Barry Fey

A legend in the rock promotion world has died.  Barry Fey put Denver on the map promoting acts that included The Greatful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, U2, The Stones, Bruce Springsteen and countless others.

He helped save the Denver Symphony that transformed to become the successful Colorado Symphony orchestra.

He wrote a book in 2011 titled Backstage Past, his memoir of his career and of his personal life struggles.  It seems to be a very honest read, I didn't personally know him.  We did promote some of the same acts.  He admits to being a less than perfect human in the very fast moving world of live entertainment.  That's why I have recommended the book for those getting into the field.  His stories take you right there at moments both mundane and the very important.  It's a window on the world pre-mega giants Live Nation/ Ticketmaster and AEG. I reread the book over the weekend and when I opened it found the spine was broken.  It's a little like the rock world without the individual greats, who were the entrepreneurs who made the industry what it was, before the huge multinationals took the lead . 

RIP Barry Fey.

9 Tips to Stay Safe at While at Live Events

In light of what has happened in Boston, I wish to send out heartfelt condolences to  those who are suffering from the bombing.  Senator Elizabeth Warren said "Every year during the Marathon, we are one family.  We cheer for each other and carry each other across the finish line.  When tragedy strikes, we are also one family.  We hurt together, and we help together." 

People from all over the world were running, their families and friends were there cheering them on.  Volunteers lined the course  to make the Marathon the best that it could be and first responders were there to aid when needed.  The live event industry is my passion and my home and it is truly painful when I see any type of tragedy that affects the participants, first responders and the promoters and managers of the event.  We, in the industry must reexamine our security plans and redouble our efforts to keep every one safe.

I recently interviewed Division Chief James R. Dixon of the Sunrise Florida Fire Department.  Here are his and my suggestions that may help you and your party keep more safe at live events:

1.  Know more than one way out.  We are so accustomed to exiting the way that we entered that people often don't identify an alternate way out.  When you arrive identify at least one secondary exit, which may not be the closest.  For example, on an airplane the best alternative maybe behind you.  If the masses are streaming towards the front of the venue, you may consider traveling along a wall, in the opposite direction and find a completely free exit.

2.  Identify where multiple sets of stairs and elevators are located.  Do not use an elevator during a fire.  The electricity may fail, trapping you inside.

3.  Large events both indoors and outdoors should have medical support staff.  In permanent venues, these should be well marked.  At outdoor festivals, concerts or special events first aid stations may be tents with or without an ambulance nearby.  If handouts of maps are available use them to find the station(s) and make sure each of your party knows where it is and what the best route to reach it is.

4.  Be aware and monitor your surroundings.  For example: if a conflict is developing between two or more people, move away and if need be report the incident to security.  If you see an unattended package, backpack or similar item, report it to security.  Stay aware of who is around you.  Listen to your "little voice" -  move away from anyone that makes you feel uncomfortable.  Do not engage someone who is angry, drunk or aggressive.  In elevators do not get on if someone is already on that makes you feel uneasy.  Get off on the wrong floor and take another if someone enters that you don't want to be alone with.  Never  discuss personal information where others can hear, for example your room number, count money, wear flashy expensive jewelry or expose expensive electronics.  Don't stand by trash receptacles, mail boxes or other similar places where a device may be hidden.  Don't stand in front of large windows  which may shatter and hit you with shards of glass.

5.  If an emergency happens, move away and find an exit, report the incident to security.  Don't get in the way of emergency responders trying to do their jobs.

6.  Listen and follow the instructions given over public address systems.  Authorities may well have information that you don't have, for example incoming bad weather, potential criminal or adverse incident developing within or outside of the venue.  Promoters and entertainers don't postpone or cancel events for frivolous reasons, so move if you're instructed to and don't argue with security, ushers or stewards.  That will only slow down the evacuation process, potentially costing injuries or even lives.

7. Discuss with each member of your party where to meet should you be separated.  Don't rely solely on cell phones.  Sometimes reception may not be optimum and invariably someone forgets to charge their phone.  Special planning must be taken with children.  Suggestions include: have the child stay where they are, have adults find them.  Train little ones to ask a woman with children for help.  Most Moms will jump into action comforting and helping young children.

8.  Should the event be a target of a terrorist attack (chemical or gas) explicitly follow the instructions for decontamination  and medical triage.  First responders train for these events and provide your best chance to survive.

9.  Attempt to control your emotions and focus on the task at hand.  Follow your preplanned strategies and try not add to chaos by screaming and  panicking. That won't help you or others.

The next blog in the series will help you deal with what do to if the unthinkable happens and you must save yourself and others.

9 Great Tips to Stay Safe at Events

Prepare before you go:

1. Check the weather before you go, be prepared to leave if bad weather threatens.  Please do consider your life and safety more important than missing part of a show or even the whole thing!  Stages in outdoor facilities have collapsed in high winds that often arrive with the front, before the worst weather starts (Indiana State Fair).  Dress in layers for temperature changes.  Start hydrated and eat a good meal before you go in case there are long lines at refreshment stands.
2. Check the traffic reports for delays or detours.  Leave extra time if you're going to a new or temporary venue ( such as an open field festival).
3. Leave valuables at home.  Don't take anything that you can't afford to lose such as expensive jewelry  electronics or clothing.  Don't set yourself up as a potential crime victim.
4. Invest in a personal alarm or pepper spray, especially if you will be going to venues at night or using possibly poorly lit parking lots or walkways.  Carry a small pen lite or flashlight on your key chain or in your bag.
5. Check gate openings/closing times.  Arrange your arrival and departure to avoid the heaviest crowds.  Ingress and egress are the most dangerous times for injuries.
6. Plan to arrive early enough to locate the exits, security, first aid and guest services.  Knowing where restrooms and water fountains are located is pretty useful information also.  Never, ever under any circumstances stay in a venue that has only one exit.  The recent fire tragedy at a club in Brazil should not have happened.  
7. Let family or a friend know if you are attending an event that might generate any foreseeable incidents; such as a political rally on a controversial topic.  Do this also if you are attending a huge event such as New Year's Eve in Times Square or a multi-day festival.  Check in when you get home safely.
8. Take last minute digital pictures of you and your party on your cell phone.  These can be quickly uploaded to staff and officials if someone goes missing.  Consider wearing brightly colored clothing or another distinguishing items (maybe matching hats with 4 foot tall feathers) to make it easier to keep everyone in sight.  Everyone, even the littlest ones who are mobile should have id in their pockets. 
9. Carry ear plugs if you're going to go to a very loud event, and don't forget child sized ones if you're taking the wee ones. 

Next: How to Stay Safe When You Arrive

Sound Like a Pro The D's

Concerts, Festivals and Special Events

Deposit :  a partial payment in advance of a booking to secure an act on a specific date.

Downstage: part of the stage closest to the audience.  Abbreviation: D/S

Insurance

Degree of Care: the minimum requirement of care owed by one party for the physical safety of another, for example the duty of a promoter to keep the audience safe at an event.

Declined Risk: a person, company or event who is considered to present a risk too large for an insurance company to cover.

Conventions

Damage Clause: section of a contract dealing with the rights of parties, procedures and penalties of the person or company causing damages.

Declared Value:  shippers statement of the entire value of a shipment in economic terms.

Nonprofits

Donor: someone who makes a contribution or grant to a nonprofit (donee).

Deferred Revenue/Income: payment for an event that hasn't happened yet, such as a subscription to performances to be held at future dates.  This creates an obligation (and liability) that the organization must provide services or goods in the future.

Sound Like a Pro - The C's

Concerts and Special Events:

Changes in Terms & Conditions: statement that a promoter has the right to change or discontinue a feature at any time.

Contract Rider: a document covering the hospitality requirements to be provided to the artist(s) including food, dressing room set up etc.; a document covering the technical requirements to be provided such as lighting, sound, and other technical equipment.


Conventions and Meetings

Call for papers: an invitation to submit topics for a program at a conference; the document that gives detailed parameters to a person as guidance to submit a topic to the review and selection committee.

Cancellation Clause: a section in a contract that details the damages to be paid to the non cancelling party in the event that the other cancels, therefore breaching the contract.  This term is also used in the concert and special events industry.


Associations and Nonprofits

Corporate Foundation: a foundation that is a separate from but maintains close ties to a donor for profit company.

Challenge Grant:  money paid only if the receiving organization is able to raise additional funds from other sources.  These grants are designed to encourage giving from other donors.  The may take the form of matching 1 to 1 or a multiplier such as 2 or 3 to 1.


Insurance

Commercial Lines:  insurance coverage for businesses, professional organizations or commercial institutions.

Comprehensive general liability: also known as commercial general liability; that is the bare minimum that covers third party claims for bodily injury to property damage, the stand limit is $1 million per occurrence and in the aggregate.

Greening Your Events

How green are your concerts?  Festivals?  Special Events?  Meetings?  Are you overwhelmed and don't know where to start, past changing out the light bulbs?

The major criteria for a sustainability plan will include:

• Reducing your Green House Gas emissions and offsetting those that you can't avoid.
• Reducing your use of energy, consumption of water and materials such as printed brochures, applications and sponsorship packages.
• Recycling programs for old posters, banners, signage and bags.  Repurpose and reuse.
• Adopt a sustainable purchasing policy, such as local and organic food for meals, safe cleaning products, biodiesel generators for outdoor events.
• Develop a measuring system to track improvements and to report them to your stakeholders.
• Require your suppliers, destination hotels and venues to have sustainable policies and procedures.
• Select your event destinations to be close to transportation hubs, walking distance between multi - venue locations, consider giving free public transportation passes.
• Measure the social impacts of your efforts.  Select caterers who donate extra food to charities.

Here are some great links to help you get started or improve your current plan:

www.bestplacestomeetgreen.com 

www.greeningtheblue.org

www.ecocycle.org

  I included a chapter in my book, Successful Secrets of Concert, Festival and Special Event Productions called quite naturally (pardon the pun) Greening Your Event.  You may read it for free on our website: www.eventsmanual.com.  If you haven't started, begin with one or two of my recommendations, if you are already practicing sustainability policies and procedures, push towards the goal of zero waste events.  Your children and grandchildren will thank you, the planet will thank you and you'll save a whole lot of money.  Always a good thing.

Aurora, Colorado Tragedy

We at ML Information Group, are so saddened by the events in Aurora, Colorado.  Our deepest sympathies go the the victims, their families and friends.  The tragedy hit me on many levels: as a parent, sister, daughter and simply a human being.  I also know that this will be something that will become part of my business life as well.

In our profession we teach promoters and event managers how to prepare for and try to prevent negative incidents at entertainment events.  The reality is a dedicated, irrational and deranged person may find their way around the best safety precautions.  We cannot allow this one person keep us from living our lives.  Police and professional security after thoughtful analysis will help venues such as movie theaters become safer.  It will include better training of employees and possibly additional technology.  The authorities that I have worked with over the years and who currently advise me are dedicated people, who in the course of their careers, have placed themselves in harms way to protect others.  The Aurora First Responders were there within 90 seconds of the first phone calls.  As always, those brave people rush to the events, as others are fleeing.  We thank them for their heroic service.  Can you imagine what it must be like for those police and EMTs dealing with the horrific crime scene?

There is one thing that I wish would change in the reporting by media after an event like this.  These evil crazies chose soft targets trying to create the most victims in order to achieve the most media coverage.  They want to become the most "famous" person in history.  I wish the media would refrain from flashing the perpetrator's picture over and over again and over again.  Obviously, they need to id the person, but maybe, if we could not allow ourselves to make this person's primary goal come to fruition so completely, it might help, just a tiny bit. There are very few people, who have access to a TV or mobile media, who could not identify this man's picture as the monster who killed all those people.

 For example, CNN, has the perpetrator's picture on, in some size, on air 100 percent of the time, except during commercials.  I refuse to watch their coverage, because of it.  Focus on the heroes and the victims, whose lives were taken away so cruelly.  I'm know that I'm tilting at windmills here but I hate bad guys getting what they want.