Running events to promote or create work - Peter Fraser , Director at Insight Education & Tiresias Media. www.eastlondondesignshow.co.uk Part of Enterprise Week 2010

1. Running Events to Promote or
Create Work
Contact:
pfraser@insighteducation.org.uk
© Peter Fraser 2010

2. About Me
• www.insighteducation.org.uk
– International Moving Image Events, Training,
Programming, Development and Consultancy
• www.tiresiasmedia.com
– International Moving Image Production Company
and Consultancy covering film, TV, and online
creating fiction, documentary and visual art

3. I have worked with…

4. About InSight
• Training
• Workshops
• Masterclasses
• Symposia
• Panel Events
• Screenings
• Festivals
• International

5. Role / Purpose of Events
• Most important question – Why?
• Events industry is tremendously diverse
• Events are an important part of culture

6. Cultural Events
• Among other things culture collectively
imagines what is true and possible
• There are many cultures and sub-cultures but
within them they have common values,
identities, histories and communities
• Events bring people together for a shared
purpose and so can offer powerful and
memorable collective experiences

7. • Collective experiences are only more relevant
in a fragmented and media saturated world
where we tend to be at one remove
• That means that events are very useful for
every industry because they offer physical
presence and a profile that can attract
audiences, consumers and media
• What are some of the purposes of events?

8. (Some) Purposes
• Promotion
• Celebration
• Commerce
• Exhibition
• Discussion
• Entertainment
• Education
• Demonstration
• Engagement

9. • For cultural events think about the media
profile in advance and plan accordingly
• Social Networking is essentially word of
mouth and events foster word of mouth or
‘buzz’
• Because events bring people together things
can change at an event or as a result
• Events can consolidate but also innovate new
ideas and new ways of thinking about ideas

10. (Some) Types of Events
• Exhibitions
• Launch Events
• Festivals
• Conferences
• Film screenings
• Performances
• Trade shows
– etc

11. Events involve…
• Clients
• Sponsors
• Partners
• Venues
• Suppliers
• Events Team
• Audience

12. Some of the Skills involved…
• Organisation – yourself and others
• Resource Management – Key resources
• Budgets, Schedules, People Management
• Feasibility Analysis, Planning, Fundraising
• Pitching and Writing Proposals
• Marketing and Audience Development
• Communication and co-ordination
• Venue and supplier sourcing
• Risk Assessment and Health and Safety
• Event Delivery and Evaluation

13. Key Stages of Event Organisation
• Feasibility
• Planning
• Procurement
• Co-ordination
• Delivery
• Evaluation

14. Key Questions
• Why?
• Who?
• Where?
• When?
• What?
• How?

15. Marketing / Promotion
• Marketing – consumer facing (e.g. advertising)
• Public Relations – reaching the public through media
(e.g. by placing editorial)
• Digital Marketing – The most cost effective way to
market and, unless you have a big budget, one of the
best. However it will cost you TIME
• Audience Development – Reaching, attracting,
communicating with, developing and maintaining
audiences. Begin a conversation around your events
with feedback forms, emails and online media

16. Funding
• Arts Council England funding
• National Lottery funding opportunities
• Grant opportunities for students
• European Union funding schemes
• Local authority support for the arts
• Trusts, foundations and private giving
• Voluntary and community groups funding
• Grants scheme for arts graduates from deprived
backgrounds

17. Making Money
• Budget carefully
• Total Cost and Cash Flow
• Value your Time and your Product
• Market / Audience Analysis
• Market / Audience Development
• Cultivate a brand / reputation
• Cultivate a profile and network
• Don’t do things just to make money

18. Tips…
• Get connected and networked
• Cultivate a peer group and by extension, an audience
(but don’t second-guess the audience and try to stay
one step ahead rather than reacting to trends)
• Pool your talent, contacts and resources
• Actively seek out mentors and patrons
• Be bold, dynamic and persevere if you and people you
trust believe in what you’re trying to achieve
• Love what you do and do what you love
• Research your field / market and know it intimately
• Look for successful existing models

19. • Seek out and study the best
• Strive to innovate through:
– Old ideas in new contexts
– New ideas in old contexts
– Be courageous but beta test what you do

20. Contacts
• For training in Arts Event Management or
events and training in other areas visit
www.insighteducation.org.uk or email
pfraser@insighteducation.org.uk
• For enquiries related to moving image
production or consultancy visit
www.tiresiasmedia.com or email
peter@tiresiasmedia.com