...because, the Truth is, I don't promote you...
Drag is a dying art in the state of Maine. Shows are becoming more and more of a rarity, and they're a surprise, when they actually happen.
Styxx, last weekend, hosted: An Evening with Danielle Dior. I found out about the show about a week before it was supposed to happen. And, given that I definitely didn't have time to get the time off for the show, I figured that it wasn't going to be one that I would make it to. Surprisingly, due to the time warp that is caused by drag, I was able to get out of work, and back to Portland, in time to make it to the show.
But, it got me thinking. The lack of shows, is compounded by the fact that gay bars in general, in the state of Maine, are not doing well. And, as someone who has been doing a lot of promoting, and making promotional materials, to use online, or printed out, as hand outs, I have a few suggestions...again.
After hearing from Mimi Imfurst, that Styxx knew, months in advance that Mimi was going to be coming to do her show, why is it that we only got a poster a few weeks before the show? Why would you not, as soon as you book a show, get promotional materials together?
I get that gathering together all the information, a month or more in advance, is a hassle, but promotion is your friend. If you can't promote, you can't bring people in. If you can't bring people in, you lose money. If you lose money, your bar closes. It's as simple as that. Take the time, get the information together, and get a responsible graphic artist to throw something together. I'm always game for making a poster. It gets my work out there. It gets your event out there. It's a win-win for us both. (BTW, if you're interested in poster work, email me, for pricing details.) The longer you have your promotional stuff out there, the more people will see it, and potentially, the more people you will get to your events.
Truth be told, making a poster or flyer for a show, really doesn't take long. An hour, if you have all the information ready up front, maybe two. There's probably a few adjustments that will need to be made. But, nothing major, unless the artist and the patron have completely different ideas about what the material should look like. (Occasionally, it does happen.)
I want to make it clear, that this is not just an issue with Styxx. This is an issue with multiple venues for shows. Styxx just happened to be the catalyst for the post. Queens get frustrated with the bars, because nobody knows that the show is happening, so nobody comes. Bars get frustrated with the queens, because nobody knows that the show is happening, so nobody comes. If you give the queens and the bars a chance to advertise the shows, there is potential for much more business...especially, given the fact that the queens I hang out with, often end up having drinks bought for them, by audience members. This can only be good for the bars. Especially, since half the time, the performing queens are not getting paid for the shows, or they're getting paid very little.
RANT OVER:
Drag is a dying art in the state of Maine. Shows are becoming more and more of a rarity, and they're a surprise, when they actually happen.
Styxx, last weekend, hosted: An Evening with Danielle Dior. I found out about the show about a week before it was supposed to happen. And, given that I definitely didn't have time to get the time off for the show, I figured that it wasn't going to be one that I would make it to. Surprisingly, due to the time warp that is caused by drag, I was able to get out of work, and back to Portland, in time to make it to the show.
But, it got me thinking. The lack of shows, is compounded by the fact that gay bars in general, in the state of Maine, are not doing well. And, as someone who has been doing a lot of promoting, and making promotional materials, to use online, or printed out, as hand outs, I have a few suggestions...again.
After hearing from Mimi Imfurst, that Styxx knew, months in advance that Mimi was going to be coming to do her show, why is it that we only got a poster a few weeks before the show? Why would you not, as soon as you book a show, get promotional materials together?
I get that gathering together all the information, a month or more in advance, is a hassle, but promotion is your friend. If you can't promote, you can't bring people in. If you can't bring people in, you lose money. If you lose money, your bar closes. It's as simple as that. Take the time, get the information together, and get a responsible graphic artist to throw something together. I'm always game for making a poster. It gets my work out there. It gets your event out there. It's a win-win for us both. (BTW, if you're interested in poster work, email me, for pricing details.) The longer you have your promotional stuff out there, the more people will see it, and potentially, the more people you will get to your events.
Truth be told, making a poster or flyer for a show, really doesn't take long. An hour, if you have all the information ready up front, maybe two. There's probably a few adjustments that will need to be made. But, nothing major, unless the artist and the patron have completely different ideas about what the material should look like. (Occasionally, it does happen.)
I want to make it clear, that this is not just an issue with Styxx. This is an issue with multiple venues for shows. Styxx just happened to be the catalyst for the post. Queens get frustrated with the bars, because nobody knows that the show is happening, so nobody comes. Bars get frustrated with the queens, because nobody knows that the show is happening, so nobody comes. If you give the queens and the bars a chance to advertise the shows, there is potential for much more business...especially, given the fact that the queens I hang out with, often end up having drinks bought for them, by audience members. This can only be good for the bars. Especially, since half the time, the performing queens are not getting paid for the shows, or they're getting paid very little.
RANT OVER:
No comments:
Post a Comment