Back in another life I spent much of my spare time putting on live music events, it was a very tricky business, the line between success and failure was always so thin you could get a rizla paper between it. I love music and have been involved in the music business since 1976, so it kinda made sense to get involved in something I love, I thought I knew enough to make a fist of it.
The first events I did were a massive success, loads of local people and musicians supported us, which lead me to believe that just like me they all loved the music and what we were trying to do, on this I was very wrong, so very wrong.
When it rained, for example, we’d lose 40% of our audience, sometimes more. I thought my selection of acts was important, I thought I was a great curator, again wrong. Loads of students only came along came for the cheap drinks and a place to meet, this was pretty crushing to my ego. I also learned that just putting on people I liked, often unheard by the masses, was a massive risk and was very costly, people are indeed fickle but have a memory like an elephant.
So, why am I telling you all this? Because Field Target is really no different in my opinion.
Well, there is a difference, a big difference and that difference is Field Target does NOTHING to promote its events. For a music event, I would have people booked months ahead and would support the event with posters, flyers, interviews, photos, downloads, websites, promotion on social media, along with the use of a PR agency. We absolutely panned the PR and fought hard for our audience because we knew we had loads of competition for peoples time and money.
When it rains in Field Target it also loses about 40% of its event audience, on average the no shows at BFTA events is 14%, regardless of the weather. So, no difference there but you still meet people who are amazed by this, I’m not.
One thing that has always struck me is Field Target doesn’t seem to understand who it’s the audience is or what it’s audience wants.
Visualise this: there’s 19mph wind forecast for the day of the shoot with 30mph gusts, you ignore this and put 50% of the targets over 50yds, all reducers and disciplines are set to the max. You pass this off as an old fashioned growler to yourself. What do you think the audience is going to say and what’s their opinion going to be after the event? I’ve been to shoots like this and they still happen, why?
Apart from the one guy who gets lucky on the day and there’s always one because the numbers dictate it, what do you think people are going to say about your club and event. See, and there you have it and that history will stay with you for a long time as well. That’s how you will be remembered and you’ll be all upset when someone dares to mention it on the internet but welcome to the 21st century!
You’ve got to look who’s coming, I don’t believe many actually do and that has to change, it needs to be part of the plan. Sending people home happy is a much better plan than giving people a reason to never visit you again because that’s what the actual cost is. Perhaps you’ll be reading this and thinking this is about making things “easy” and you know what? You’d be wrong. It’s about you NOT understanding your events manager and perhaps you suck at it!
