An Announcement....

Stay tuned.....

Found on the Web - 2012-02-12

• Resellers riled by 'restrictive paperless tickets' http://t.co/dsfyjjzO #
• Burning Man festival faces ticket 'fiasco' http://t.co/8Uvwevm6 #

Your Competition Doesn't Matter

Your largest competitor in town just spent thousands on the latest in video technology, and hasn’t been shy about flaunting their purchase to everyone...including your clients.

The upstart company down the street has suddenly dwarfed you in Twitter followers and Facebook “Likes”, despite having been around less time than the phone in your pocket.

And that stodgy family business you casually disregarded before now has a website that makes yours look like it came from a castoff bin circa 1999.

So what?

The leaders in any industry know that the key to a successful operation in not having the flashiest website, the most followers on social media, or even the latest in technology. It’s about listening to your client, not wasting precious time and resources trying to outdo your competition with the latest toys. Yes, all of those things may bring in a few new customers. But not nearly as many as simply doing excellent work and solving your client’s problems.

Speak Plainly

Any seasoned event producer will tell you that one of the most important characteristics of an effective manager is the ability to communicate clearly with all participants in the event - the artists, the guests, and the employees. Unfortunately, these same producers are often the biggest offenders when it comes one of the toughest roadblocks to effective communication - overuse of jargon

Jargon by definition is the vocabulary peculiar a particular trade (in this case, event production). Although you may be working within that said trade, you want to limit the use of jargon as much as possible. Much like speaking English in a foreign country, every person you interact with will have a different degree of understanding. By removing industry specific jargon from your event communications, you reduce the possibility of misunderstanding and miscommunication. Everyone, from your veteran staff to the newest employee should know immediately what you’re telling them.

Jargon develops as a sort of professional shorthand that makes our jobs easier. Unfortunately, it also alienates those outside your “sphere”, and confuses those who lack experience or exposure. Using simplified yet detailed language to explain technical concepts may take more effort, but it’s the surest way to ensure your message is getting across.

Sytelabs Update (And Some Brief News)

To begin, I want to thank all of you who’ve tolerated the radio silence on this site the last several weeks. Between projects, the holidays, and many other obligations I haven’t had much opportunity to update the site as frequently as I would have liked. Now that we’ve crossed over into the new year, the slate’s been wiped clean, the batteries recharged, and we’ll be getting back to a regular posting schedule beginning next week. I promise.

Something that bears mention...This past week saw the release of both Pollstar’s and Billboard’s ranking of the top-grossing tours of 2011. Although the results aren’t particularly surprising (U2 basically owned everyone), one fact regarding Pollstar’s numbers caught my eye. By their calculations , half of the artists who’s tour ranked in the top-ten began their careers in the 1990’s or later. For me, I find this both surprising and reassuring, given the industry’s recent over-reliance upon music’s lumbering dinosaurs to prop up the bottom line (although there’s a fair amount of that, as well). I won’t go so far as to say this entirely disproves my belief that the large promoters care little about artist development - aside from Kenny Chesney, none of the young guns spent much time slugging it out in the industry’s farm leagues before being welcomed to the big stages. But it is a welcome sign that there is life after the Rolling Stones.

Who incidently may be heading out on the road next year...again.

Who's The Star Of Your Show?

Is it the artist, who you've paid handsomely to entertain your guests (or have invested in with hopes of achieving a respectable rate of return)?

Is it your sponsors, who've paid you for the privilege of connecting with an audience only you can provide them?

Or is it your guests, who have invested their time and money with the expectation that you'll deliver a small slice of magic for an evening?

There is no "wrong" answer to this question. But if you can't answer immediately, you're already dangerously close to failing. Because every single decision regarding your event should rest on it.

Intermission

Let's go out to the lobby....

In an attempt to wrap up several outstanding projects, I'll be temporarily raising the houselights on this site and taking a breather from posting new material for a few weeks. Although things on the site may be quieter than usual, both the Twitter feed and Facebook page will be updated regularly in the interim, and I am always available to answer any inquiries.

Regular posting will continue over at Event Safety Consultants.  Stop by for a visit, and stay tuned...