NKAC supports North Kingstown-based performance, musical, and visual arts events that enrich the culture of our South County community. To have a successful event, start early and be intentional with your planning. Please review the guidelines below to help you succeed and contact us with any questions you have.
Before Contacting NKAC
- Determine what your event is and what support you might need from NKAC and community participants.
- Determine the cost for your entertainers, artists, and vendors. Remember to include costs for sound equipment, law enforcement or crowd control, tents/tables, food and beverages, marketing materials and any merchandise.
- Decide on event location
- Try to make sure the facility reflects the size of your anticipated attendees. A large facility for a small performance does not work well.
- Check with artist about any special requirements before booking a hall.
- Divide up major responsibilities
- Programming: Point of contact for artists, management, vendors, etc.
- Publicity: Person who communicates with press, social media, and other event distribution.
- On-Site Coordinator: Person who oversees the operation of the event.
- Depending on your event, you may also need to look for additional on-site staff, volunteers, and other community partners.
- Promotional Tools
- Options include glossy photos, biographical material, promotional video for TV spot or social media, CD’s or audio recordings for radio spots and/or interview.
- Marketing materials include flyers, posters, press-releases, social media content. We are also able to assist with some marketing if needed.
- Ticketing
- Develop a realistic timeline to promote and sell tickets. It is best to work backwards from the date of the event.
- Sell as many tickets in advance as you are able, knowing that most will be sold at the door.
- Consider your community and audience when choosing a price for your tickets.
- Will tickets for adults and children cost the same?
- Will you offer discounted rates for service members, senior citizens, or students?
- Will you offer discounted rates for families or groups?
- Will you offer more premium seating or VIP packages? If so, what are those price points?
Contacting NKAC
- You are welcome to attend one of our meetings to discuss the event with the whole council.
- Once you have a clear picture of your event, fill out our project proposal form and submit it to us.
- We will vote on whether or not to support your event and what money we are able to allocate to it.
- Once we have approved your proposal, we will appoint a liaison from the NKAC to be your point of contact for the event planning.
About a Week Before the Event:
- Read your contract and technical rider carefully. Make sure all technical requirements are taken care of. Hire qualified, dependable technical help. Supply equipment that works properly. Test all equipment before rental.
- Do you have enough people scheduled to help? Do they know when to show up and what their responsibilities are?
- Think about the event location. Will you need signs leading folks to the rest rooms? Where will people enter and exit? Where will you sell CD’s,Tapes or refreshments? What do you need to make the environment both comfortable and special?
Promotion:
- Press Releases:
- Use lively prose, mix biographical info., reviews/quotes and basic info., it should read like a news story.
- Send along with a photograph with a short, identifying paragraph on the back.
- Send as many as you like directly to appropriate editor or a personal contact.
- Offer complimentary tickets to all media contacts.
- Posters/Flyers:
- Create posters/flyers that look professional/organized but reflect the nature of the event.
- Put all factual info. on the poster/flyer: Date, Place Time, Ticket Price, Ticket Outlets, Telephone Number for information. Make sure information is correct and you have given credit to The North Kingstown Arts Council.
- Allow plenty of time to place posters where they will be most effective.
- Social Media:
- Share graphics and event information on social media. Start posting content at least a month before the event and post regularly to build momentum.
- Try making video versions of your event information or recording clips from your event.
- Make event on Facebook or ask NKAC to make an event.
- Post on Patch, HeyRhody and other local event sharing websites.
- Radio and TV:
- Public service announcements (Community Calendars) and Talk Shows provide effective channels for promotion and are “free” publicity.
- Both radio and TV hosts/producers like to interview “personalities” . . . people who do interesting things.
- Radio interviews can be taped over the telephone and aired at a later date to promote your event Check with your artist to make sure he/she consents to being interviewed.
- Provide host with artist’s promotional material and recordings well in advance of the interview. Call to confirm all interviews with artist and host.
- Creative Publicity: using existing community resources to reach your audience. This is just a beginning… use it to create your own ideas!
- Give each (PTA member, Church group, YMCA. Board member, etc) a certain number of tickets to sell.
- Give radio stations, schools, community centers, etc. some tickets to give away as promotion.
- Rotate the performer’s recordings among community groups to create interest and excitements.
- Donate a portion of the event’s proceeds to community organization that people will want to support.
- Provide music teachers with recordings to use in their classrooms.
- Enlist the support of toy/book and specialty shops that support family entertainment (ask them to sell tickets for you. play recordings in their shop. As thanks: list them on posters, flyers and programs).
- Find a local big business that is visible in the community who will co-sponsor the event. The more people you involve, the more community you create, the more exciting it will be and certainly more successful. People work hard on events they care about. Help them care about the event.
Fundraising:
- Make it easy to contribute to your organization or cause.
- Allow plenty of lead-time in planning a fund raising effort.
- Remember, it costs money to make money (printing, postage, etc.).
- Seek small donations from many businesses in your community rather than rely on large donations (which may be a one time donation) from a select few businesses.
- Program booklets are a good way to raise money by “selling” advertisement space or listing contributors.
- Sell blocks of tickets to groups or organizations.
- Make the event special – give it a social aspect (pizza or ice cream, before or after the event).
- Consider “in-kind” donations (printing, postage, use of school auditorium etc.).