Greetings! As Executive Director of the International Music Festival Conference (IMFCON), I wanted to share some insights culled from leading music festivals about the process of booking talent for their events.
The IMFCON annually brings together more than 200 thought and industry leaders in the music business for networking and best practices. This year in Austin December 4-6th, we feature panels including “The Anatomy of a Festival” (in 2011 it is SXSW) “Festival War Stories,” and “Agents, Artists and Festivals” with speakers such as Stuart Ross, COO of Festivals, Goldenvoice AEG, Sunfest Executive Director Paul Jamieson, Van’s Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman, Sam Elkins, Sponsorship Director of C3, and many more industry leaders. The networking continues on the trade show floor with nightly receptions and live music.
Six months before our conference in December, we brought together top experts from our esteemed Board of Advisors for an intimate look at one aspect of the festival industry.
We asked them to discuss the process of festival booking talent. What do artists and promoters need to know about cracking the code and getting booked? The results may surprise you!
HOW DOES IT WORK?
“We essentially base our booking off of thematic programs—we start with a template and look for artists that fit those themes or genres. Within categories largely determined by trends in the industry, we go out and find what’s exciting. But we don’t accept unsolicited submissions.”— Erika Elliott, Artistic Director, SummerStage
“We do take submissions—about one or two out of 200 make it in. We use Pollstar pretty regularly, and I subscribe to several blogs. ”— Warren Smith, Founder, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
“Trends, breakout stories, acts that are making a big splash that year, and iconic genre-defining artists. So you’ve got to be known. We’ve also got a really strong commitment to music that is representative of New York City and New York as a whole—trying to reach populations vital to New York’s cultural landscape. ”—Erika Elliott
“Unique artists with a story to tell, something new to share.”— Jason Olaine, Artistic Director, Yoshi’s San Francisco, Newport Jazz Festival
“Surprise me. We poll our audience, and that’s their answer. Everybody comes here to find new acts.”—Warren Smith
SO WHAT’S THE BOTTOM LINE?
“We try to remind bands that when the timing is right—the right timing with the right bill—it will happen. Artists don’t exist in a vacuum: if you’ve got regular gigs, with a web presence picked up by the right bloggers, someone will have heard of you. I pay attention to trends, look at blogs, talk to industry people, attend festivals. Artists should have a larger strategy in mind—are they touring in the US? Will our festival help them? It’s better to be on the right show than as an afterthought as an opener.”— Erika Elliott
“It’s all about discovering new artists and introducing them to new audiences.”— Jason Olaine
“The best advice I can give is to get some good YouTube videos posted and, above all, write good songs.”— Warren Smith
If there’s any advice to be shared among these festivals, it’s that you’ve got to keep gigging and blogging—with the occasional tweet—and to trend. You might not be the right fit at the right time, or you might be American (“We do discriminate against American acts, honestly”— Warren Smith). In any case, craft your story and your EPK and you might hit festival gold.
If you’re still searching to open the door to success (even if you’ve already got the keys), the IMFCON is the best—and only—conference for executives to learn from each other, collaborate, and discuss trends in the industry. Learn how to best engage your audience and potential sponsors—and get tips on booking the best talent.
Contact me at laurie.kirby@michaelbass.com for a special 10% discounted registration rate for face time with these industry luminaries.
See you in Austin!
For more information on the IMFCON, visit imfcon.com. And don’t forget to submit here.
