Here in Buffalo we have a band booker, me, and another for callers (I call and don't want conflicts). I usually try to send out emails to all our local talent with dates and ask for interest and availability. I try to book first choice. I do try to book local for winter dates and farther away bands for better weather. If I have more than one vying for a date I take type of band,weather, travel and caller into consideration and book accordingly. The longer you do this the better you get. I try to get booked by August for Sept.-June series so I can focus on other things. My local bands are all aware that they may be asked to change dates if a travelling band or national band somehow lands in this "backwater". Oh, I keep a spreadsheet and plug in requested dates. Once all bands respond, I click dates, finalize the schedule and then confirm with bands. I also send a confirming email about 1.5 weeks prior to dance with particulars. If perchance the band has a favorite caller or vice versa we try to accommodate.
I think that's it other than I tend to nag the caller booker 😂. Happy booking! On Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 7:49 PM jim saxe via Organizers < organizers@lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > Hi, folks, > > I'd like to hear about different people's approaches to booking bands and > callers for a dance series. For example: > > * Do you ask a bunch of bands and callers at once for their availability > dates and then try to fill in the schedule based on the combined responses, > or do you contact folks sequentially on an "if you're available for date X, > you've got it" basis? > > * How far in advance to you seek to book your talent? Does it vary for > different people (callers vs. bands; locals vs. out-of-towners; top-tier > locals vs. others; musicians who don't want to commit too far in advance > because they might get offered a wedding gig; ...)? > > * What if a band or caller asks you about some date and you were planning > to ask someone else that you'd prefer but might not be able to get? or if > you ask about availability of band X and your band contact comes back with > something like "No can do, but what about (lower cachet) band Y?" or "... > what about most of band X with substitute fiddler TBD?"? > > * Have you found ways to mix different approaches to booking so as to get > "the best of both worlds" instead of the worst? > > * Are there other questions you think I should have asked and, if so, what > are your aswers to them? > > It would be easy to go on at length about the *potential* plusses and > minuses of various ways of doing bookings. What I'd prefer is to hear > about *ideas that have worked well in practice* for other organizers. > > Thanks. > > --Jim > > _______________________________________________ > Organizers mailing list > Organizers@lists.sharedweight.net > http://lists.sharedweight.net/listinfo.cgi/organizers-sharedweight.net >
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