The second of our two free to enter opening events took place yesterday at The Adam and Eve pub. Traditionally we like to have an evening party on the Saturday and then a Jazz lunch on the Saturday to get everyone into the Festival mood. These events are always well attended and we see a bounce in ticket sales as people realise that the festsival is upon us. The BBC Elstree Concert band film music concert next Saturday is now officially sold out. If you didn't get your tickets, you've missed the boat. The Jazz Dynamo's are ten tickets from selling out and The Silencerz are fifteen from the limit we set to ensure that if the weather is inclement and we need to go inside into the golf club function room, we are within the limit. If the weather looks good we can go outside and there is no limit. At the moment the forecast is for rain, but I am a man of great faith! Whatever, it will be a great night. We will make a full announcement nearer the time. There are around 25 tickets left for the Opera tomorrow night and the cello recital on Wednesday at St Pauls, so if you want tickets, I'd really suggest that you get them.
This year, the sales have been slower than usual, but as ever we see a big rush in the last week. This patter seems more pronounced every year. I will be surprised if we don't have a sell out crowd for all events with on the night walk ins, but if the event is announced as sold out, then you have missed out! When I talk to other friends who organise gigs and festivals, it's a pattern we are seeing time and time again. It makes it more and more difficult for small promoters to organise events. There are massive up front costs, such as leaflets etc. We spent yesterday going through the budget and trying to work out where we are. Given that we've sold over 100 tickets since Friday, it will give you sime idea of the scale of the late rush and why it plays havoc with our budgets. Such mundane things as ordering wristbands for the golf club and getting supplie for the bar at the Hartley Hall are dictated by ticket sales. If we sell out two weeks in advance it is easy, if the event is not sold out and 30 people turn up on the night, less so. At one of last years events at Hartley Hall, we had to send a help to Tesco's to get more wine in the interval. It is not ideal, but at least the bar made a bit more money!
As with most years, we aim to break even. The festival is run on a Not for Profit basis, but some years we make a small profit, which we put towards the following years festival and some years we make a small loss, which is generally covered by the good years. The aim is always to have enough reserves to meet the upfront costs (Leaflets, insurance, tickets etc) before we sell a ticket, so we can stage the festival. The Party night at Mill Hill Golf club usually determines whether there is a surpluss or a shortfall. If the concert is outside, as it was last year, and well attended, we do OK. If we go inside due to rain, it is harder to break even. We've been lucky in recent years. The free events, such as at the Adam and Eve we will take a loss on. The pub covers the band costs, but the other costs are met by the festival funds. Leaflets are a huge expense but are a necessity. People only come if they know its on. The free events do generate a huge amount of interest, and mean everyone can take part.
Due to other commitments, I was unable to attend the concert yesterday. My role was a minor one, picking the stage up from the Adam and Eve when the concert finished at around 5pm. However my chief live engineer Stuart Waterman took the reigns and did a sterling job! Stuart does the sound for about fifteen different festivals every year in London, who hire PA systems from us, so he knows his onions.
I then went home, had dinner and we went off to the Roundhouse to watch The Waterboys with friends. That was an excellent concert. As someone who loves music, it is no burden to go to a gig on my night off the festivities.
When I saw my fellow festival organisers, it was agreed that the first two nights have been a wonderful start to the week. Tomorrow night we have the Opera, with Uncovered Opera. These singers are really amazing. If you've never been to Opera before, why not buy a ticket before they sell out. The opportunity to see artists of this calibre in Mill Hill does not come along very often (well once every two years with the MHMF!)
SUMMER EVENING OPERA GALA PRESENTED BY UNCOVERED OPERA
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