SXSW 2015 : it's almost time!

This year the SXSW Music Conference will offer attendees a JOB FAIR, TRADE SHOW, GEAR EXPO, GAMING EXPO, HEALTH EXPO, ART EXPO,  Music And Film Festivals plus have plenty of activities for advertising executives, Marketing professionals, Information Technology geeks, nerds and hackers and plenty of barbecue for the many industry members, guest speakers, aspiring artists and entrepreneurs alike. 

last year, more than 150,000 attendees, 30,000 worldwide advertising and marketing creative professionals, 3,000 volunteers and at least 2,000 local, regional, national and international artists have made arrangements to take part in 800+ educational sessions and present in 100 stages and this year promises to be even bigger so stay tuned for a full report from TheWirelessCowboy.tv and WPLV24 on those people, products and processes that will enhance our Intellectual Property Monetization theme.

So, how long have you been waiting for your BIG BREAK?

AT SXSW 2015 there are countless networking opportunities to explore that question however, I will highlight a few of the most important to young entrepreneurs and artists ready to MONETIZE their digital content . 

"MONE TIZE" OR SHOULD I say Magnetize....

The Pebble watch company earlier this week RAISED $500,000 in their first 15 minutes of a crowd-funding campaign on KickStarter and finished their first day with almost $10,000,000 million dollars becoming the fastest campaign to reach their funding goal and an ALL TIME SuperStar both in time and sales. Remember that in total for last year there where ONLY 6 million smart watches sold ( between Samsung Gear S, Motorola Moto...) but the Apple watch, which is coming in April is expected to sell 40 million TO EXPLODE the wearables market... so I am not sure if the Pebble watch will survive,  but my point is that regardless, it has found a MAGNET and is capitalizing on it with their CROWD... 

are you?

While the JOB FAIR is a must until you find YOUR MAGNET, It is the TRADE SHOW that brings the biggest crowds since it gives you a chance to experience the latest technology from other entrepreneurs JUST LIKE YOU in the Arts and Entertainment industry for Music, Film, TV, Theater, Gaming and Health.  Why be famous if you are not healthy.

The entire effort is caped by various in-festival events, contests and awards like Start-Up Austin from the Austin Chamber of Commerce. The #SXSWReleaseIT hashtag for short pitches. The Peter Thiels prestigious fellowship program. The V2V Venture Pitch Finally The Film Start-Up Alley and Music Start-Up Village will open the floor to national and international companies.

STAY TUNED FOR SXSW ACCELERATOR UPDATES :

ANALYTICS

•   DataBox - BigData API connector and visualizer
•   Blab - Consumer conversation predictions
•   SocialGimpz - Mobile big data measurements
•   FlipTu - Social media management aggregation platform

 DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

•   OP3Nvoice - Open Source API SDK for audio video search
•   Tsugi Builder - Cloud mobile app compiler IOS, Android & Unity project ( test/deploy )

 WEBSITE DESIGN

•   AddSearch - Add search to any website for ANY device
•   Nano Media - Mobile ads NOT 320x50px banners
•   ViddyAd - Commercially licensed videos and images
•   Samba.me - Video sharing with reaction shots
•   Surfly - Surfing the web together

 BUSINESS TOOLS

•   PivotDesk - Office space hosting
•   PlayCanvas - First cloud hosted 3D game SDK
•   SonarDesign - Create, share, publish, monetize, promote APPS
•   Waigo - Cloudless translations
•   InsideMaps - 3D furniture modeling in home 
•   ShopStoree - Store virtualization
•   Ferris - Social video app
•   Shoto - Private auto cloud photo sharing 
•   MightyCast - Cloud connecting physical objects
•   MentorMob - Crowd-sourced learning guides

 ENTERTAINMENT

•   FilmMaker Live - Collaborative visualization
•   Cinematique - Interactive motion touch video 
•   Zepp Labs - Mobile motion capture
•   HexAirBot - Quadcopter with Arduino SDK and WIFI cam under $159 

 GADGETS

•   Artiphone - IOS sensor instrument
•   Eyeris - Webcam with emotions recognition
•   PPLConnect - Share cellphone with ANY web device
•   Skully Helmets - Augmented reality ( AR-1 )
•   Avegant - Wearable head mounted displays ( the Glyph )
•   Theatro - Wearable Enterprise Augmented retail SAAS

TOOLS OF THE TRADE : 

 GODADDY.COM ( GetFound )

•   USE it to Host your website
•   USE it to Build your website
•   USE it to Get your website/company found
•   USED with Google, Yahoo, Yelp, FourSquare

 SPOTIFY.COM

•   USE it to Upload your music and distribute 
•   USE it to Create playlists for promotional branding and marketing 
•   USE it to Create merchandising promotions

 BEATS MUSIC

•   USE it to Upload your music and distribute 
•   USE it to Create playlists for promotional branding and marketing  
•   USE it to Create merchandising promotions

 DISTROKID.COM

•   USE it to Distribute unlimited music for $20 a Year
•   USE it to Distribute on Itunes, Spotify, Beats, Rdio, Deezer, Amazon, Google Play   

 SONGAMPR.COM

•   USE it to Lower your capital investment on merchandising
•   USE it to Outsource your merchandising operations 
•   USE it to Sell merchandise on Spotify and Beats Music
•   USE it to Manage your inventory
•   USE it to Mark-Up your merchandise
•   USE it to Create landing pages with e-commerce for your merchandise
•   USE it to Process your transactions and fulfill your orders
•   USE it to Collect your profits
•   USE it to Manage your customer service   

 ARTISTILINK.COM

•   USE it to Link Songampr page URL to your Spotify and Beats Music

 REDITT.COM

•   USE it to Crowd-source ideas and content
•   USE it to Recruit an army for "street credentials"
•   USED by BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, CNN and ESPN 
•   USED by PR, agencies, brands, creators, start-ups, film-makers

AMIR15 : HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

LET'S MAKE 2015 A HAPPY NEW YEAR ! ! !

I want to thank all my Social Media friends for their continued support and interest.  

            

2014 was my best CONTENT CREATION year. 

I owe it all to my sense of commitment to y'all. 

Yeeh-Haa!!!

I have POSTED a link to my "2014 End Of Year Report" printed publication for your review ...

IndustryReports: WPLV24-TV : Digital Marketing Report for the Music Industry 2014

This yearly magazine encompasses the entire year of articles from my Digital Marketing blog at www.thewirelesscowboy.tv. It is a FULL COLOR, GLOSSY PRINTED and SHIPPED reference to my online content which also includes a centerfold INFOGRAPHIC as well as an ACTIONABLE BUSINESS/MARKETING PLAN,…

... and will be providing some additional discounts via SPECIFIC LANDING PAGES before March 01, 2015 the official launch of my 2015 EDITORIAL CALENDAR.  

I look forward to a new season of  Industry Research which starts next week with 

#CES2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Thanks,

Rick Marquez

AKA WPLV24-TV

@ www.TheWirelessCowboy.tv 

AND www.TheWirelessProducer.com 

AMIR14 : Research - Industry Forecast ( 33 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : PROMOTERS

IS THE INDUSTRY EXPANDING? 

The MAJOR promoters “Live Nation” and “AEG” are certainly expanding. For them, business is always expanding vertically and horizontally in terms of business lines and contracting in terms of tickets pricing and sales. 

However, for the entire nation and for that matter the world, the economic hardships of a tough recession and a slow recovery had amounted to a decrease in both ticket sells and events of around 12-15 percent circa 2006-2010. By all accounts the industry has been bouncing back for the global conglomerates who own, operate or manage while booking for their own venues either nationally or internationally.  

A multi-tiered ticketing approach had been in place to deal with the almost 40% of unsold tickets in the industry during the downturn and has become the norm today, as well as ticket price reductions, and expanded sponsorship revenue streams for merchandising, new media and even recording activities or LIVE streaming to add greater value. 

Because promoters are competing with the large conglomerates they are finding themselves acting like music companies promoting not only the events but any un-signed undistributed record/cd for the artist on tour. There are also digital bundles with ticketing companies and websites, website-TV streaming that gets world wide attention, Traditional radio specials and TV (promotions), posters and handbills are important since some major record companies do not service regional areas anymore.  

There are many independent producers, labels, distributors and promoters now that can access the internet marketplace like MySpace, YouTube, iTunes and big box retailers like Wal-Mart.

Will this trend continue?    

The industry has steadily bounced back from the recession and as un-employment decreases and the economy stabilizes, tours and concerts have grown double digit internationaly as well as nationally. On the average fans will attend 3 large LIVE events because that experience is difficult to achieve otherwise however, there's is a trend to larger multi-day events at outdoor venues which are typically cheaper to rent for the promoter and can sell to larger crowds that are willing to sit in non-traditional seating arrangements. 

These ticket prices used to be lower but have increased in price from $150 to $300 and this year might jump to $400-500 hundred dollars for General admission. My concern is that if the fan is willing to make that investment it might be at the risk of not attending any other large event for the rest of the year.  

I am hoping that this might turn out to be a great cross marketing opportunity.  A "Black Friday" for entertainment which rather than just expanding the fan base might actually be a plate tectonic shift from indoor to outdoor vis-a-vis the festivals and our disruptive social media technology of the day can ride the wave. 

A great opportunity as far as this magazine and my blog are concerned and certainly something to capitalize upon by JOINING my YouTube channel and Tweets from WPLV24 or by SUBSCRIBING to my RSS feeds and blog at www.thewirelesscowboy.tv  

AMIR14 : Research - Promoter Demographics ( 32 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : PROMOTERS

WHERE ARE THEY MOST ACTIVE?

Of-course the bigger venues will always reside in popular metropolitan areas with higher population densities and education levels with more disposable incomes.  Costal states like California ( the 7th largest economy in the world and a population of 45 million )  New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida and Georgia have been mecas for the music industry for decades but even central states like Texas, Tennessee, Illinois and Michigan make themselves known for their large populations and cultural diversity. Among the most popular cities are Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta and Miami.        

Today's promoters know these demographics well and have been consolidating with mergers and acquisitions for more than a decade offering artists a One Stop shopping experience that provides both Venue and Promotion across the nation and even globally. For an artist or band the appeal of this approach is obvious and translates into the biggest acts dealing exclusively with these top tier.
But what if you are a mid-size venue / promoter in the business who can deliver quality promotions on your own or third party facilities? You can focus on niche, alternative markets through single promotions or through multi-city / multi-venue "block bookings" either on your own or with the larger promoters.        

If you are a small Local or Regional promoter the best way to produce and present an artist is to maximize every show by targeting the full potential of the market and the venue.  Your intent is to account for every seat, every ticket, every marketing opportunity and merchandising sale as to minimize costs for everyone including the artists. Increasing profitability can be achieved by focusing on Digital Marketing of both exclusive venues and the artists position in those markets. Developing a network of alliances with other agents, promoters, labels and marketers will help you maximize each opportunity to sell out a venues total capacity and develop your regional audience

The best approach to take is to Act locally but think Globally since there’s a gap between the artist who is being promoted through a national touring platform and the artist who is being secured solely for a single date in the local market. The promoters must adapt the national touring platform to a regional one and vise-versa. Offering multi-city and multi-venue to artists who aren’t on a national tour and promoting national up and coming artists through individual dates in their region.

This flexible approach allows the promoter to capture a string of artists and dates that can support and synergize each other creating unique cross marketing, sales and merchandising opportunities in any venue space. These venues have seen the bigger acts migrate to the ONE Stop shops and have had to open their doors with lower price points and more localized acts.

This can certainly be a source of sustainable incomes in the era of iTunes, Pandora and YouTube and has been best exemplified by the Summer Music festivals we discussed last year on my digital marketing  blog and this year starting March 1 at TheWirelessCowbot.tv and WPLV24.
 

AMIR14 : Research - Top Promoters ( 31 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : PROMOTERS

WHICH PROMOTERS GENERATE THE MOST REVENUE?

The biggest owner/operator promoters are Live Nation and AEG. Together they own or operate 240 venues and account for almost 70 million tickets sold yearly around the world with upwards of 8 Billion usd dollars in revenue. These conglomerates have a huge advantage over smaller venue renting promoters and have begun to branch out into A&R representation, music label activities, ticketing and of-course as operators of some arenas even merchandising, restaurants and parking.

Their large capital access allow them to run outdoor music festivals like Coachella and StageCoach in the usa and since they already had team sports and sponsorship divisions it was natural to entertain the masses with dance festivals as well.  They feel some competition from independent promoters like Creative Artists Agency and WME at the local and regional level in North America but globally they stand alone atop.

TOP INTERNATIONAL PROMOTERS

LIVE NATION

142 venues, 2K artists, 22K events, 69 Music festivals

52 Million tickets sold
      6 Billion in sales from 3 divisions

60% USA 38% EU 2% Tickets
   Artist Nation manages 200 Artists including U2 and Madonna

AEG

98 venues, 10K events

12 Million tickets sold
      2 Billion is sales from 3 divisions

50% venues, 25% Teams, 25% Tickets

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL

140 venues, 4K events

6 Million tickets sold
      1.4 Billion is sales from 2 divisions

90% venues, 10% Merchandising

TOP NORTH AMERICAN PROMOTERS

  

LIVE NATION

U2, Madonna, Lady Gaga, Nickelback, Jewel, JayZ, Drake, Shakira
   Aerosmith, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Hudson, Kenny Chesney

AEG
Taylor Swift, Rolling Stones, The Who
   
CREATIVE ARTISTS

Bon Jovi, Eagles, Justin Bieber, One Direction, Kanye West , Maroon5, John Meyer, New Kids, Carrie  Underwood, Kid Rock, Tim McGraw, Jeff Durham, Shannai Twain, Keith Urban, Chicago, Journey, Kiss, Pitbull, Willie Nelson

WME

JZ/JT, Luke Bryan, Bruno Mars, Miranda Lambert , Rihanna, Blake Shelton, Depeche Mode, VANS Tour,  Alicia  Keyes 

research conducted using data reported by both Billboard magazine and PollStar at www.billboard.com www.pollstar.com

AMIR14 : Research - Promoter Pay ( W30 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : PROMOTERS

HOW DOES A PROMOTER GET PAYED? 

There are many types of promoters and each with different experience levels and revenue streams. From bar and club promoters at the ground level for local artists and events, all the way up to event management at the highest pop star and international venues. We focused on the Outdoor festival circuit last year but only because it was the most entertaining manner we could find to stay motivated through all of the research and analysis but a promoters job is universal across industries and products or services.

 

BAR/CLUB promoters can make $100, $500 and  even more than $1,500 per night while helping small venues fill in their off nights or pack their weekends and holidays. They need not hire staff like DJs since the establishments already have those in place.The promoter does need to have a game plan to create buzz and drive the crowds to the establishment.  These promoters can be payed on a per head count basis anywhere between $10 in big city market and $100 usd for "model type" patrons.  If they areconsistant they can demand flat fees from $100-800 per night.  

When the promoter is able to guarantee glamour customers , rich and famous or VIP big spenders they can also request a % of bar sales or bottle sales anywhere between 10-30%. The venue owner will often place a minimum that must be sold in order for commission to be payed and if it is not met then the promoter must pay the difference. The bar/bottle sales option requires a lot of experience and confidence from the promoter itself so be cautious. If you commit to 5 days a week of promotions or 4 weekends a month you can easily bring in $50,000 a year ( 25 per hr )

PARTY promoters mature into existence from the previous stage. They will need to hire DJs, entertainers, support staff and even manage the venue rentals and catering  in some cases so start-up  capital is needed. Risk in these types of promotions is high with insurance for  the venue becoming a must in certain genres like hip-hop ($2500 per night ) but certainly "better safe sorry". 

Return on Investment can range between 1K and 10K per party but this requires careful market research, advertising and marketing with a sound understanding of business planning that insures success. It is not a stretch to expect to run 25-50 events per year and expect a yearly total of $25,000-$500,000 in gross if you are committed to the job and not the lifestyle. That's $12.50 to $250 per hour in shift worker lingo.

EVENT promoters can make 10x or more but require long planning timelines, carry high risks and demand large amounts of working capital. The typical payouts are tied to revenue splits of 80/20, 70/30 and 50/50 for regional and national events.  This is often taken from ticket sales and door sales but a seasoned promoter will include merchandising and cross marketing revenue streams as well.  

Media buying costs are much higher as this type of event requires regional media buys as discussed on page 10-18 and media schedules that can have daily frequencies, regional reach and month long runs of both traditional and digital channels. These events are high profile so there is very little room for mistakes and the competition is high from large A&R organizations as well as the record companies and publishers that are offering 360 deals to top artists in order to capture this profitable revenue stream.  

AMIR14 : Research - The Promoter ( W29 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : PROMOTERS

WHAT DOES A PROMOTER DO?

A successful promoter takes control of every aspect in a tour or show. From research and planning to hiring support staff, supervising the production schedule and settling compensation.

RESEARCH
Geographic, demographic and  psychographic research for regional population densities, per capita incomes, education & cultural diversities proximity to universities plus venue rental fees associated with stage size, attendance capacities and supporting staff required and amenities.

PLANINING

The promoter needs to start 12-16 weeks from the event.

 1) Use existing contacts and previous events in order to spread word of mouth
 2) Use Advertising and Marketing tools to promote the show, ( Print, Radio,TV, Cable)
 3) Direct Mail should be sent out to allow for delivery using bulk USPS rates
 4) Set-up ticket sales outlets, online vendors and printed tickets or ticket-box
 5) Printing of tickets can be Co-OPed with outlet store name and coupons as advertising


8-12 weeks from the event
 6) Distribute, log and affidavit numbered tickets for vendor sales/receipt tracking
 7) Print and distribute advertising collateral to build buzz using local media community


4-8 weeks from the event 8) Hire support crew for Load-in, TicketSales, Ushers, LoadOut on contract or per diems
 9) Send out FREE PR to Local Radio, TV, News to maximize marketing budgets
 10) Your Direct Mail should have arrived so follow with tele-marketing, tally results and fulfill
 11) Start Radio advertising 30-60 sec spots, 4x a day during the week for at least 1 month


2-3 weeks from the event
 12) Set-up Interviews with artist(s) for industry news and media press release
 13) Monitor ticket sales every day and re-distribute more if necessary
 14) Check with facilities manager for insurance, lights, sound checks and security


Week of the show
 15) Set-up ticket sales, receipts and tickets along with money collections before the show
 16) Confirm arrival, sound check, dressing rooms and set-list with artist manager
 17) Set-up production schedule and share with all staff involved to commit

IMPLEMENTATION
* Day of Show Logistics
* Meet building manager to open and inspect venue 8hrs prior to showtime.
* Meet support staff with production schedule and duties 6hrs prior to showtime.
* Meet with supervisors to do a walk through of the building 4hrs prior to showtime.
* Meet with ticket booth manager for accounting for door sales, receipts and holds.
* Meet with ushers and security 2hrs prior to showtime.
* Meet with the band and manager to arrange settlement times.
* Supervise showtime and get cash and tickets from ticket booth manager.
* When show-time is over settle out w/crew & band, supervise venue load-outs & close. 

AMIR14 : Research - The Place ( W25-28 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : VENUES 

WHAT CAN A VENUE DO FOR AN ARTIST? 

Performing at the right venue can be the difference between a huge payday and cancelling a tour, both the artist and the promoters have a lot to lose if they make the mistake of playing a venue that's not appropriate.    

       

There are many different categories to consider with capacities, stage types, costs and popularity. Up and coming unsigned local artists generally play at bars in their local communities. These venues tend to have capacities of 50 to 250 and might have an open mic night or a house band. These venues are a great place to develop your stage presence and get used to the logistics of performing live. The income is not the major driving force at this stage unless it's the weekend and even then it will probably just cover the night's expenses.

When a local act gets tired of opening or closing a local bar and they have a  big enough fan base and budget they will venture into moving to a venue like a casino, ballroom, auditorium, hall, playhouse or even a hotel, market or zoo where they might have an audience of 250-1000. If the band can deliver the entire audience themselves they may be able to run their own shows but this is rather difficult to do while playing at the same time. At this stage the band can begin to build the stamina and momentum needed to master their own music and get a manager to help them grow.

Now, the more enterprising artists will use a manager or booking agent from the start and provided their chops are up to par will get entry into larger community sponsored events like performing arts centers, county fairs, small theaters, cabarets, pavilions, band-shells, amphitheaters or outdoor festivals which offer multiple bands and stages. Local festivals will need to fill 3 or 4 stages and can potentially drive 1,000 to 5,000 attendees providing the opening acts with a large audience.  Entry into these festivals can cost a band from $500 to $1500 but it is a well worth expense as they can exploit their attendance socially, gain new fans while making themselves available to possible label and publishing scouts at the festival. Unfortunately, these events are held yearly only so if the band can plan ahead the momentum from these events can lead to A&R representation or publisher interest if nothing else it can lead to participating in even larger festivals like SXSW in Texas or Boonaro in Tennessee.

Moving to the big shows requires that you be signed and managed by a large label or publisher that can sell thousands of tickets to the larger theaters with capacities of 5 to 10 thousand  seats. Hockey arenas and national baseball fields accommodate from 20 to 60  thousand patrons and the largest football fields have capacities from 60,000 to 100,000 fans. Go NFL!!!  The biggest seating venues are found in car racing with the Indy 500 holding upwards of 250,000 paying customers. Certainly very difficult to entertain that many folks :-)  

So, indeed the right venue can do a lot for a new or established artist. Sometimes just knowing that your favorite artist played there also is reward enough, ie CBGBs, Troubadour or House of blues.

WHERE ARE THE MOST VENUES? 

According to the www.TheIndieVenueBible.com there are more than 30,000 Venues, over 3,000 Booking Agents, with more than 3,000 festivals and 2,000 colleges that are always looking for a few good artists. They break the list into regions, states and cities as depicted below...  

REGION          STATES    Agents  Venues   Population            

Northeast   NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME, DE   400    5,200        65 Million     

Northcentral   IL, IN, KY, MI, WI, OH, IA has the most    290    4,900  50 Million     

Southeast     DC, FL, MD, GA, NC, SC, TN, AL, MS, VA 240  4,800         72 Million

Southcentral  TX, LA, OK, CO, AR, KS, MO    250  3,900  50 Million

Northwest   WA, AK, WY, MN, NE, ND, SD, ID, OR,MT120  2,500       26 Million

Southwest   CA, AZ, NV, UT, HI, NM   370  3,500       56 Million

Some of the best cities for artist have a mix of population densities and supply chain support. I am referring to cities that emulate the Music City.  Nashville, Tennessee  has more than 180 recording studios, 130 music publishers, 100 live music clubs and 80 Recoding labels. California and New York have similar reputations as music capitals but much larger populations and venues and the biggest music conferences take place in Miami with the Winter Music Conference as well as Texas with the South by South West at the start of every spring.  

Other metropolitan cities where the cultural diversity, per capita incomes and population densitties converge follow below.

Metropolis  State Musical Acts Population 

New York City  NY 115,767  8.0.M of 19M  

Los Angeles  CA 175,083  4 0 M of 37M 

San Diego  CA 46,267  2.0 M of 37M 

Austin  TX   35,953   1,0 M of 25M 

Chicago  IL 69,963  2.8 M of 12M

Phoenix  AZ 35,293  1.5 M of 06M 

Philadelphia  PA 45,508  1.5 M of 12M

Washington DC 41,518  600 K of 600K

Seattle  WA 37,224  600 K of 07M

Atlanta  GA 41,747  500 K of 10M

Las Vegas  NV 27,513  500 K of 03M

Miami  FL 33,637   2.3 M of 18M

Tampa  FL 28,339 300 K of 18M

Newark  NJ  26,443  300 K of 09M

research conducted using the Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov, the 2010 US Census at www.census.gov and The Indie Bible at www.indievenuebible.com.

WHICH VENUES GENERATE THE MOST REVENUE? 

Until you get signed by a record label like Sony, RCA, Mercury Nashville, MCA, Warner Brothers, Capitol, and Columbia or you get a publishing deal from the likes of Universal Music Publishing Warner-Chappell Music and you get famous you will not gain entry into the largest International or national stadiums and arenas hosting 10,000 seats or more. However, you or your manager can book shows during of-nights at local/regional festivals, bars, clubs and smaller parks and recreation venues like amphitheatres until you have the capital to invest on these larger venue. 

TOP INTERNATIONAL

Venues State Capacity Owner-Promoter
The O2 Arena UK - London 20,000 AEG
Barclays Center NY - Brooklyn 17,732 FCRC/AEG
The Wells Fargo Center PA - Philadelphia 19,500 Global Spectrum
Palais Omnisports  FR - Paris 17,000 AEG
Staples Center CA - Los Angeles 19,079 AEG

TOP NORTH AMERICAN VENUES

Venues / Promoters State Capacity Owner-Promoter
Barclays Center NY - Brooklyn 17,732 FCRC/AEG
Staples Center CA - Los Angeles 19,079 AEG
American Airlines Arena FL - Miami 19,600 Basketbal Properties/AEG
The Wells Fargo Center PA - Philadelphia 19,500 Global Spectrum
Sprint Center MO - Kansas City 18,500 Kansas City/AEG
Prudential Center NJ - Newark 18,711 Apollo/AEG

MOST SOUTH FLORIDA EVENTS 

 
Venues / Promoters State Capacity Owner-Promoter
Bi-Centennial Park FL - Miami 45,000 Miami-Dade County
Bank Atlantic Center FL - Sunrise 20,737 County-Sunrise Sports Ent
American Airlines Arena FL - Miami 19,600 County-Basketball Properties
Broward Center Au Rene FL - Ft-Lauderdale 02,700 Broward County
Dreyfoos Hall FL - Palm Beach 02,195 Palm Beach County
Fillmore Theater FL - Miami 02,500 County-LIVE NATION

research conducted using data reported by both Billboard magazine and PollStar at www.billboard.com www.pollstar.com

HOW MUCH DOES RENTING A VENUE COST?

Obviously the bigger the event the higher the investment and operational costs. Take for example the Ultra Music festival run by Russell Faibisch. Production costs might reach $25-30 million dollars this year but when he started it in 1999 at the age of 21 and still attending Florida International University, he borrowed 10k from the bank and drew 10,000 fans. In 2014 he is expected to attract 300,000 fans and 300 performers. It might generate as much as 25 million a day or 75 million dollars in economic activity for the city of Miami including the rental of  the Bayfront-Bicentennial Park and other city services. His event alone brings in 12% of the total revenue for the parks operator and $500,000 on top of the previous $600,000 he payed for almost 200 police officers to patrol the event. Rental for the park should last 15 days from set-up to breakdown and cost another $250,000 or 15K per day.  ( According to an NHL report on arenas the cost of operating an arena ranges from 6 million a year for small arenas 6K or less to 16 million for 20k+ which is equal to a monthly cost of 500k-1.3 million usd. The figures below are per day based on an NBA report wich found operational costs of $700-800 usd per seat for much larger arenas of 20-40k seats. Leasing payments for rental ranged from $3-7 million per year while there are many venues that publically price their venues online others handle it privately. )  

Below are a few estimates based on this research and other public rental information on some of South Florida's most popular  venues.

Venues / Promoters  Capacity Operator       Rental Fees

Bicentennial Park 45,000 Bayfront Park Trust       $7K-15K+
Bank Atlantic Center 20,737 Broward/SSE/BBT       $10k-40k +
American Airlines Arena 19,600 Basketball Properties    $20k-40K +
Broward Center Au Rene 2,700 Broward County      Greater of 10K or 10% tkts ( *  ** )
Dreyfoos Hall   2,195 Palm Beach County      $7k-15k + $1-3 tkt + fee ( * )
Fillmore Theater 2,500 LIVE NATION      Varies on Season and Style
Parker Playhouse 1,168 Broward County      $2.5k + 3.5% tkts + fee ( ** or $1K)

* Services Included :  Single performance of 4 hrs  with Box Office Services, House Management, Internal      Security, Existing Sound and Lighting Inventory.
** Extra Charges : Front office, Security and Cleaning $100-150 per hour,
4% of Credit Card processing 10% Group Sales 25% Merchandise
4% Production Fees + Drapes, Lights Sound, Spots, Mics, Pianos...
*** Not Included : Stage Labor, Extraordinary sound/lighting equipment rental, Props, Credit card       charges, Insurance, Sales Tax, Ticket Surcharge, Traffic Control (external),       Piano/Piano tuning, Spotlights $50-150 Fees.
**** Bar and Catering : Hosted Bar Beer & Wine $10 per hour per person top Shelf $20
  Catering HORS D’OEUVRES $30-50 per dz ( Butler, BBQ Luau
   20% Gratuity and sales Tax extra

AMIR14 : Research - The Venue Costs ( W28 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : VENUES 

HOW MUCH DOES RENTING A VENUE COST?

Obviously the bigger the event the higher the investment and operational costs. Take for example the Ultra Music festival run by Russell Faibisch. Production costs might reach $25-30 million dollars this year but when he started it in 1999 at the age of 21 and still attending Florida International University, he borrowed 10k from the bank and drew 10,000 fans. In 2014 he is expected to attract 300,000 fans and 300 performers. It might generate as much as 25 million a day or 75 million dollars in economic activity for the city of Miami including the rental of  the Bayfront-Bicentennial Park and other city services. His event alone brings in 12% of the total revenue for the parks operator and $500,000 on top of the previous $600,000 he payed for almost 200 police officers to patrol the event. Rental for the park should last 15 days from set-up to breakdown and cost another $250,000 or 15K per day.  ( According to an NHL report on arenas the cost of operating an arena ranges from 6 million a year for small arenas 6K or less to 16 million for 20k+ which is equal to a monthly cost of 500k-1.3 million usd. The figures below are per day based on an NBA report wich found operational costs of $700-800 usd per seat for much larger arenas of 20-40k seats. Leasing payments for rental ranged from $3-7 million per year while there are many venues that publically price their venues online others handle it privately. )  

Below are a few estimates based on this research and other public rental information on some of South Florida's most popular  venues.

Venues / Promoters  Capacity Operator       Rental Fees

Bicentennial Park 45,000 Bayfront Park Trust       $7K-15K+
Bank Atlantic Center 20,737 Broward/SSE/BBT       $10k-40k +
American Airlines Arena 19,600 Basketball Properties    $20k-40K +
Broward Center Au Rene 2,700 Broward County      Greater of 10K or 10% tkts ( *  ** )
Dreyfoos Hall   2,195 Palm Beach County      $7k-15k + $1-3 tkt + fee ( * )
Fillmore Theater 2,500 LIVE NATION      Varies on Season and Style
Parker Playhouse 1,168 Broward County      $2.5k + 3.5% tkts + fee ( ** or $1K)

* Services Included :  Single performance of 4 hrs  with Box Office Services, House Management, Internal      Security, Existing Sound and Lighting Inventory.
** Extra Charges : Front office, Security and Cleaning $100-150 per hour,
4% of Credit Card processing 10% Group Sales 25% Merchandise
4% Production Fees + Drapes, Lights Sound, Spots, Mics, Pianos...
*** Not Included : Stage Labor, Extraordinary sound/lighting equipment rental, Props, Credit card       charges, Insurance, Sales Tax, Ticket Surcharge, Traffic Control (external),       Piano/Piano tuning, Spotlights $50-150 Fees.
**** Bar and Catering : Hosted Bar Beer & Wine $10 per hour per person top Shelf $20
  Catering HORS D’OEUVRES $30-50 per dz ( Butler, BBQ Luau
   20% Gratuity and sales Tax extra

AMIR14 : Research - The Top Venues ( W27 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : VENUES 

WHICH VENUES GENERATE THE MOST REVENUE? 

Until you get signed by a record label like Sony, RCA, Mercury Nashville, MCA, Warner Brothers, Capitol, and Columbia or you get a publishing deal from the likes of Universal Music Publishing Warner-Chappell Music and you get famous you will not gain entry into the largest International or national stadiums and arenas hosting 10,000 seats or more. However, you or your manager can book shows during of-nights at local/regional festivals, bars, clubs and smaller parks and recreation venues like amphitheatres until you have the capital to invest on these larger venue. 

TOP INTERNATIONAL

Venues State Capacity Owner-Promoter
The O2 Arena UK - London 20,000 AEG
Barclays Center NY - Brooklyn 17,732 FCRC/AEG
The Wells Fargo Center PA - Philadelphia 19,500 Global Spectrum
Palais Omnisports  FR - Paris 17,000 AEG
Staples Center CA - Los Angeles 19,079 AEG

TOP NORTH AMERICAN VENUES

Venues / Promoters State Capacity Owner-Promoter
Barclays Center NY - Brooklyn 17,732 FCRC/AEG
Staples Center CA - Los Angeles 19,079 AEG
American Airlines Arena FL - Miami 19,600 Basketbal Properties/AEG
The Wells Fargo Center PA - Philadelphia 19,500 Global Spectrum
Sprint Center MO - Kansas City 18,500 Kansas City/AEG
Prudential Center NJ - Newark 18,711 Apollo/AEG

MOST SOUTH FLORIDA EVENTS 

 
Venues / Promoters State Capacity Owner-Promoter
Bi-Centennial Park FL - Miami 45,000 Miami-Dade County
Bank Atlantic Center FL - Sunrise 20,737 County-Sunrise Sports Ent
American Airlines Arena FL - Miami 19,600 County-Basketball Properties
Broward Center Au Rene FL - Ft-Lauderdale 02,700 Broward County
Dreyfoos Hall FL - Palm Beach 02,195 Palm Beach County
Fillmore Theater FL - Miami 02,500 County-LIVE NATION

research conducted using data reported by both Billboard magazine and PollStar at www.billboard.com www.pollstar.com

AMIR14 : Research - The Venue Locations ( W26 of 52 )

INDUSTRY RESEARCH : VENUES 

WHERE ARE THE MOST VENUES? 

According to the www.TheIndieVenueBible.com there are more than 30,000 Venues, over 3,000 Booking Agents, with more than 3,000 festivals and 2,000 colleges that are always looking for a few good artists. They break the list into regions, states and cities as depicted below...  

REGION          STATES    Agents Venues   Population          
Northeast    NY, NJ, PA, CT, MA, RI, VT, NH, ME, DE   400   5,200        65 Million  
Northcentral IL, IN, KY, MI, WI, OH, IA has the most   290    4,900  50 Million  
Southeast DC, FL, MD, GA, NC, SC, TN, AL, MS, VA   240 4,800         72 Million
Southcentral TX, LA, OK, CO, AR, KS, MO   250 3,900  50 Million
Northwest WA, AK, WY, MN, NE, ND, SD, ID, OR, MT 120 2,500       26 Million
Southwest CA, AZ, NV, UT, HI, NM   370 3,500       56 Million

Some of the best cities for artist have a mix of population densities and supply chain support. I am referring to cities that emulate the Music City.  Nashville, Tennessee  has more than 180 recording studios, 130 music publishers, 100 live music clubs and 80 Recoding labels. California and New York have similar reputations as music capitals but much larger populations and venues and the biggest music conferences take place in Miami with the Winter Music Conference as well as Texas with the South by South West at the start of every spring.  

Other metropolitan cities where the cultural diversity, per capita incomes and population densitties converge follow below.

Metropolis State Musical Acts Population
New York City NY 115,767 8.0.M of 19M
Los Angeles CA 175,083 4 0 M of 37M
San Diego CA 46,267 2.0 M of 37M
Austin TX   35,953   1,0 M of 25M
Chicago IL 69,963 2.8 M of 12M
Phoenix AZ 35,293 1.5 M of 06M
Philadelphia PA 45,508 1.5 M of 12M
Washington DC 41,518 600 K of 600K
Seattle WA 37,224 600 K of 07M
Atlanta GA 41,747 500 K of 10M
Las Vegas NV 27,513 500 K of 03M
Miami FL 33,637   2.3 M of 18M
Tampa FL 28,339 300 K of 18M
Newark NJ 26,443 300 K of 09M

research conducted using the Bureau of Labor Statistics at www.bls.gov, the 2010 US Census at www.census.gov and The Indie Bible at www.indievenuebible.com.