I am trying to start up a venue

[shayne the kid]

I already have an investor who will pay for the location cost and utilities. I just need help with knowing exactly what it take to get a venue going. What does it take to become a good booking agent? What do you guys suggest that I do to make this a venue that band would want to play instead of Portland/Bend?

It's in Eugene btw.

[Midwestern Stylings]

There's a ton to get any type of business going.

How are you going to do ticket sales? Via computer solution, what about pay? Are you going to pay your employees through software as well?

There's open source solutions probably.

As for getting bands into your venue, from what I understood, a lot of labels run deals with venues so it might be hard to break in when they monopolize like that. I'd say get in contact with a venue somehow or ask someone who works in one how it works.

There's so much shit to running a business.
Creating policies, accounting, employee pay, taxes, insurance (in case someone gets hurt), safety codes, sound equipment, computer solutions (tickets, employee pay, and many other things, networking it, website, ticket system for easier accounting. If you're gonna have a bar you're gonna have to get certificates and pay a shit load to sell alcohol.

What size venue is this going to be?

[suprefan]

Who do you know that has conections with bands/labels/radio? Are you going to try and aim for more local and small bands in general or be the venue that gets the up and coming act and the occasional big act also? Geting a liquor license will do wonders, but then age restrictions on shows could be an issue if you had to, but I doubt its a problem.

[sonny]

Personally I'd think you'd be better off booking shows at local venues first. Try even touring with a band as a tour manager/merch guy just so you understand what it's like for a band to be in a new city every day and how booking agents and venues handle tours and stuff.

One thing I'd think about is to make sure it's in a part of town kids will go to/want to be. One of my favorite punk/hardcore clubs is in Alphabet City. There's like a basketball court, a park where kids skate, a guitar shop, and a bunch of pizza places all within a block or two. And this isn't really an issue in NYC, but transportation to the venue is really easy.

[shayne the kid]

Thanks guys. I am not too worried about the website solution. I mean I know how to design websites and money isn't really a problem when it comes to hosting it.

Also, it is going to be volunteer oriented. I am going to to work out a system like another local venue where you volunteer for half the show, and the other half you get to see for free. I already have about 20-30 kids who want to volunteer.

For the booking part, there is a local booker in Eugene/Portland area, Mike Thrasher. I am planning on hiring him for a while, maybe a year contract and once my place picks up momentum and I get my foot in the industry, I can take things over on my own.

To keep things easy at first, we aren't going to serve alcohol, but eventually we will.

The ticketing system will be through ticketswest, I have been talking to them already.

As for the sound, there is a group of local DJ's who are going to lease to me their sound equipment for nearly free, after that we will eventually buy our own sound.

I want it to be a mix of both since we don't really have a venue for either. A lot of local bands playing with up and coming acts as well as small time shows.

I used to volunteer at the WOW hall in Eugene and helped book some shows before so I kind of have an idea for it.

As for the location, I though of that too, there is a good place to lease downtown on Broadway street that has rear access through an ally with a loading dock. And it's right around the corner from the bus station. Ample parking at a parking garage 2 blocks down.