How to Host Your First Live Event

Events are a great way to make some money and begin a career in hosting and promoting. Putting together your first live event can be intimidating, but you can do it. Use this guide to get started.

Set a Budget

No matter what kind of event you are hosting or organizing, your budget will have a significant impact on the scale of your gig. You need to set a budget early on and use that as a framework to build the rest of your event around. Be thrifty. The more you save in one area, such as advertising or venue, the more you can invest in equipment. This is a sensible plan, as you can use the equipment again and again at other events. The venue or advertising is for one use only.

Choose a Venue

If you can use public, and free, space for your venue, you should go for it. The venue is going to eat up a large portion of your budget and does not give you a lot of value. Use your negotiating skills to get a good deal. You will have to balance the size and facilities of a venue against its cost to try and find a sweet spot that gives you what you need at a price you can afford. If you know you are going to draw a crowd, use this to your advantage in negotiations. The venue will be able to make money on concessions like drinks and snacks or merch. Factor this in when setting a price.

Get Equipped

The quality of your equipment will impact the quality of your event. Whether you are hosting a music gig, speaking event, or variety show, you will need a powerful public address system (PA) to ensure your crowd can hear you. These wireless PA systems are perfect for the job and come with some useful features like in-built audio mixing and Bluetooth connection. Save money on your other costs and invest it in one of these value-for-money PAs. Don’t forget to get a microphone.

Who and When

When planning your event, you will need a list of who is playing, performing, or speaking. This will allow you to put together a set list and will form a part of your advertising. If you are putting together a music event, the bands and artists playing will help draw a crowd and need to be front and center when you publicize the gig. Think about the order in which they are playing or performing and how that will affect the pace and vibe of the event. Have a headliner, no matter what type of gig you are hosting. They should be a big reason for the crowd to come and make your event a success.

Get the Word Out

If people do not know your event is happening, they will not come. Posters, flyers, and local radio or TV advertising will help promote your gig. The internet is a powerful tool too. Work with a graphic designer to build a brand identity that you can use across all forms of media. Take some time to think of a name for your gig that is easy to remember and sums up the gig well. This will help spread the word organically through word of mouth.

Follow these steps and you will be ready on the day to host a successful event. Set a budget, get equipped, and get the word out and people will come.