Important FAQ’s and Some Insider Tips (Don’t tell anyone)
Something will go wrong.
No matter how well you plan, no show has ever gone 100% according to plan. Why? Because entertainment involves people, and people can be…challenging. The key is to stay focused and work toward a solution. Effort is often jut as important as results, since effort shows an attempt to solve the problem. Throwing your hands up or drawing a line in the sand never solved anything.
Rules are meant to be broken. Sometimes.
Rules and policies exist to protect you and your institution. That’s a good thing. However, rules and policies are often slow to adapt as the world and marketplace evolve, and this can sometimes create more problems than they try to solve. Keeping this in mind, its important to be willing to have the “tough” conversations in order to create the best event possible. This doesn’t mean ignoring policies: it means thinking about how your policies will impact your event, will this impact be beneficial, and if not, can the policy me amended. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, but you should always try.
The Experience is key.
A concert isn’t enough any more. People want to me part of something special, and they want to walk away feeling unique and special. Have you noticed how many people take selfies at shows? People want a souvenir that involves them. Keep this in mind when you create your event. What will draw your audience in? What will get their attention? What will keep their attention? Just saying “We’ve got this awesome comedian coming to campus” doesn’t get it done anymore.
Remember why you are doing this.
Your event is for your campus. Yes, you and your committee do the work, but you do the work to create something for the larger community. Keep this in mind as you work through the event. Chances are you can get a group photo with the artist, but if not, it shouldn’t affect how you do your job. Sometimes this gets lost in the moment, but its extremely important to remember. At the end of the day, it’s the about the audience and giving them the best experience possible.
Everything costs something.
Money isn’t the only currency you spend when producing a show. There is time, effort, and energy. They all impact each other, and none are exclusive of each other. How you budget and manage your time is just as important as how you manage and budget your finances. If you have s heavy course load, a job, and participate in a sport or multiple other clubs, your time is limited. Do you have enough time to run a show? Can you run it effectively? Do you need help? Think about the big picture before and during your project: it will save you a lot of headache down the road.