Promoting tips

Me & 2 mates are just about to start a electro/techno nite.

None of us have ever promoted our own nite b4, so are a bit clueless about were to start & wot to do.

Our plan for the music policy is gonna b a little tech house (quite minimal stuff), electro & breaks (miss kitten/hacker style) & different flavas of techno building as the nite goes.

Any advice on issues such as flyer design & were to get it done, promoting the event, pricing & general does & don'ts would be most appreciated!

Im thinking about doing my own thing soon.......

these are the things I can think off the top of my head.......

1. Venue - get one sorted, find out how much, what you get for your cash, opening times, drinks promotions and provisionally book in a date.

2. DJ's - Once you have a date, get in touch with the DJ's you want and finalise who is playing.

3. Flyers - Get someone to design them, and get them printed. If you do a search on google or something you should find a decent cheap one. As a guide, my local company does 5 thousand A5 flyers for £180. Another good tip someone told me to expect between 3-5% of the flyers you print will turn up to the night, so for a 300 capacity club, print around 6-8000 flyers.

4. On the day - get yourself around your local town and hand em out to people. Turn up to the venue early and check out the sound system. Make sure you have someone you trust on the door to make sure the club dont rip you off.

Sure there is probably loads more, but my mind has gone blank...... sure someone else will fill those bits in for me ;)

just read again........

5. Pricing - suppose it depends on how much the venue is, and what capacity it holds, but for a Friday would say £3-4 and Saturday £5-6 is a decent price

6. Promoting - Get in touch with any local publications. Round here the local paper has a weekly clubs section and a clubbing magazine. Also make sure flyers go everywhere that you can think, record shops, clothes shops, hairdressers, everywhere!!! Also see if the club will let you leave flyers on the tables and bar, and see if you can get posters up inside the club. Dont put posters up around the town..... Plymouth council have been prosecuting promoters and dishing out fines.

Make sure you have back-up DJs in case someone doesn't turn up, which they invariably will from time to time. if you can't DJ, learn now, even if it means filling in an emergency half hour while a dj is stuck in traffic etc.

get a website, and display the URL everywhere. websites are cheaper than flyers and more accessible. make sure EVERYONE knows about the nite/opening nite, even if they get sick of heraing about it. word is the best way to spread good news

good luck anyway

Flyer everything playing similar music 3 weeks in advance of your party.
Don't wait until the night of the do :nono:

Pay professional flyposters or they'll tend to cover yours over the next day

Post on SquatJuice.com

Remember to put the time on the flyer

If you want chicks to turn up try to cut the grim death graphics on the flyer

Build an email anouncement list

Be really nice to punters when they arrive - sets the tone for the night!

Pick a venue that is strict on violence but relaxed on drugs

Talk to the right bods in recordshops about it - they might promote it for you when people buy records

Always use contracts and reciepts with everybody

Never do any anything for people who owe you money