Beyond my music career I do a lot of entertainment marketing for my company, Royal Heir Entertainment and speak at music conferences across the country (LA, Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland and more).
I moderated a music conference in Cleveland yesterday and something the promoter told me really stuck in my head which prompted me to write this.
One of the artists, who also performed, complained that the turnout wasn’t good enough and he wanted to perform for more people and angrily demanded a refund claiming he knows everything we were teaching. (despite his whole crew being allowed in, fed, and another person was allowed to perform).
It got me thinking about what he said and what could have caused him to say this…he OBVIOUSLY didn’t “know everything” because if he did…I would know who he is…if he KNEW these things then he’d be on the radio, all over the internet, all over the blogs I write for and his name would mean something…Either that or they’re just lazy. If you KNOW these things then why not DO them?
To him, and many rappers, bands, singers and entertainers it’s about the quantity and not the quanlity and [for situations like this] it should be the opposite.
No, there weren’t thousands of people there watching but the biggest Radio and club DJs, writers, bloggers, promoters, DVD magazines, and a distributor with over 200 gold and platinum records were there….so you still want a refund? No one in the group even got any contact information from any of us OR the other attendees (which included graphic designers, DJs, and photographers, too).
I can’t tell you HOW BADLY I wanted to get deeper into the topics of royalties, distribution percentages, and more but with arrogant people like this attending and complaining about the same regurgitated material then I never can until they actually DO what we’re teaching them.
REMEMBER
- Conferences are as much about networking as they are education
- Be professional, bring CDs, business cards, or some way to promote yourself
- ASK QUESTIONS, if there’s something you want to learn that we aren’t answering ASK. Closed mouths don’t get fed.
- Don’t be an arrogant bum
————
I’m an MC/Blogger but by trade run Royal Heir Entertainment which specializes in online marketing and branding.
That applies to every facet of life, I believe. You never know it all, and you never know who is standing right beside you, unless you ask…. Great post..!