Booking an artist for your event takes a lot of planning. But while you are setting up all the details, you may want to consider booking artists for performances on weekdays, and not just the weekends. Why would you do that when weekend events seem to be so popular? Take a look at these reasons why it pays to book on weekdays.

Negotiate a cheaper fee for the artist

Weekends are in high demand. Many artists are asked to perform for weekend events, and that means they can be booked up quickly. That’s because most people do not have to work on the weekend, or have reduced hours on weekends, and so the majority of people are more likely to go out and look for entertainment on weekends. Available artists are likely to get booked for these days easily. After all, there are only two weekend nights every week.

And that is where a booking agent can come in and pick up weekday shows. These shows can be a good way to round out your income while helping the artist and venue to make more money too. And because the artist is less likely to have high demand on these days, you may be able to strike a deal for a lower performance fee.
 

 
Of course, an artist still wants to make as much money as they possibly can. So don’t think that you’re going to get someone good for cheap just because it’s a weekday. Artist fees vary widely, and you still need to make sure you go with someone you can afford in your budget. What we’re talking about is fee savings that give you some wiggle room in your budget, not rock bottom prices. That being said, those savings really can make a difference, especially when you’re first trying to get your booking business going.

Be aware that even though artists have lesser demand on weekdays, they will likely try to charge you their higher fee price first. Obviously they are not going to quote you a lower price if they think they can get the full fee. Don’t be afraid to negotiate based on what they seem to be taking for weekday shows, or even a price that you think is reasonable for such a show based on their usual weekend fee. They are likely to agree to the reduced weekday price because they would otherwise not have any work for that night.

Negotiate a cheaper fee for the venue

In addition to paying the artist fee, you’ll also need to pay to rent the venue for each show you book. Different venues charge different fees, but you will find that many of them are willing to take a lower price for a weekday show. Again, the venue will likely quote you their standard fee price. It will be up to you to negotiate for a lower weekday fee, even if the venue at first states they have a set rental fee.

When negotiating, remember that the venue profits more from getting a weekday show booked than they do from holding out for a higher fee when they may not get booked at all for that night. If demand is low and no one else is asking for that night, they will likely take your offer, given that it is reasonable based on what they usually charge.
 

 
Another way you can give yourself an advantage in negotiations with the venue is to set up a deal where you get a percentage of the bar if you are able to bring in a minimum number of ticket sales. By meeting that minimum, you can then recoup some of your venue rental cost on bar sales. The more people you bring in, the more bar sales the venue will make. So negotiating an agreement to bring in a certain number of people on a weekday night can be valuable enough for the venue to share the bar. This may work better than trying to get an upfront discount on the venue rental price because with this arrangement the venue doesn’t lose money if you don’t hit your minimum in ticket sales.

Keep in mind that the venue needs to recoup their costs whether your booking is successful or not, so they are not going to go significantly lower on their fee. The risk falls on you to make sure you make back your costs with ticket sales.

The venue is more likely to be available

 
You will probably find that the venue you want is more likely to be available for weekdays, whereas weekend openings tend to fill up quickly. This means that if you are planning to do a weekday show anyway, it may be even easier to get the date you want. And getting the date you want helps to ensure that the artist you are working with is available and agrees to the same date. Your artist will also be more likely to have an opening since most promoters book on weekends. This availability is precisely why you can negotiate for better deals on weekday shows.

Also, many venues reserve their weekend days for artists with the biggest draws. So if you are working with an up and comer, asking the venue to book for a weekday could be the difference between getting an opening or not. Establishing a relationship with an up and coming artist can be extremely beneficial to your booking business. And weekday shows are one of the best ways to help build their reputation and establish their presence at venues.

Less competition on weekdays

 
One of the biggest advantages to setting up a weekday event is that you will have less competition for ticket sales. But if there is less demand and less competition for weekdays, doesn’t that mean you have a smaller chance of successfully making back the money you spend on the artist and venue? Not necessarily. First of all, plenty of people are willing to go out on a weekday night to see a particular artist, especially if you do a good job of promoting and making the performance look like an event, not just a regular weekday show by the same old local band. And second, you may not have to sell as many tickets to make a profit on a weekday since you saved money on all the fees for the artist and venue. However, you may find that it is fairly easy to sell those weekday tickets because of the lower ticket price than a weekend show would cost.
 

 
How easy it is to get a good turnout for your weekday event also depends upon the type of crowd you are catering to. For instance, college students are quite likely to be okay with attending a weekday night performance. So if you are booking an artist that draws this age group, you have a good chance at a successful weekday night show. If the artist you are booking is more likely to draw an older crowd, you could have difficulty finding enough people who are willing to buy tickets to an event when they know they will have to get up for work the next morning. Targeting the right audience is essential to putting on a good event in general, but it espsecially holds true for a weekday event.

When it’s done right, booking weekday shows can be a lucrative option for your business. Get more tips for running a successful booking business by continuing to follow our blog.