Success secrets for tenting in the music industry

Here are some tips to ensure your clients will demand an encore.

By Maura Keller

Ask your clients for photos or visuals of the atmosphere they want. Not everyone is great at communicating in words what they envision in their head.

Don’t slouch on your research. Get to know your clients. Whether they are a world-renowned orchestra or a community festival of musicians, learn their style and vision.

Use check sheets for the event to make sure that nothing is left to chance. Realize that there are questions that you can use to guide your client to the correct decisions in tent usage and placement. You are the expert; how you present suggestions, fees and alternative ideas counts for a great deal.

Have meetings, meetings and more meetings. Take the time to discuss even the smallest detail, to ensure it contributes to the overall intended atmosphere of the musical event.

Always listen very carefully to your clients as they plan their outdoor concert or event. Inevitably, details are tweaked as the event gets closer, and you want to make sure that you give them more than they are expecting.

Never skimp on staff—price your event appropriately to begin with.

Be on time, pay attention to your load-in and load-out times, and deliver what you promised.

Maura Keller is a freelance writer based in Plymouth, Minn.