LIVE MUSIC EVENT PRODUCTION

Start your journey with an inside look at how the course will unfold. Meet your instructor, get to know the assignments, and preview the final project that will tie it all together.

• Meet your instructor
• Course structure overview
• Assignments & final project breakdown

Every live show is a moving puzzle. This session breaks down the full lifecycle of an event and the people who bring it to life—from pre-production to load-out. You’ll also explore the variety of venues where it all happens.

• Lifecycle of an event
• Key roles & chain of command
• Venue types
• Case Study: Pomplamoose 2014 

Behind every tour is a finely tuned machine. Learn how tours are built, financed, and managed—including budgets, crew, and revenue streams.

• When is the right time to tour?
• Costs of touring
• Touring roles & responsibilities
• Pre-production planning for tours
• Revenue streams

Assignment #1: Create a mock tour proposal (timeline, transport, crew, vehicles). Justify your choices.

The road is never simple. This class dives into the nuts and bolts of transportation, accommodations, freight, and crew management—with firsthand insights from a professional tour manager.

• Advancing multi-city tours
• Freight, transport logistics, and carnets
• Hotel booking & per diem planning
• Crew rotation & burnout prevention
• Useful tools and systems
• Guest Speaker: Tour Manager shares real-life experiences from the road

Assignment #2: Build a stage plot using Rider Maker or StagePlot Builder.

A successful show depends on assembling the right crew and working seamlessly with venues, unions, and vendors. This class shows you how.

• Hiring crew
• Departmental roles within venues
• Union trade departments
• Vendor relationships & coordination
• Non-touring events

From technical specs to artist requirements, advancing is where the details can make or break the show. Learn how to manage the moving parts while keeping communication clear.

• Reading & comparing technical specifications
• Artist advance sheets & requirements
• Communicating with venue
• Virtual venue tour
• Load-in/load-out logistics
• Sound system planning & signal flow basics
• Lighting design & venue revenue models

Assignment #3: Respond to an artist advance as a venue production manager (scenario provided).

Accessibility isn’t just compliance—it’s good business. Explore how inclusive design and thoughtful planning enhance the fan experience and boost attendance.

• Accessibility
• Venue & festival accessibility
• Inclusive design in live events
• Making it memorable & enhancing fan experience

Festivals are a different beast altogether. Get the inside view on location, funding, legal requirements, and what happens when things go wrong.

• Location selection
• Target demographic
• Funding & sponsorship models
• Permits, licences, & local authority requirements
• Case studies: Festival cancellations (2024–2025), Bonnaroo, Fyre Festival

Assignment #4: Research and reflect on provided festival case studies.

Why do some festivals thrive while others collapse? This session breaks down the key factors of success and failure, with a focus on logistics and fan experience.

• Why festivals succeed or fail
• Case Studies: More examples of festival successes and failures
• Fan experience as a revenue driver
• Workshop: Analyze the logistics of a famous festival in history

Assignment #5: Pick a festival (from a provided list) and analyze what went right and what went wrong.

Budgets don’t exist in a vacuum—they connect directly to advancing. Learn how to allocate resources, plan routes, and balance financial realities in both tours and single events.

• Advancing & budgeting for tours vs. venues
• Role of tour manager vs. production manager
• Routing & tariffs
• Merchandising considerations
• How advancing ties into budgets

Assignment #6: Plan how you would allocate a production budget at three different levels: $15k, $50k, and $200k.

Hospitality is about more than food and dressing rooms—it’s about professionalism and creating an environment where artists can thrive.

• Interpreting hospitality and technical riders
• Catering, dressing rooms, & wellness requirements
• Professionalism & artist experience
• Building a network of resources
• When to say “yes” vs “no”

Show day is all about execution under pressure. Learn how to manage call sheets, troubleshoot in real time, and keep the chain of command strong.

• Final checks & pre-show walk-throughs
• Call sheets & Day-Of-Show documentation
• Managing timelines under pressure
• Crowd control & emergency response
• Live troubleshooting: audio, power, delays
• Communication & chain-of-command
• Workshop: Plan the run-of-show for a 5-band metal concert

Money talks. Learn how offers, ticket sales, and expenses flow into settlements—and practice the math yourself.

• How budgets are built
• Building a settlement
• Settlement calculations
• Pre-settlement process
• Workshop: Build a settlement based on a contracted guarantee

Assignment #7: Settlement exercise based on a “door deal” scenario.

Settlements aren’t always smooth. This session unpacks real-world disputes and how to handle them with professionalism and fairness.

• Common disputes & how to handle them
• When contracts & expenses don’t align
• Working with agencies
• Class discussion & feedback on settlement workshop

The end of a show is just as important as the start. Learn how to wrap up effectively while protecting relationships and minimizing losses.

• Dismantling equipment & returning gear
• Avoiding damage, loss, & overtime charges
• Post-event reports & documentation
• Venue & vendor future relationship management
• Debriefing & continuous improvement

Assignment #8: Write a mock post-show report based on a fictional event scenario.

Live event production offers many paths—from freelance to tour life. This final session focuses on your next steps, building a portfolio, and pitching yourself as a pro.

• Career paths
• Networking, unions, & certifications
• Portfolio building & client communication
• Pitching to clients & venues
• Final Q&A