On the “Booking and Managing Your Own Tour,” panel participants got great advice from speakers who are deeply involved with booking artists, and curating shows. The list of speakers included LVRN tour manager Junia Abaidoo, Music agent Demont Callender, event planner Yusuf Muhammad, and ONE Musicfest director Cynthia Charles.
Photo credit: Elias Zamudio for A3C Media Services
Each speaker shared collective opinions on exactly when and why an artist should go on tour, as well as what is needed to tour successfully. Junia Abaidoo who is also the booking manager for artist Raury and 6black explained that an artist should only go on tour to get closer to the consumer. Abaidoo also made it clear that artists should only expect to gain exposure rather than money when first going on tour. Ever since Raury’s Raurfest became a significant event in Atlanta, Abaidoo discussed how in the beginning everyone involved in this event lost money instead of generating funds. However, now due to the events success he was able to gain sponsorships for companies like Coca-Cola. According to Abaidoo, obtaining legitimate sponsorships only happened due to the work it took for his team to generate enough buzz and fan exposure on their own.
Cynthia Charles added that as an artist, there should be no need to book a tour if there is not a product or project available to your fans. “ If you don’t have a finished mixtape or album, you don’t need to be talking to a booking agent,” says Charles. “Before you go on tour you should know how the system works,” Charles went on to explain how difficult going on tour could be if an artist doesn’t plan early and ahead. Simple matters like a venue's sound equipment or setup could jeopardize a show if not prioritized. Another great point made by Charles was that as a serious artist, you shouldn’t be falling victim to the “Pay-to-play” approach that many show curators use. In Charles' opinion, paying to play for shows is only moving backwards.
Photo credit: Elias Zamudio for A3C Media Services
Demont Callender also felt that curators who only want money out of artists to perform, most likely don’t care much about the artist. Callender went on to answer questions audience members had about artists wanting to get booked for festivals. “If you are selling a great number of tickets on your own, a festival will want to book you,” stated Callender. “At the end of the day it is all a business, so sales always matter.