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 and contact us with any questions you have. This guide is not all-encompassing and is meant to provide a starting point to make sure your event is a success.
Before Contacting NKAC
- Create your event plan. What is your event and what do you need to make it happen?
- Think about what, where, when, and how!
- Where will you host the event?
- Make sure the size of the venue reflects the number of your anticipated attendees.
- Does your event have any special requirements?
- Do you need a rain location or rain date?
- Is your event free or ticketed?
- If you are selling tickets, start developing a timeline for when you will promote and release tickets. Where and how will you sell them?
- Will you offer discounts for children, seniors, students, veterans, etc.?
- Will you have a VIP or premium offering?
- Can you sell blocks of tickets to local organizations or groups for them to distribute?
- Create your budget:
- Determine the cost for your entertainers, artists, and vendors.
- Remember to include costs for location, permitting, law enforcement or crowd control, tents/tables, food and beverages, sound equipment, marketing materials and any merchandise.
- How will you fund the event? Tickets, corporate sponsorships, donations? NKAC can assist with funding, but we recommend having additional methods for fundraising.
- Fundraising
- Make it easy for people to donate. See if you can set up electronic donations, have a donation bucket at the event, or create sponsorship materials.
- Start fundraising early and contact as many organizations as you can.
- Look for larger organizations or foundations that could be key sponsorship partners. Small businesses may be more interested in smaller donations.
- Consider creating a program booklet and selling advertising space in it.
- Remember it costs money to make money! Factor into your budget the cost for promotional materials, postage, and merchandise.
- 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
- Gather materials to help promote your event such as flyers, press releases, and social media content.
- Where do you want to promote your event? In local businesses, in newspapers, online?
- Take a look below for some tips on how/where to promote your event.
- What kind of support do you need from NKAC? We can provide funding, PR & advertising, and event planning support.
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 what support we are able to offer your project.
- 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 merchandise or refreshments? What do you need to make the environment both comfortable and special?
After the Event
- After your event has occurred, you must fill out and submit the final funding form. This form assesses the success of the event and provides us key information about funding, expenses, and insights for future event planning. Your appointed NKAC liaison can assist with filling out the form.
Promotion:
- Press Releases:
- Write 300-500 words about your event. Use exciting language, but make sure to include all relevant information. Consider including testimonials or quotes. Make sure to include event sponsors if needed.
- Include a relevant photograph with a caption.
- 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 communicate your event info in an attractive, engaging way.
- Put all factual info on the poster/flyer: date, time location, ticket price and purchase info, and contact info including website/phone/social media.
- Make sure to include the logos of any event sponsors.
- Social Media:
- Start posting content at least a month before the event and post regularly to build momentum. We are happy to share your event info on our social channels.
- Make graphics and short video content to advertise your event.
- Make an event page on Facebook.
- 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. Interviews are recorded in advance and can be conducted over the phone. See if any entertainers at your event are interested in being interviewed.
- Provide host with promotional material and recordings ahead of the interview. Make sure to confirm the interview with all parties.
- Here’s some other ideas to build some buzz around your event. These are not mandatory; they are a starting point to help you creatively advertise your event!
- Enlist community groups to sell bundles of tickets (PTA member, Church group, YMCA. Board member, etc)
- Give radio stations, schools, community centers, etc. some tickets to give away as promotion.
- 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.