Although exciting, planning a concert or large-scale event in Dubai can be daunting.
Thousands of steps and elements are involved in making an event successful – from venue management, people management, talent acquisition, and so much more. And the most challenging part? Each element has to work cohesively with the other, or you have a disorganised event and an unhappy crowd at hand.
Whether it’s your first or fifth, planning any event properly is the key to success. A poorly planned can have a long-term impact on your reputation as an event planner or manager, which is why it’s not a matter that can be taken lightly.
However, there is no need to worry because all you need are the right steps and a proper plan to ensure every event you host is a grand success. To help you, we have compiled a simple guide to plan and organise a concert, including a fool-proof formula to ensure that your next event is your best.
Make a Plan
Creating a plan as the first step to organizing an event can help you in many ways. It sets the tone for the entire process and ensures you are on the right track. Every event organizing plan should include a few things.
- The goal of the event
- The target audience
- All the steps that must be taken to make the event a success.
Having a solid plan will not only help you ensure that no important steps are missed but also help you foresee and overcome any possible issues that may cause bottlenecks in your event-organizing process.
For instance, at this step, you can determine the permits and legal paperwork that must be completed for the event and the time required to receive the permits to ensure that you file them in time. Without proper planning, you may miss the deadline and end up without a required permit at the event.
Setting your event goals and target audience at this step will also allow you to make important decisions, like the budget and marketing platforms, in an informed manner.
Pro Tip: Start planning your event at least 6 months in advance so that you can start marketing it to your audience as early as possible, allowing both locals and tourists to make plans and travel arrangements accordingly.
Set a Budget
Looking into your pockets before you start planning an event is crucial. Setting a budget should be one of the first steps of your event-organizing process, as it will impact all the decisions moving forward. What talent you can acquire, which venue you can choose, and the amount you will charge for tickets all depend on your budget and forecasted revenue.
Without a budget, you may spend too little or too much, which can be equally harmful to your event. Spend too little on important things, and you may have an unorganised event. Spend too much, and you will end up losing more money than you planned to make.
A profit and loss statement is a great tool to ensure your spending is on track. They also give event organisers the ability to plan and predict the financial outcomes of an event. Creating a P&L statement for each event will help you better understand your expenses. This practice will improve your planning accuracy and help you make informed strategic decisions for future events that will reduce cost and improve revenue, maximizing each event’s profitability.
At this step, you can also determine any sponsorship or funding opportunities that can be undertaken for the event and kickstart the corresponding processes accordingly.
Pro Tip: Keep track of your budget throughout your event-organizing journey to ensure you are not going overboard with the expenses.
Hire Talent
Given that your entire event revolves around the performer, it’s safe to say that choosing the right talent is important for your event’s success. The right performer will be able to entertain the audience and set the right mood and atmosphere for the night. Here are a few things to remember when picking a performer for your event.
- Keep your target audience in mind and choose a performer that caters specifically to them. For instance, if your event targets youngsters and teenagers, you cannot fill the seats in a venue with an old-school performer.
- Make sure that the talent falls within your determined budget.
- If choosing multiple artists, ensure that all of them are comfortable working with each other to avoid any issues on the day of the event.
- If choosing an artist out of town, clarify details about travel and living expenses during their visit to the event.
If you want more insight into the kind of performers that do well in your city, look back at past events and concerts to find out which ones were most popular and loved by the public. This will give you a sense of the performers likely to draw a big crowd in your location.
Finalize Date & Time
Once your talent is locked and loaded, it’s time to finalize the dates for the event. While this may seem simple, there are a few important things to remember.
- Ensure all the artists in your lineup are available on the chosen date.
- Although you cannot finalize the venue without a date, both processes go hand-in-hand. You must create a list of your desired venues and inquire about their available dates before you finalize.
- If it’s busy season, ensure that your event date is not clashing with another popular event, as this may reduce your audience number.
- Ensure that no other public holidays, dry days, or other activities that may affect your event clash with your event date.
Try to finalize your event date as soon as your talent is secured so that you can get a head start on marketing the event to the public. The quicker you can get the date out to the people, the better.
Secure a Venue
As mentioned earlier, the event’s date and venue must be finalized simultaneously. You don’t want to decide on a date for the event and find out that none of the good venues are available.
To choose the right venue, first determine the following things:
- What is the expected audience for the event?
- Is it an indoor or an outdoor event?
- Is the venue’s layout suitable for your event?
- What permits are required for the event? Will the chosen venue be able to secure them?
- What audio/visual equipment is required for the event? Does the venue have it available?
- Do they have the correct health and safety protocols in place?
You want to ensure that your chosen venue is not too big or too small for the event. If it’s too small, you will lose out on potential revenue; if it’s too big, you will not be able to fill the seats, leading to a boring and dull crowd and atmosphere on the event day.
Additionally, the venue’s layout should also be suitable for your event. For instance, is the stage large enough for the show? Is the seating arrangement suitable for the audience? These are important points to consider before selecting a venue.
You also want to ensure that your venue has all the equipment you will need for the event, or you may have to spend extra to secure it, increasing your expenses.
Venues tend to get booked quickly, so try to secure yours as soon as possible.
Finalize a Ticketing Partner
Your talent is secured, and your venue is sorted. Now, it’s time to sell the tickets.
Choosing the right concert ticketing partner is crucial for running a smooth event. Think of it this way – your ticketing partner will be the first touchpoint between you and your potential customers. They set the tone for your audience’s entire event experience.
Make sure you pick a ticketing system to help you provide your audience with a smooth experience while purchasing and redeeming the tickets at the venue. If you run a large-scale event, ensure they have the bandwidth and team to manage the audience. The last thing you want is a server crash when people try to buy tickets.
Every ticketing partner works differently. When choosing yours, ensure they can meet all your event’s needs. Here are a few things included in Platinumlist’s event ticketing packages:
- Set up in 48 hours
- Brandable white label design
- Event website creation.
- Box office cash management software
- Ticket printing
- Seat blocking and refund panel
- Advanced sales reports
- Advanced Google analytics statistics
- Appear in our event guide
- Constant software upgrades
- No expensive hardware required
- Customer support solution
- Fully automated billing panel
Interested in learning more about Platinumlist’s ticketing solutions for your next event? Get in touch with us now.
Create An Event Security Management Plan
An event security management plan is crucial to ensure maximum security for your talent and audience. An ESMP should include all the details that can put the event’s safety at risk, including the security restrictions, health and safety requirements like fire and first aid kits, venue layout including emergency exits, and event infrastructure.
An ESMP should include all the relevant checks and permits required to ensure that all the safety and security factors have been considered before the event. Make sure to hire a strict security team to look after the crowd on the event day.
Apply for relevant permits and licenses
Depending on your venue and event requirements, you may have to secure permits for food and beverage, alcohol, e-ticketing, and even music rights. Many times, venues have their own permits or have a system in place to secure the permits. It’s good to check with your venue manager about the required permits and how to file them.
Ensure you do this as soon as possible, as some permits can take a long time to process, especially during the busy season.
To run an event in Dubai, you must get a Dubai Economy and Tourism (DTCM) permit and an e-ticketing permit that authorizes ticket sales. Any event that falls under one of these categories – Entertainment, Culture, Fashion, Sport, Business, Charity, Art, or Religious requires a DTCM event permit, whether ticketed or not.
Platinumlist is an official DTCM partner and can help you with the application process through our professional permit application service. No matter how big or small of an event, we can streamline the permit application process for you and make sure you receive it in time.
Don’t have a UAE trade license? You can still issue a permit for your next event under Platinumlist’s event license, thanks to our official DTCM partnership.
Get in touch to learn more about our fast-track event permit application process.
Book your vendors
An event includes a lot more than just talent. You need lights, equipment, extra seating, and so much more. And let’s not forget the food and beverage stalls to keep the crowds happy and satisfied throughout the event.
Once the date and venue for your event have been finalized, it’s time to secure your vendors for all the other requirements. We recommend thoroughly researching and comparing various vendors to ensure you get the most out of your money. Don’t forget to reflect on your budget to check if you’re on track.
When deciding on food and beverage, ensure you have the required health and safety permits. It’s also a good idea to pick food that will be easy to eat and not create a mess at the venue, as that can lead to an unpleasant experience for the audience.
Correctly estimating the size of your crowd is also crucial for ensuring that you don’t run short of food and beverage at the event. You don’t want people fighting for the last bottle of water!
Secure a team for event site management
To run an event smoothly, you need an army of people who know what they’re doing at all times. Even if your team has been able to manage the entire event organization, you will need many more hands on deck to manage the crowd and make sure nothing goes wrong on the day of the event.
To build the right team for the event day, determine the required positions. The first step is to determine an event site manager who will oversee the entire setup process on the day. Having an onsite manager ensures that everything is set up exactly as planned and that any issues or obstacles are handled in a timely manner.
Once the site manager has been hired, the next step is to build a team to help with the setup and other important tasks on the event day. For instance, you will need ushers, crowd controllers, cleaners, and audio/video technicians, just to name a few.
The next step is determining the number of people required for each position. If the event is large-scale, you may require 50+ ushers and crowd controllers to ensure people find their seats without trouble.
Once the list has been finalized, it’s time to find the right people for the team. This process can be overwhelming – hiring hundreds of people is not easy! This team can make or break your event, so hiring people who know what they are doing is essential.
Platinumlist can help you in this process by providing experienced staff, including ushers and ticket-scanning staff, who will ensure your event goes smoothly.
Find out more about our event staffing solutions now.
Setup a marketing plan for the event
To sell as many tickets as possible, the news of your event must reach as many people as possible. You must set up a successful marketing and promotion plan to make that happen.
If your event is large-scale and features a prominent performer, it’s recommended to start promoting it at least a few months in advance to sell out all the seats.
There are many different platforms to promote an event – through social media, traditional press, sponsors, and other partners. The best marketing platform for your event depends solely on your target audience and where they like to spend their time.
For instance, if the event targets older millennials, Facebook can be the right choice of marketing platform. In contrast, an event targeted toward youngsters will perform better on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. It’s all about understanding where your target audience lives and how to reach them effectively and efficiently.
Platinumlist can help you reach your marketing goals efficiently and effectively with our customized marketing packages that use various platforms, including Google and Facebook ads, social media posts, and newsletters to promote your event to our large database of event buyer audience.
Get in touch with us to learn more about our marketing services now.
Make a day of the event checklist
The day of the event will be hectic and can get overwhelming. As tasks pile up, it’s easy to forget other important things that should be done on the day. This is why having a planned concert preparation checklist can be very helpful in making sure nothing important slips your mind and everything is done in time.
When making the checklist, allot responsibilities to different team members so everyone knows what they should take care of. This will create accountability for the tasks and ensure they are done on time.
By setting responsibilities, you can also track the right team member to contact when you need a quick update on a particular task on the event day instead of running around in circles to figure out who is setting up the audio/visual display or managing the ushers.
Post-concert evaluation
Although the event is complete, your work is not over yet. After the event, it’s essential to look back and note all the day’s positive and negative aspects. What worked out and what did not?
A post-concert evaluation will help you understand where things went wrong and why and help you avoid those mistakes in future events. You can create an efficient feedback system for your next event with the help of Platinumlist’s post-event use surveys and reporting solutions.
With this feature, you can set up a customizable survey with personalized questions that will be automatically sent to your audiences within 12 hours of the event to receive feedback from them. This service also comes with an advanced post-event reporting dashboard that compiles all the information in one place, helping you understand how your audience felt about the event.
This information can be very helpful in understanding the high and low points of your event and serve as a great learning tool for your next event.
The post-concert evaluation should also include a cost and revenue analysis to determine whether the event could reach the revenue and profit goals. This is also the time to ensure that all the payments have been finalized and any pending amounts have been settled.
Conclusion
While it can be overwhelming initially, you can successfully run a smooth event with the right planning and partners in place. The main aspects to remember during the organization process are your goals, target audience, plan, and budget.
To avoid issues on the event’s day, ensure you follow all the protocols and secure all the necessary permits beforehand. Don’t forget to hire an excellent team for the event day so your audience has the best time.
To avoid a ticketing debacle, ensure you are partnered with a trustworthy ticketing party, like Platinumlist. As mentioned earlier, your ticketing partner is your first contact point between you and your audience. With Platinumlist’s ticketing solutions, you can sit back and relax as we take care of all your ticketing needs, including ticket printing, seat blocking, marketing, and customer assistance, to ensure you have all the support you need to run your event successfully.
Have an event coming up? Get started with Platinumlist’s ticketing solutions now with just a few clicks!
