Post by Mark Orsted.
Who we are, why we are here, and what we do!
The services we provide are all about music. Rock, Country, Pop, Metal, and many points in between. We created this organization with the hopes of keeping good talent flowing through our area, making people happy through the sound of great music, and maybe making a dollar or two along the way. Over the past five years we have been working hard to forge great relationships with musicians, booking agents, management, fans, and venues/festivals/events so that we can provide at the best possible intersection of price/talent/attendance the best possible events. We can assist you in multiple ways, whether you are a venue, an artist, or an event. We keep the fans informed of all our involvement, and have created a good reputation for ourselves as being fair, hardworking, and honest with all parties involved.
We can act as a booking consultant/agent for a venue or event.
As a booking consultant we can help you find great talent for your event at a good price, help you negotiate out all the details, and help you make informed decisions on how best to put together an event. We've been in the business for years, and know all the sticky details that are often not noticed until it's too late (PA requirements, ticketing, etc). If you want us to work with you, please have a budget in mind. We will charge a non-refundable consultation fee if you request us to research talent/etc for your event/venue. This is simply because too many times we've had venues ask us to find them talent, and then after we've invested time to find it have the venue back out. We are serious and only work with others of like mind. We do not underwrite the events and will charge you a fee for handling this process.
We can act as a promoter for a talent buyer/venue/event
As a promoter we can put together a plan as well as organize all promotional efforts. We can help you negotiate the best possible advertising deals with multiple radio and print vendors, help you ensure you are getting good social network visibility, and ensuring that you are making a "splash" with your target audience, thereby maximizing your turnout. Once again, we do not underwrite, but help you make the best decisions with your advertising/promotion budget and we charge you a fee for doing so.
We can act as talent management for an artist looking to expand their horizons
As a talent manager, we can help you plan your career steps, find opportunities to expand your market and visibility, get booked into clubs/venues and on to tours, and in general help you build you career, including advising of the best steps to take to grow your brand, avoiding the pitfalls commonly seen in the business, and being realistic with you about your future potential and how to best maximize it. We are an honest agency. If we don't see potential, we will tell you so. We don't aim to be rude, but we've seen far too many "bad Idol auditions" to know that sometimes your friends and your family aren't being honest with you - and it's not fair to you. We believe there is a lot of independent talent out there that just needs a little guidance to take the next step. If you are in this for the money, we are probably not your best ally as we are about building a loyal audience for your talent in each market, and starting slow. We realize, more than many, how long it takes to build an audience that will keep coming show after show, over time. We also understand merchandising and "image" and are committed to making sure the artist is able to maximize and capitalize on both. We will not underwrite your career, but rather explain why certain career moves will be of benefit and how. We charge you a fee dependent on the work we do. Usually a flat retainer per contract year, paid in monthly installments, as well as a percentage of gross for any events you book during the contract period.
All fees are negotiable
In this world, unlike at Wal-Mart, all things are negotiable. A big part of building good relationships with everyone in the industry is acknowledging that and working with it. Artists know what they would like to earn for a show, and venues know what they would like to spend. Finding a middle ground that works for both is a big part of the puzzle. There are a lot of hidden costs in this business, and knowing about them first can save you a lot of money, but ignoring them can cost you even more. Our fees are the same way. We will clearly state what we will for you, to what capacity, and what we expect in return. This is your chance to negotiate. Once we have agreed to terms, they are final. Don't ask us to make a change to the deal and don't ask us to renegotiate after we've contracted a show. We stand on our reputation, for without it we have nothing. Please realize that while you the artist, venue, buyer may only do this once a year or may never have dealt with this, we have and we've got the strong relationships to show for it.
We can act as a booking consultant/agent for a venue or event.
As a booking consultant we can help you find great talent for your event at a good price, help you negotiate out all the details, and help you make informed decisions on how best to put together an event. We've been in the business for years, and know all the sticky details that are often not noticed until it's too late (PA requirements, ticketing, etc). If you want us to work with you, please have a budget in mind. We will charge a non-refundable consultation fee if you request us to research talent/etc for your event/venue. This is simply because too many times we've had venues ask us to find them talent, and then after we've invested time to find it have the venue back out. We are serious and only work with others of like mind. We do not underwrite the events and will charge you a fee for handling this process.
We can act as a promoter for a talent buyer/venue/event
As a promoter we can put together a plan as well as organize all promotional efforts. We can help you negotiate the best possible advertising deals with multiple radio and print vendors, help you ensure you are getting good social network visibility, and ensuring that you are making a "splash" with your target audience, thereby maximizing your turnout. Once again, we do not underwrite, but help you make the best decisions with your advertising/promotion budget and we charge you a fee for doing so.
We can act as talent management for an artist looking to expand their horizons
As a talent manager, we can help you plan your career steps, find opportunities to expand your market and visibility, get booked into clubs/venues and on to tours, and in general help you build you career, including advising of the best steps to take to grow your brand, avoiding the pitfalls commonly seen in the business, and being realistic with you about your future potential and how to best maximize it. We are an honest agency. If we don't see potential, we will tell you so. We don't aim to be rude, but we've seen far too many "bad Idol auditions" to know that sometimes your friends and your family aren't being honest with you - and it's not fair to you. We believe there is a lot of independent talent out there that just needs a little guidance to take the next step. If you are in this for the money, we are probably not your best ally as we are about building a loyal audience for your talent in each market, and starting slow. We realize, more than many, how long it takes to build an audience that will keep coming show after show, over time. We also understand merchandising and "image" and are committed to making sure the artist is able to maximize and capitalize on both. We will not underwrite your career, but rather explain why certain career moves will be of benefit and how. We charge you a fee dependent on the work we do. Usually a flat retainer per contract year, paid in monthly installments, as well as a percentage of gross for any events you book during the contract period.
All fees are negotiable
In this world, unlike at Wal-Mart, all things are negotiable. A big part of building good relationships with everyone in the industry is acknowledging that and working with it. Artists know what they would like to earn for a show, and venues know what they would like to spend. Finding a middle ground that works for both is a big part of the puzzle. There are a lot of hidden costs in this business, and knowing about them first can save you a lot of money, but ignoring them can cost you even more. Our fees are the same way. We will clearly state what we will for you, to what capacity, and what we expect in return. This is your chance to negotiate. Once we have agreed to terms, they are final. Don't ask us to make a change to the deal and don't ask us to renegotiate after we've contracted a show. We stand on our reputation, for without it we have nothing. Please realize that while you the artist, venue, buyer may only do this once a year or may never have dealt with this, we have and we've got the strong relationships to show for it.