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Here are some tips on getting some last-minute holiday gigs. This is where referrals from friends, family and business associates can come in handy. When looking for those last-minute holiday gigs, making cold calls to brand new contacts is not expedient. Referrals get your foot in the door with greater potential for a successful call and possibly the gig you want. One of the more difficult times of years for successful touring is during the Christmas holiday season. Unfortunately, concert going seems to slow down right after the first week in December and it remains dismal until after the second week in January. If you play clubs or concert venues you may find this is a good time to relax. If however, you have a holiday show, play private events and parties or corporate functions, this time of year may be very busy for you. If you usually book your group into clubs, you might consider offering your show with a slight holiday slant. You might pitch your group to organizations, fraternities or local businesses who throw the annual Christmas party, and keep the band working. These parties may also pay more than your usual club gig. New Years Eve offers a number of possibilities. Along with private events, many cities hold First Night celebrations which offer a variety of family-friendly entertainment. They are usually booked very early in the year, often March through May of the previous spring. Contact the city's Downtown Foundation or the Mayor's office to find out more information about booking a First Night event. For those private events, though, concentrate on contacting people you know and with whom you do business, such as friends and family and their places of business or their organizations where they work. Ask them if their office intends on having any holiday events or parties where they might need some entertainment. Ask for a contact referral to the party's organizer and make your pitch using your contact's name to get you inside. Also, check with those on your local mailing list and suggest to some of the more die-hard fans that you are available for a holiday house concert. Perhaps they also have a business or organization where they work and can offer a referral for you to play at their holiday party. And last, as the holidays are always a great time for creating donation opportunities for favorite charities. Contact one of the local organizations in your community such as Toys for Tots or the Food Bank and create a concert event that incorporates a "bring a toy" or "bring a food donation" aspect to the concert. Perhaps you can produce your own event at a local community center, or church. Perhaps one of the local venues has an open weekend afternoon for a matinĂƒÂŠe performance. When it's coordinated with a worthy cause, some reduction in rental fees might be available and will almost always offer some better media opportunities for that last bit of end of year press.
Gigs around the holidays can often be challenging with so many people having parties. Find out who among your friends, families and business associates are planning parties and suggest your group as the entertainment. It just might put you in front of an appreciative audience, without the competition to worry about ticket sales and they just may introduce your group to some new folks who might book you for their event in the future. Good luck and have a great holiday season of gigs!
And, I invite you to learn more about this and other topics important to your career development and to sign up for my free weekly audio Biz Booster Hot Tip! Every Monday you'll get another valuable strategy and technique that you can put to use immediately. Plus, get my Free report: 5 Booking Strategies that Work when you sign up. http://www.performingbiz.com. Jeri Goldstein is the author of, How To Be Your Own Booking Agent The Musician's & Performing Artist's Guide To Successful Touring 3rd Edition.
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