them, especially when the show is held on a site that already has permanent signs - brown signs they are known as. Old houses in parkland are a good example.
It's surprising how many people still arrive at an event as a consequence of driving 40 or 50 miles to somewhere for something and slso to see what's on. They rely on the temp signs - usually yellow -pointing and reading 'To the Show' Potty - what's this with belly dancers? They seem to be popping up all over. Caught some outdoors in December up in Newcastlt upon Tyne. It was freezing and their goose bumps were massive!!!!
Tony James
Still A Child At Heart |
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