Why being a show promoter means being a community builder, too

{it’s deeper than ticket sales.}

by Khayree Billingslea

The term “promoter” doesn’t quite explain it all in the sense that the word, taken at face value, doesn’t really describe the work and actual importance of what the people we call “[good] promoters” do.



While it may be true that the basic work of being a promoter can be reduced to reserving venue space, booking some bands, and bringing in spectators to watch a thing, the real work of “promotion” is hardly just about promoting any particular show, or even a calendar’s worth of shows.

To make the point clear, let’s imagine the following situation:

1) Person rents space on for some day, ‘x.’

2) Person finds bands ‘y‘ who will play on day ‘x.’

3) Person makes flyer for the show, which he will distribute on social media, and offline, to advertise the show.

4) People see advertising and decide to come to the show.

5) Person collects money from patrons at the door and pays the bands.

6) Everyone is happy.

If you’re a promoter or a musician, you probably sense that something is missing in this chain of events.

Sure, the basic functional pieces are there:

Rent Space => Book Bands => Promote => *MAGIC* => Good Show

But the reality of being a promoter is much more than a step by step operation, if you’re doing it right.

The real work of being a promoter involves the organic creation and nurturing of a group of people who, in one way or another, appreciate similar thing(s).

You adapt a space and time in your region to suit the needs and wants of musicians and fans to create experiences both anticipate and will likely remember forever.

At they end of the day, being a (DIY or professional) promoter means being a community builder.

It means making your city or town a place where…things happen…where magical things happen–a place where people who live there don’t have to fantasize about what things are happening in the next town, the next state, or that one big city where the real stuff is happening.

Being a promoter means making your community that place people love to live, and touring musicians love to perform.

The promoter plays a crucial role in bringing the fans to musicians, and vice versa

Thanks to Promoters, musicians and fans can keep it DIY–but they’re not in it, alone.

TourKidd wants to celebrate community members who embody what we believe makes a great promoter.

If you know a good promoter,

send us your testimonial via

email [info@tourkidd.com],

or Tweet/Instagram us at @TourKidd

with the promoter’s

Twitter handle and the hashtag:

#thispromoterisagoodpromoter

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It’s a good thing to do.

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