The world of dance seminars and shows is a wonderful, exciting place to enjoy oriental dance at its finest in a venue where the dance is truly viewed as an art. After you have attended several events, you might have considered what it would take to bring such a workshop and performance to your town. Before you jump right in and naively assume it is a simple task to be a seminar sponsor, let’s discuss what it takes to produce an event that is a success. After all, you don’t want to lose your shirt (or your gellabiyah) in the process, do you?
First thing a successful sponsor must have is the ability to Spend some money. The producer will have to accept the risk of fronting all the money, including such items as: the location rental fee, printing costs for flyers, tickets, posters and programs, stamps to do a direct mailing, airline tickets, and other transportation and lodging fees for the instructor, as well as an elevated telephone bill. These items are paid in advance, and can add up to thousands of dollars. Be aware that you cannot rely on the income of the event to pay for these items because you will not acquire more of that income until the day of the event. Most people who attend the event, either as a student or audience participant, will wait until the last minute to pay their registration and ticket price. One suggestion: offer a discounted price for early registration up to a certain date to encourage early sales. When it comes to money, bear in mind that seminar production is not a get-rich-quick scheme. If you are able to cover all the bills and perhaps come out a little on the positive side, you have done well. If you make a larger profit, then you have exceeded expectations. Be prepared, however, for the risk that includes losing money on the event. Certainly don’t sponsor with money that you need to live on or use to put food on the table.
Once you have decided that you are able to face the financial risk, you then need some skills in Promotion. Most sponsors are not full-time advertising agents, so they have to learn how to get the word out about their event. Some ideas include printing an ad in a belly dance magazine, sending a press release to the local papers, putting the information on the internet, creating a flyer that is mailed to several hundred belly dance enthusiasts, hanging up posters around town, and attending other seminars and requesting permission to pass out your promotional flyer. It takes time to adequately promote your event.
It also takes a person who is well Organized. The better you plan ahead, the smoother the event will run. There will always be something that occurs the day of the event that you will need to take care of. The more organized you are, the less surprises there will be. Basically, you will need to start by deciding approximately when and where you want to hold the event. Then you will need to book the best seminar instructor. Then, you will start your promotion as well as planning on whom you will invite to perform in the show.
This means you will need to hone your Networking skills. If you are brand new to the seminar scene, I would advise that you postpone sponsoring until after you have attended several seminars sponsored by others. That way you will see how things work, what works well, and who the other dancers are which support seminars and shows. You need to network, get to know dancers and their talents, and determine whom you can work with. Start collecting names and addresses. You will also learn which instructors have been in the area and who people are interested in learning from. I cannot stress enough the importance of networking.
When you are choosing the dancers for the show, set some clear Standards. Look for quality performers who are reliable and will honor a contract. You want to make your show the best it can be, so be picky about whom you invite! Also, be just as particular with the star of the show. Be concise about what you expect from the star of the event. In turn, a true professional will appreciate knowing exactly what she or he needs to do for you. Make sure your agreement is very clear well ahead of time, preferably on paper.
Another thing a successful seminar sponsor needs to have is an abundance of Optimism. If you enter the project with a positive attitude, the cheeriness will carry throughout an be infectious. If you completed all the previous steps correctly, the event will surely succeed and in the end, you will be greatly rewarded. Even if you only “break even” financially, you will feel the appreciation of the students and audience. You will have developed friendships through the business. And you will have contributed to the continuation of our art form.
Above all, be Ready for anything. The job of seminar sponsor is more work than one initially imagines. There are always unforeseeable problems. You might not get much sleep the last few days before the event and certainly not during the event. You may have to hold your breath to see how you fare in the end. Yet the risks are well worth the gains!
In review, check out the list below to see if you have what it takes to be a successful seminar sponsor. If you do, go for it! Good luck!
S Spending power
P proper Promotion
O well Organized
N Networking
S high Standards
O Optimism
R Ready for anything
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©2003 Jasmin Jahal