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
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.
Hey Rob,
ReplyDeleteSo obviously you're really really really behind here, and I understand that there are some reasons for that. However, I also know that you've done some of the readings if not all, and done a ton of work for WPRK. It will suck to lose credit for simply not posting about it....