Most event planners already know the importance of advertising their festivals/events in order to maximize attendance, visibility, excitement and, hopefully, profits. Not many people put on large events “just for the fun of it”! It’s a lot of work before, during and after the event itself. As you’re planning out your advertising dollars, though, don’t forget to include your entertainers/ entertainment in your ads. Here are some reasons why:
Target Audience
Is your event for adults, children or families? How you advertise should obviously make this very clear. Think about the entertainment that you’re bringing in. If it’s a comedian, make sure you know what their preferred audience is. If it’s a band, who would they say is their favorite audience makeup? The artists themselves are a wonderful resource so make sure you ask them! There’s nothing worse for an entertainer to think they’re booked for a family event and show up to see a huge crowd of preschoolers. Yikes!
Timely Ads
If you’re new to the event planning business and not sure when the best time is to start getting the word out about your event, speak with a professional marketing person (or someone who’s experienced in event planning) for some advice. The reality is that last minute ads will probably only attract people who make last minute plans. You want to get the word out in time for people to add your event to their calendars and their social media sites. Give them something to be excited about and talk about within their circle of influence! There are so many things people can choose to do on weekends and attention-getting ads will help them pick your event. Entertainers/speakers can certainly post their upcoming appearance schedule on their own social media, but don’t let that be your only source of advertising. Take advantage of any free ads that your local media might be willing to provide via newspaper (do people still read those?), radio, local tv, social media, etc. Most artists can provide you with a written description of their act, a bio and digital photos & videos.
Vendor Success
If vendors are a part of your event, you want them to be successful so that they’ll come back for your next event! (What is it they say … If vendors are happy, EVERYONE is happy!) So let people know in advance who the amazing vendors are that will be selling their wares/services at your event. If they’re successful, your event will be successful. Count on them also using their own advertising and/or word of mouth so that their followers know where they will be set up on any given date. If you are bringing in amusement vendors, get the word out! Also make sure they have inflatables/rides for all age levels, including the little ones.
But What About …
The answer is YES! Your variety entertainers (think jugglers, magicians, BMX riders, comedians, bubble artists, stilt walkers, unicyclists, dog acts, etc) deserve to be included in your advertisements, too. This is very likely how most of them make their living. Post their photo (with name), their schedule and where/when their stage performance(s) will take place. Include information about their preferred audience, if needed. Make sure you don’t assume that every magician, juggler or mime is just for the kids. That is most definitely NOT the case. Many are geared towards family audiences and some prefer an edgier all-adult crowd. Make sure you know this information in advance so you can advertise accordingly.
The same goes for your roving artists who are often overlooked in ad campaigns. They tend to be the most visible since they’re moving all around your event site. So do make sure they’re acknowledged by the performer’s name (NOT their business or agent’s name) and a description of their act on your website, social media, advertisements and promotional materials.
Performance Schedule
With the above information in mind, once you print your schedule and post it online, stick with it! Event attendees often plan their whole day out ahead of time so they can see all of their favorite acts and they depend on knowing the show times/locations in advance. Changing those performance times at the last minute, although occasionally necessary, can throw an entire stage out of whack for the whole day and make for a lot of frustration! There’s nothing worse than Grandma showing up at 2:00 to see her granddaughter dance in her pink tutu just to find out they moved the performance time up 30 minutes and she has missed it! It is equally problematic for the acts themselves as they have planned out their arrival time, pre-show preparation and overall performance plan for that day. So unless it’s an emergency, don’t make any last-minute changes.
Ad Recycling
Lastly, when advertising for your upcoming event, do not use photos of a band, entertainer or other performing artist that was at last year’s event, but is not booked for your upcoming event. This tends to happen when smaller events/venues perhaps do not have the advertising budget or proper personnel to create a new flier, website update or ad every year from scratch. Even though marketing your event as always falling on “the 2nd Saturday in June” can make re-using ads simple, the same does not hold true for the actual entertainment lineup. Keep your ads fresh and new and it will pay off in the end with happy event goers!
