When it comes to producing and promoting a successful party during Winter Music Conference week in Miami it takes planning, knowing the right people and a lot of promotion…and a little experience doesn’t hurt either. So, we asked our friends Matt Ladner who has promoted for Mad Decent and Tony Garcia of Phuel Marketing for some advice. Matt has thrown a number of very successful Winter Music Conference parties over the years and Tony is an industry veteran who is producing his first WMC parties this year. Here is what they had to say.

Matt says…….…….

1) Location, location, location. Throwing parties in offbeat places can easily go wrong. Even with the best intentions planning a party from thousands of miles away and months out can create a dangerous/bad situation. You always want to scout your location and never take someones word on a location. For example, last year one of my favorite labels in the world threw a daytime party that is notorious for being one of the best day shows. It was held at a marina on the bay. A massive Void audio sound system was brought in from Europe, and Jesse Rose and many many other big names were booked. The party was scheduled form 12pm – 10pm. We arrived a little after 2pm to discover that the marina was connected to a large hotel and shortly after the party started the people in the hotel had begun to complain about the sound. On top of that the wind blowing off the bay was literally 30 mph. It was miserable. In theory the location sounded great but had it been properly scouted by any experienced promoter before hand I am sure something better would have been worked out.

2) Work with someone local. There are probably a hundred or more promoters in the Miami area that throw thousands of parties a year. Finding someone that has connections with sound guys, light guys, venues, etc will make you party planning a million times easier. They also have a good sense of what kind of parities will work in what spaces, as well as knowledge of permits and city laws regarding alcohol sales. You will find that you cant pay enough for that kind of insider knowledge. (2010 most connected Miami promoter is Overthrow)

3) Hire a marketing company. I always find it best to work with a marketing company to help offset expenses and help with logistics. I work with Revolt Marketing, they do everything from getting flyers designed to finding sponsors and booking talent. They are heavily involved with several venues in the Miami area and are one of my biggest allies when planning a show.

4) Expect to be very “flexible”. With all the shows happening in the span of a week crazy things will happen, artists will cancel for a bigger booking, people will jump in the dj booth for a picture, time slots will get shuffled, a smoke machine will get stuck in the on position, someone will puke behind the decks. The way you handle those kinds of obstacles will ultimately determine the vibe of your party and the success of your WMC show.

Tony says…………..

1) Planning and budgeting. In my experience roundtables are very important for ideas to be generated. It should include people with the backgrounds of marketing coordinators, event planners, public relations specialists, and music directors. We gather costs and put together a budget and make decisions based on expenses which include marketing, travel, entertainment and staff.

2) Book a location, then book talent. Finding the right venue can be difficult. You are shopping for something that has to be the size, location based on demographics, a layout that can be easy to work with, the right price, and a owner of the venue who is open to ideas. Once you find a location, book your talent for the party. Some promoters decide on the talent before deciding the space. I like to decide on talent after and that is because the venue can sometimes create an aura. The lights and sound should be in a fashion according to the space. The talent will then create the night.

3) Promote months in advance and week of. The party needs to be promoted months ahead of time since many WMC attendees will purchase their tickets before they arrive in Miami, and as early as January. To promote your party you will need two things – a place to sell your tickets and marketing/press to drive traffic to that place. Most promoters use Want Tickets to sell tickets. Once you set up your ticket system, be sure to send out press to Winter Music Conference organization, and highly visible EDM and WMC related websites, like this one. The week of Winter Music Conference be sure to spend some time networking so you can pass out handbills/flyers. For Winter Music Conference, I do not like to be the first to throw an event because I like to promote during the first events and network at the location of where the actual conference takes place.

4) Rehersal and event day. All events should have a rehearsal before they go live just to make sure that we are ready and all staff is in place. The day of the event is always the hardest. You have to be calm and presentable. It is also important to be sober. Like everything in life, such as a date or a new job, come early to your party and make sure everything is good to go. Make sure you stay on top of everything and keep in touch with your contacts there. This is your responsibility so make sure your talent gets there okay and plays a good professional set. You never know who will be listening.

General tips.………….

1) Pitching your idea. You want to establish contact with the venue’s events or sales department via phone, although emails won’t hurt either. Finding the right person to speak with isn’t hard to do; it’s what you say that will determine everything. You have to let them know you have a serious interest in throwing a well-run party. Remember that one phone call is your only chance with that person to make a good impression. After all, they are trusting you with their venue during the busiest week of the year!

2) Signing contracts. Many venues will want you to sign a contract for liability and services rendered (the party). Depending on the venue, the terms and conditions to throw a party can vary. Some places want a deposit of up to $15,000 so that if the party doesn’t work out, they will still make money. Some places want a fee, and they supply their own bartenders and the security, leaving you to make money from the door.

Next you need to establish the equipment situation (i.e. sound system, cd-j’s, mixers, etc).  The venue may not be able to supply any and you will have to bring your own. That can be a big inconvenience, especially if you’re coming from out of town. Other places will simply let you have your party without any money to drop, but you won’t make money either. That can be negative especially if you want to book a headliner out of pocket.

3) Ask for favors. If you are well connected or partner with someone that is. Ask around to see if a headliner(s) will perform at your party for free or minimal cost for the exposure. Usually the agent for the talent will try to not let that happen, this is where having a good relationship with them will come in handy.  During Winter Music Conference week, there’s a good chance you can make your connections work for you and save a ton of money on talent…and ultimately make your party.

One of the must important things to remember when promoting a party during Winter Music Conference is inviting me. Send details to wmc@nightlyfe.com to get listed on our site and we will see you there.