How to fill a room at showcase festivals
Getting spontaneous visitors and industry pros to notice showcase performances
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How to fill a room at showcase festivals
Showcase performances can provide artists with career-defining opportunities. Just make sure to attract an audience first.
Why it matters
Showcase festivals serve as crucial meeting points between artists and industry gatekeepers. Festival programmers, talent bookers, label A&Rs, and media can accelerate careers. Artists should at least try to get them to their showcase.
Having a packed venue during the performance creates additional value:
It demonstrates market value to industry professionals.
It creates social proof for the artist's brand.
It generates energy that enhances the performance.
How it works
Through years of consultancy and freelance experience working with artists, agencies, venues, and now Europe's leading showcase festival, ESNS, I recognise specific patterns in how visitors approach these events:
The prepared visitors research extensively beforehand, creating schedules of must-see acts.
The unprepared visitors decide on the spot what they feel like seeing.
Eventually, all prepared visitors turn unprepared because plans change: A venue is too packed, a show is disappointing, friends who like to see other acts, etc.
Artists can attract these spontaneous visitors by optimising three key elements:
A high-quality press photo that stands out at mobile resolution should capture the artist’s energy and identity. People browse the timetable in the festival app, and many acts perform simultaneously. The photo is the first opportunity to stand out.
A short and snappy artist bio of about 100 words max. Mention genre and artist references for immediate context. Describe the live experience’s energy and impact: What can visitors expect? Is it loud and energetic or quiet and breathtaking? Include cultural identifiers like scene, city, and notable clubs and venues. - This paragraph is an excellent starting point for an AI prompt to assist artists in writing their short bios.
Most festivals ask performing artists for media assets such as music and videos. Supply a recognisable song or a memorable chorus. Provide clips of the act performing live, demonstrating crowd engagement and stage presence.
Yes, but..
While attracting an audience is crucial, playing a great show ultimately determines success. A packed venue amplifies great performances but can't compensate for poor ones.
Take action now
Artists could audit their festival assets through the lens of an unprepared visitor making quick decisions. Focus on creating immediate impact and clear value propositions.
Your thoughts
Further reading
Clever artists make their marketers’ jobs easier (The Fanbase Builder)
Market value is the music industry’s hidden currency (The Fanbase Builder)
How to write press releases (The Fanbase Builder)
Artists shouldn’t rush releasing music to streaming platforms (The Fanbase Builder)
Why artists should stop mentioning their genre (The Fanbase Builder)
Why artists shouldn’t skip steps (The Fanbase Builder)