There is nothing
in life that is more enjoyable than sharing experiences with friends as well as
strangers. I have increasingly become
aware of this realization over the past few years, and I have obtained a new
outlook when attending live events. I
have attended two incredible events this past month, and their distinct
differences are what make them so fantastic.
On June 5th, I
attended one of the best live performances I have ever witnessed. Allen Stone, a soulful singer/songwriter from
the Pacific Northwest performed at The Social, an intimate venue located in
Downtown Orlando. To begin, you must
know that I am very biased when it comes to my all-time favorite concerts, but
this performance was different and intriguing.
Allen Stone performed the whole set with passion as well as intensity,
and I left the building feeling energized with a new outlook on life. Additionally, I have never attended a concert
where the whole crowd was singing, dancing, and smiling at the same time. I honestly believe that everyone that night
experienced something unique, and I am thankful that I got to be part of that.
On June 11th, I
attended the Jeff Rupert and Richard Drexler live CD recording at the Timucua
White House in Orlando. First, I must
address how unique, warm, and welcoming this venue truly is. When you arrive at Timucua, you get the
feeling that you are attending a dinner party at a typical house, but this
experience is so much more. The Timucua
venue is beautifully laid out with a stage, and three floors of comfortable
seating. Patrons that attend live events
are encouraged to bring wine as well as food to share, which illustrates the
welcoming nature of this community. I
decided to watch the performance from the third floor, which was equipped with
comfortable couches. The overall layout
of the venue made this a unique experience, and the jazz music performed by Mr.
Rupert and Mr. Drexler was second to none.
Consequently, I will attend a future event at Timucua due to its
welcoming community and overall uniqueness.
Upon analyzing
these two events, I must say that I have little to no recommendations for the
Allen Stone performance. Some people may
argue that the concert should have taken place at The Beachum next door, but
part of this incredible experience was due to the intimate size of The
Social.
For Timucua, I
would expand marketing to their target market throughout the Greater Orlando
area. The Timucua venue is a rare gem in
this marketplace, but not many people are aware of its existence. I would recommend placing event posters at
local area museums, libraries, and coffee shops to increase awareness amongst
the local demographic. In fact, most of
the income generated at Timucua is from its memberships and donations. Therefore, raising awareness for the venue
could be a positive endeavor in the end.
At this time, VistaPrint has full-page flyers (8.5" x 10.98")
starting at $14.99 for a 25 count (Found
Here). It might be worth a test run
to see if increased marketing helps bring in donations as well as new
faces. Additionally, there are releases
on CDBaby that have been recorded at the Timucua venue in the past. Therefore, it might be beneficial to have
that type of information placed at the venue or even have a small merchandise
table where patrons can purchase these particular items. To conclude, I think it would be popular if
Timucua held a catered, ticketed event, which included "big band" music and encouraged
dancing the night away. It is rare to
see these types of events these days, and I think it would be popular. Consequently, there would be some catering
expense, but a lot of this cost would be absorbed by ticket sales:
Say the average
dinner cost per guest is $25, so sell tickets to the event for $30 - $35. Some additional catering pricing examples can
be found here.
Though the aforementioned idea may never see the light of day, I do believe it would be a successful endeavor and a lot of fun. Sometimes fresh ideas are great ideas!
