Event Plan: Destination Louisville

Discover Louisville Festival and Concert Budget

Goal:

The University of Louisville proposes hosting a “Discover Louisville” festival and concert on The Oval on Thursday, Aug. 26. This free concert will feature several bands – including a prominent national band -- and will highlight many of the Louisville-area businesses that make our community unique. It will complement the previous week’s Welcome Weekend activities.

The concert/festival is designed to launch UofL’s strategy to become a destination for fans of music and other entertainment. The national act will be chosen with the intent of drawing at least 2,000-3,000 people to campus, based on previous performances documented by the production company contracted to carry out this project.

The event also will draw businesses from throughout the community, which will register to staff booths and share information and giveaways with our students. In recent focus groups, current students cited the Bardstown Road-Frankfort Avenue-Fourth Street Live entertainment options as strong selling points for prospective students and key components in UofL’s social activities menu.

UofL’s School of Music, planetarium and departments of Theatre Arts, African-American Theatre and Fine Arts would promote their upcoming performances at this event through posters and handouts.

Venue:

Recommendation: The Oval

Costs:

  1. No rental charge
  2. Four hours labor for Physical Plant to staff event. Will try to partner with fraternities, other student groups for post-event cleanup

Music:

Contract with Production Simple to book three talent acts as well as to execute the show. Production Simple has a local history of producing top rate concerts that run flawlessly. Based on the proposed budget, we have the ability to book a headlining band that has national buzz - the type of band that has been featured in national publications like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Paste Magazine and other outlets like National Public Radio.

Costs:

Talent fees: 10,400

Production Simple Costs

  • $1,560 booking fees (varies based on talent budget)
  • $1,500 concert execution fee

Staging equipment

Recommendation: Contract with DC Productions. This company frequently works with Production Simple on Waterfront Wednesday shows and has also provided staging, etc. for several other student groups including the Student Activities Board. Based on the size of the venue and the type of band, the university would need to contract with DC to use the same stage setup used at WFPK's Waterfront Wednesday. DC Productions will also provide eight laborers who will set up/break down stage, sound equipment and lighting. They will also provide a sound engineer.

Cost:

  • Equipment and labor: $7,500
  • Two meals for laborers: $250
  • Generator: $700 for 10 hours, $50 each additional hour if needed. UofL Physical Plant will supply electrician at no charge on day of event.

Security

  • Recommendation: Contract with ULPD to provide officers/security for event. Based on the size of crowd, officers will be needed to patrol the area, as well as to provide security around dressing room and stage for performers.

Cost:

  • $4,000 total (10 police officers at $140 each -- $35 per hour for 8 hours; 10 security guards at $60 each -- $15 per hour for 8 hours)

Risk management

Awaiting final word on costs, which are estimated to be less than $2500, to cover the concert/festival in the event of rain, based on John Chamberlain's previous conversations.

Volunteers:

Student volunteers will be needed for a variety of tasks, including helping with stagesetup, festival setup, attending to talent. We will need to provide them meals and water at a cost of about $300.

Rentals

Rent chairs, tables, tents from Rent N Rave, who have worked with the university. See table below for projected needs. $1,175

Advertising

Brand concept / Design for fliers, banners by OCM / Free
Print costs / 200 fliers, 10 yard signs, two large banners for stage / $800
LEO Weekly Ad / Paid print advertisement / $500
WFPK underwriting / Radio announcement of show / $1,500
Cardinal Ad / Ad on Provost's page, pending her approval / Free
Facebook / Create event page for festival / Free
Twitter / Announcements and information / free
Chalking / Cover campus in announcements / Free
Ear-X-Tacy e-mail list / Free
Alumni Association Young Alumni e-mail list / Free
Total / $2,800

Media promotions:

OCM should work with band’s publicist to help pitch the band's upcoming performance to music writers locally and regionally.

Potential reporters/bloggers:

Jeffrey Lee Puckett, Courier-Journal

Matt Heron, LEO Weekly

Editor, The Cardinal

Laura Shine, Kyle Meredith, WFPK

Sean Cannon, Buzzgrinder.com

Nick Hart, Backseat Sandbar

Craig Lyle, My Old Kentucky Blog

Total budget

Items / Included / Cost
Venue / Site and cleanup labor / $258 for PP; student volunteers being sought
Music / Talent, band booking, execution / $13,460
Stage / Stage, sound, lighting, labor, meals, generator / $8,450
Equipment rentals / Tables, chairs, tents, portable restrooms / $1,925
Advertising / Brand concept printing, paid ads / $4,200
Volunteers / Meals and water / $300
Security / ULPD officers, security / $4,000
Risk Management / $2,500 (preliminary estimate. Cost should be lower based on previous concert costs.)
Miscellaneous / $2,500
Total / $37593