WPRK Promotional Events:

It is very important for WPRK to host promotional events in the community, but then also on Rollins Campus. Below is an example of a "Promotional Concert" that would be best for WPRK to plan and host quarterly, or every once in a while...

WPRK 91.5 Comes Alive!!!

On Saturday 2/11/2012, WPRK hosted WPRK 91.5 Comes Alive at Hard Rock Live. Comes Alive is a promotional concert concept where WPRK features four local bands that have some connection to WPRK. This connection would include:

1. Current local bands with new music albums being played on WPRK and currently in rotation.
2. Musicians that are, or connected to WPRK DJ's.
3. Musicians in the Rollins Music Department

4. Popular local bands

The purpose of the event is not only help with promoting these great local acts, but also to gain community outreach for WPRK, which in time will gain more listeners and possible donors to the station. During the event we also showcase a few of our "on air" DJ's and announcers by letting them be hosts of the night. They typically introduce the bands before their sets, and give the audience some information about WPRK, their personal involvement with WPRK, appreciation to the venue and listeners, and hand out promotional material. We also remotely broadcast live on WPRK 91.5-FM from the event, with hopes of people listening who are on their way to the event, can not make the event, or generally weren't informed of the event. Either way, broadcasting live is an amazing thing.

Here is an overview of the process:

1. Create a show concept, including possible entertainment (Bands), dates, and location of event.

- For this last event at Hard Rock Live, we were not given much time, because HRL books local show "30 days out" for the event date.

2. Contact the booking agent of the venue and express interest, including show concept, date and a possible lineup.

3. When venue is confirmed, contact possible entertainment. Offer compensation depending on venue. For a large venue, I.E. Hard Rock Live, do not book bands with no proven track record, or whom do not effectively help promote themselves, no matter how good their music is. Lare venues want large numbers, meaning people in the doors.

4. Coordinate and communicate with venue and entertainment to make sure everyone is on the same page.

- Venue load in and show times

- Venue guidelines, etc...

5. Promote the show:

- Produce a 60 audio spot for radio, and air it on WPRK by adding it to the Underwriting folder in the QP Station Promotions Computer. Make sure that the programming department adds the spot to the programming logs. With our station's promotional events, it should be aired at least once an hour, along with other underwriting, during each DJ show on WPRK.

- Create event page on Facebook and blast. (Must have decent show artwork made first)

Note: If it is a FREE ticket event, it is important to put in the FB blasts to "email address for free tickets". After addresses are received, you mail the tickets out using the Rollins post office and WPRK post code.

6. Design and print promotional art work for flyers.

- Designing is always an issue. It is best to reference from other concert poster artork and get the nearest person with desing skills to make it quick fast. Otherwise there are plenty of artists hoping to get paid for their service, which is worth it if you have the budget.

- After promotional materials are printed, have each neighborhood district representative distribute promotional material to relevant establishments in each district, I.E., every coffee, bookstore, local shop in town.

7. Remote Broadcasting:

- Contact the WPRK radio show that is during the time slot of the event, or maybe get Station Management and Programming Director to contact them.

- Explain to them that you will be needing their DJ slot because of a remote broadcast.

- Arrange which DJ's/announcers will host the live broadcast on air. For this last event we had Johnny Garlic and Don Don, they were FANTASTIC!

- Arrange for WPRK Production department to help with Remote Broadcast the night of the event.

* Quick overview of Remote Broadcasting: *

i. The venue must have internet, hardwired ethernet cable prefered, but a strong WIFI will do.

ii. Set up standard audio mixing console at the venue, including mics, and main music feed from the front of house mixing console.

iii. Run feed from venue consoles to laptop with internet Connection

iv. Broadcast feed through Ustream, or anything similar.

v. There must be someone at WPRK who can recieve the internet feed and broadcast it through the MCR console at WPRK

vi. In theory, you are on the air from here, but much more deeper details to reveal.

8. Continue to Promote the show.

- Daily social media posts

- Send press releases to media outlets

- Submit event in local calendars. (Orlando Weekly, etc..)

- Submit art work and press release directly to the Sandspur.

- For RTV or similar: Using the audio radio spot, edit a quick video together to put on RTV, and WPRK's youtube page. Use the concert poster artowrk as the video image and layer the audio with it. Presto, a video. Here's an example: WPRK Promo Video

9. Delegate responsibility for during the event:

- Name and coordinate with the hosts

- Name who operates the promotional merch table

- Name any production people needed, video and power point projectors, photography, standard event crew, remote broadcast production people. (usually only need one of each)

10. Stay in communication with all entertainment from the event and get all necessary info, and also the venue.

- Stag Plots

- Any odd requests, use your judgement. We usually don't offer much.

11. Have fun

12. Send a thank you email/letter to everyone involved and especially the venue.

Proposal of activity with Rollins Campus Media

I am currently the Director of Promotions and Communication for WPRK 91.5-FM. Within WPRK, I firstly plan to teach and build new and recently assigned Department of Promotions and Communication in to a motivated and effective team of volunteers to better the communication needs of WPRK. Here are our department's positions and team members:

Department positions:
Director of Promotions and Communication: Robert Soviero
Promotions Coordinator: Saabira Mohammed
Community Public Relations: Amy Cuccaro
Community Events Coordinator: Katherine Haley Bowen
Rollins Community Public Relations: Lauren Sylvestri
Rollins Events Coordinator: Dara Lazarus

We are currently having weekly meetings on Thursdays at 12pm. These meetings have been very successful. We are currently covering each position in detail, and what is expected from the position, but also brainstorming what each individual would like to accomplish within their positions. We're currently splitting up the meeting in to two portions: 1. Position updates and general duties for WPRK, and 2. Individual involvement for the upcoming WPRK 60th Anniversary Celebration.

Beyond my department's success, I plan on continuing to build synergy and communicating effectively with all campus media, and utilizing campus resources. I am very lucky to have Lauren Silvestri in our department. She already has an established relationship with The Sandspur Newspaper, which ultimately helps us with promoting WPRK in one of the better mediums on Rollins Campus.

WPRK's 60th Anniversary Concert Celebration:





My big project for WPRK this semester (and was actually a little of last semester because I began planning it then) is to successfully plan and organize a music and arts celebration concert for WPRK's 60th Anniversary. This has included the following steps:

1. Buy in from the Executive Directors board of WPRK.
- Including brainstorming about initial planning
- Deciding on a venue, which we decided on Mills Lawn at Rollins
- Gathering campus resources

2. Meeting with the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership
- This was a short meeting with Sara Christovich, who "oversees" WPRK. We talked about the event concept, location, and possibilities. We also talked about the most important aspect of the event, The Budget. It was brought to my attention that the Rollins Entertainment Production group (Formerly A.C.E., "All Campus Events") has a budget of 40k to host a concert on campus. I/we thought this would be a good time to combine both events and work together. This did not happen. It seems that the reason they denied wanting any involvement with WPRK's event was because "they wouldn't be interested in the style of musical entertainment that we'd be interested in hosting." Good luck to them getting a "Pop Sensation" to perform for 40k.

3.Meeting with Sudie and Megan in Rollins Events Planning.
- This included looking over possible dates, and different Rollins events that may cause a conflict. We decided on 4/7/2012 because it was the only possible time, when there was no other event scheduled that would have conflicted
- Setting up an event walk through date with: Rollins event planning, grounds keeping, security, facilities, and house keeping.

4. Meeting and walk through with Rollins resources and staff. The staff included:
Sudie and Megan Joyner: Rollins Event Planning, for dates and event communication through Rollins Staff
Laura Core: Grounds keeping, because our event is on Mills Lawn, a prize possession of hers.
Ken and Fernando: Rollins Security, for security needed in Beer Garden. (Emailed Ken early in planning about possibility)
Kirk Hemphill: Rollins Facilities, for electrical and event supplies.
Luis: Rollins housekeeping, for event setup and cleanup.
- I printed them all a tentative event plan, and list of questions. Most of the questions were answered by the end of this meeting.
- Was given guidelines by each department on what we can and can not do at the event. The three D's, No digging, driving, or debacles.




5. Composing event budget and proposing to Fox Funds for funding
- After the budget was set, and aimed as high as can be, we set up a meeting with Fox Funds for funding the event. We're shooting for 21k with Fox Funds. We haven't heard back yet, but will update when we do.