Beyonce's Tour Sells Out and Brings Controversy

Mega pop star Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has become quite the controversial figure since Super Bowl 50. She used the big game as a platform to promote the Black Panthers and criticize police brutality. Beyoncé and her dancers donned black berets along with bandoliers during the performance. Yet her social activism certainly hasn't hit her in the pocketbook. Most of the stops on her upcoming Formation world tour have already sold out. The tour is scheduled to launch this month in Miami. It is the singer's first tour since her Mrs. Carter World Tour in 2013. Though most of the tickets to Beyoncé's tour sold out quickly, it appears as though she might run into some problems due to her willingness to take a stance against police corruption. Her alliance with the Black Panthers has resulted in the National Police Union, known as the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), deciding to boycott the singer's upcoming concert in Miami. It will be interesting to see how security is handled at a show of this magnitude. The concert is scheduled to take place on April 26 in the Marlins Stadium. Beyoncé has refused to comment on the matter as of this article's publish date.

The Miami chapter of the FOP made the decision to boycott Beyoncé's Miami show through a democratic vote. The local union's president, Lieutenant Javier Ortiz, actually called on police officers across the country to boycott all of the Formation shows. The FOP believes that Beyoncé improperly used her Super Bowl 50 platform to spread what the police union describes as an “anti-police message”. Police across the country clashed with the Black Panthers during race riots that took place decades ago. Lieutenant Ortiz has not stated whether the boycott of Beyoncé's Miami concert is applicable to police officers across Miami, those who work in Dade county or only those who are members of the union.

Beyoncé's Formation World Tour will likely take place without a hitch. Beyoncé could hire private security for the event. It is also possible that enough police officers or non-union officers will make themselves available for the Miami show and any other shows that are boycotted by the police. Fans will undoubtedly have a blast at the show regardless of the political activism surrounding the tour. All in all, the tour's producer, Parkwood Entertainment, has sold just under one million total tickets. A number of shows have sold out in addition to the Miami date. The demand for tickets is so strong that seconds shows have been scheduled for May 28 at Chicago's Soldier Field and July 3 at Wembly Stadium in London. Fans who want to put a positive twist on the somewhat negative energy surrounding the show can do so by participating in the singer's #BeyGOOD initiative designed to support Miami's United Way program. Be sure to follow @beygood on Twitter to learn more.

Melodies in Midtown

Allegro Entertainment presents host Jawan Strader from NBC6. Jawan will get the party started for the inaugural Melodies in Midtown at our Pavilion Studio in Miami on Saturday, September 28 from 7PM to close.  Joining Jawan and performing live will be Tracy Night, Jay Wray and the 4 Lyfe Band, DJ Genesis and DJ Meat.  Hardcore Dancehall fans will feel the raw energy and experience Miami’s newest club scene.

Get early bird tickets now on Groupon. If you missed out on the discounted tickets, don't stress out - you can buy them on eventbrite too.

"The 2nd Annual Evening with the Stars" - Clothing Line Launch & Concert!!! Hosted by NBC 6 Jawan Strader

CHARLES KING PARIS will launch a Clothing Line. Charles King´s Spirit is Refinement Luxury and Passion. Pure Artistic Creations for Exclusive Limited Editions Handcraft Textile Embellishment with Fine Embroideries. Metal and Crystal Inserts for Exceptional Collections...for the Fashionable Eye! An Evening with the "Stars" & LYFE Management Group Launch Party - - The second annual "Evening with the 'Stars'" where Sponsors, Volunteers, Supporters, Celebrities and our LYFE Management Group Clients will be in attendance. A night filled with Music, Food, Drinks and Door Prizes!!!

A star studded event with Special invited Guest and most importantly our Clients and Supporters!!!

This is an event you don't want to miss!!!

Concert - - Featuring "Jay Wray & the Music 4 LYFE Band" - Tracey Night Music - Zipporah Live Dj Genesis & DJ Meat

$45 includes Entrance, 2 Drink Tickets and Door Prizes!!!

Facebook Checkin - A buzz worthy boost for venues in Miami

With over 1.1 billion active users, representing an increase in excess of 23 percent in the last year alone, and over 150 billion (yes, you read that right) friend connections, Facebook is THE social network. What do these numbers say, aside from suggesting how great it would have been for your bank account had you personally invented the social networking giant? In short, these staggering statistics suggest that if we're not harnessing the massive power of Facebook to increase attendance at our events, we are missing a major opportunity to promote and grow our businesses and brands.

Savvy event marketers consistently use Facebook to generate event awareness, drive registration and increase ticket sales through the creation of well-marketed Events pages. However, recent changes to Facebook now allow attendees to "Check In" live to events in Florida and all over the world, in the same way that they would to a physical place or venue on other social networking platforms. The result is exponential visibility: not only does an attendee's entire social network see the initial RSVP, but they also are reminded through the real-time check in that key events are happening right now at venues in Miami, and there's still time for them to get in on the action.

By encouraging your attendees to check in on Facebook during the registration process, you maximize the visibility of event spaces in Miami with minimal input and expense at your end. Users can also check in to the event location through Facebook's "Places" feature, which throws some high-profile attention in the direction of the venue hosting your event, as well.

If you're not using Facebook to promote your event--both through event RSVPs and check ins--you're missing out a major source of buzz. And as we all know in the world of event planning and venues, without buzz, you're bunk.

Using apps for event planning

If you are looking for event planning tools, there are a plethora of mobile apps available to help you plan, coordinate, and promote your event. Let’s take a look at some of the many event management apps available today, with a quick description of what they can help users accomplish.

WhereEvent

WhereEvent lets you post events and sorts them by city. Users sort to events that are taking place by searching by their city.

Super Planner

A business app for the pro. Super Planner can help determine a venues capacity, and what is needed for staffing, catering, staging, projection, and even the amount of dance floor needed.

Event Espresso

Registration and ticket managing plug-in that includes printable tickets, seating charts and even a payment gateway for tickets.

OotoWeb

They offer an attendee management tool for simple to complex meeting scenarios as well as a Mobile Event Guide, which lets you create a mobile capable website that can send alerts and updates.

All Seated

All Seated keeps the event planner, venue, vendors and anyone who needs to be “in the loop” on the same page with updated seated charts, vendor space, guests lists and more.

Bloodhound

Scan badges and business cards. Upload and manage your event. Change event times and make announcements as you need to. Bloodhound is an event guide and marketing tool.

EventBrite

Lets you manage and promote your event and handles the sales on tickets online.

Evernote

Evernote is just a great, solid app for helping you to remember everything and keeping all of your great ideas in one place. What event planner can’t use a little help with that?

If you are looking for event space in Miami, consider the 65,000 square foot, multi-purpose Soho Studios. Soho Studios offers premier event space in the trendy Wynwood District of Miami, home of the prestigious Art Basel Miami. We are a versatile space, serving as a photography studio Miami artists have become extremely found of, to being known as one of the more active party venues Miami pulses to. If you are looking for a world class venue for your concert, trade show, convention or meeting in Southern Florida, we invite you to discover Soho Studios.t a great, solid app for helping you to remember everything and keeping all of your great ideas in one place. What event planner can’t use a little help with that?

Attracting the right Trade Show attendees

From November through March, there are trade shows in Miami every week. Industry events and conventions are common in this city that has so much to offer. There are many details to putting together a successful trade show. You'll need the right venue, logistics, vendors, ticketing and so much more. Trade shows however, cannot succeed unless you are attracting the right trade show attendees.

Certainly there are the traditional sources of marketing like trade magazines, but there are some additional ways to attract the right attendees. Let’s take a look.

LinkedIn

By its very nature LinkedIn is almost custom made to attract the right trade show attendees. Look for like-minded groups or start your own. LinkedIn is all about networking and trade shows are certainly a great vehicle for that.

Facebook

Make sure you have an event page and you invite people to it. Every day talk about the variety of events and vendors that will be at your event. Be sure to mention some of the other lures of the city, including South Beach.

Create a Trade Show App.

There are companies that can customize an app specifically for your trade show. These apps can offer discounts, keep attendees updated, encourage referrals, and build anticipation. They also have a variety of uses during your event, like sending reminders and promoting vendors.

Don’t Forget Regional Marketing

While your trade show may attract attendees from throughout the country, you can market to those within driving distance. These people will find attending the event more cost effective. This can be done through press releases to regional media, and of course by targeting like-minded companies within the region directly.

If you are looking for the premier multi-purpose event space Miami has to offer, we invite you to tour Soho Studios. Our 65,000 square foot facility has been used for events for such globally recognized companies as Puma, Evian, Ford Motor Company, Telemundo and America Apparel.

Our staff of experienced professionals will help you create an event that will be positively reviewed for months to come. Contact Soho Studios for a Miami, Florida trade show that will impress!

Would you buy concert tickets from Facebook?

For years concert promoters have recognized that concert tickets are best sold by word of mouth. With the Facebook Buy Ticket button, word of mouth ticket sales have taken a big stride with social media.

Facebook’s Buy Ticket button allows music lovers to buy concert tickets right from their Facebook page. The online ticket sales app will post the purchase to the user’s news feeds, and allow them to invite others to the show. The app promises to spread the word of tickets sales online more quickly through the social media giant.

Not only is the app expected to help promote and sell concert tickets, but it also is tied in with Spotify. This relationship tracks the type of music the Facebook user is interested in and can make them aware when artists they listen to will be performing in their area. This particular application also ties in the "likes" of a Facebook user, making it a powerful marketing tool especially when used for lesser known artists who do not get mainstream press.

At Soho Studios, we are the premier concert and event space Miami has available. While there are lots of party venues Miami offers, our facility has a staff experienced in setting up every type of concert, from intimate acoustical performances to arena style shows. Our 65,000 square foot, versatile facility located in Miami’s trendy Wynwood District, has been host to shows like Art Basel Wynwood. Soho Studios is even used as a photography studio Miami photographers have come to rely on for our creative use of space. Our list of worldwide customers includes Ford Motor, Absolut, Telemundo, Evian and Puma.

If you are considering staging or promoting a concert in South Florida and selling tickets online, consider employing use of the Facebook Buy Ticket button, and consider working with us at Soho Studios. From planning through promotion through post-concert wrap-up, we will be there to help make all your events in Miami a success.

Tips on picking an event promoter

Working with event promoters should be an exciting, energetic experience. Sadly, in the event planning process, all too often an event promoter can over-promise and under-produce. However if you are looking at event space in Miami there are some great promoters.

Here are some tips on picking the good ones.

Passion

Look for promoters who are passionate about their work. Event promotion is not an easy job, so those who are successful love it, and that passion should show. Enthusiasm is contagious.

Network

Great promoters have large networks of contacts, friends, and associates who can help get the word out about the event. Find out about their media relationships with local TV, radio and print. A diverse network can also help out in the event of a problem.

References

You’ll want to talk with bands and venues about an event promoter. You’ll get feedback that can quickly help you find the right person.

Experience

Promoting a music festival in Miami is different than promoting an industry trade show. It’s important to find an event promoter with a proven success rate promoting your particular type of event.

People Skills

Look for an event promoter that can work well with everyone involved in your event. People who have and use good people skills build longer lasting, trusting relationships.

Organization

Everyone gets busy, but you don’t want an important piece of paperwork overlooked or a meeting missed when planning your event. Organization is a key quality of a good event promoter.

Social Media Skills

Especially in music promotions, finding an event promoter who is skilled in social media is critical. Social media can start a fire about your event and you want a promoter who has the matches.

Everyone wins when an event is promoted successfully, whether it is a fashion show, a launch party or a car show. Be sure you keep these event promotion tips in mind to ensure that your next event is a great success!

Selling concert tickets online

These days if you are planning an event you need to provide the ability to buy tickets online. Thankfully, there are online ticket resources available that make it easy and secure. When you sell concert tickets online it increases your odds of success, help track your marketing efforts, and can result in quicker cash flow. If you want to know how to sell concert tickets online, and what options are available, we provided some resources below.

Event Espresso

Event Espresso is a WordPress plug-in that can put you in total control of your ticket sales without outsourcing. If you have multiple events you will find the event calendar useful, but Event Espresso has so much more. It has multiple ticket and pricing options, and the ability to collect payments immediately through a variety of payment options like Paypal and Authorize.net.

Ticket Web

Ticket Web is an online third party resource that you can use to sell your tickets, without creating your own ticket availability page. All you need is a browser and your event can be online quickly. Ticket Web is mobile capable, and even has the ability to get your event listed on Ticketmaster.

Event Brite

Event Brite can not only create an event and publish it online, it also has the ability to sell tickets online for your event. Event Brite offers the option for you to even accept donations that are appropriate for your event.

Ticket Bud

Ticket Bud offers flat fee pricing for your event so you know upfront what your ticket sales costs will be. They allow for event sponsorship integration to your event page, event page customization and they have a free ticket scanning app for Android and iOS. For events that are free, Ticket Bud offers a free events page.

Show Clix

This is another third party site that will take care of it all. You can use ShowClix to build an event page, and create multiple ticket types and discounts. They will provide you with reports and have in-house credit card processing and offer direct deposits. They also offer a free ticket scanning app and social media tools to help you promote your event. ShowClix charges your customers a service fee with no upfront fees or additional costs to the promoter.

There are many other third party and software vendors available for your online ticket sales, so find one that works best for your particular event.

If you are in search of party venues in Miami, contact us a Soho Studios. Our versatile state of the art spaces are available for concerts, parties, trade shows, conventions, exhibitions, concerts and photo shoots and more.

Step by Step Guide to Packing the House

Planning an event can make you feel like a professional juggler. You find yourself juggling all sorts of details from reserving the right venue to lining up entertainment. It  is not simply enough to plan out the event. You also need to do all the right things to promote it.

Putting time and energy into event promotions is necessary to generate buzz. You know you have done your job right when the event sells out. Your path to increasing ticket sales to sellout levels starts with incorporating these marketing strategies:

1. Create Media Partnerships

One effective way to garner immediate attention is to partner up with a prominent magazine or website that falls within a niche relevant to the event. Offer free tickets they can give away to their readers in exchange for promoting your event. It will earn your event instant credibility with their audience if they get involved.

2. Offer Early Bird Specials

Reward people who buy tickets to your event in advance. Structure ticket packages so that advance purchases can be made at a discount. That will bring a nice boost to selling tickets ahead of the event because people are always searching for good deals.

3. Advertise on Social Media

Use Facebook ad campaign and LinkedIn ad campaigns to promote the event to people within your industry. Create targeted ads for these social media channels that link directly to the event registration page. Keep your pages on these sites updated with information related to the event. You can also create a hashtag for Twitter that includes the event name and post tweets about the upcoming event with that hastag.

4. Promote Fun Features

Will a famous celebrity be headlining your event? Get the word out. Promote the entertainment you will be featuring at the event. Whether it is a famous athlete or a popular musician, good entertainment makes it easier selling tickets and creating a positive buzz.

5. Give Away Prizes

People love getting free swag. That's a fact of life. You can make your event a hit simply by offering tons of free swag to people who show up. Leverage sponsorships and partnerships to give away prizes and free goodies at your event.

What every event website should have

Promoting your event online takes more than just a Facebook page. Each event should have its own website and what it includes can be critical in the success of your event. If you are into event planning, knowing what should be included can empower you.

Ease of Use

Keep all of the important information upfront and visible. If your event is more complicated break it down into segments with easy to read click-thru buttons.

Sell the Location and Atmosphere

Each venue has its own style and assets. If you’ve chosen your venue properly, you’ll want to explain the benefits of it to your potential attendees. Include information about the location, atmosphere, parking, and acoustics. Selling the atmosphere can be a big plus that some event websites don’t take full advantage of.

Online Ticket Sales

Security issues can make selling tickets online more complicated that it may at first seem. That’s why dealing with an off-site vendor like TicketWeb is a great option. TicketWeb is a safe, easy way for promoters to offer online ticket sales to potential customers easily.

Videos

Video is becoming the most popular way to sell on the internet. It is also a great way to show attendees what they can expect. Keep in mind YouTube is a powerful search engine, and videos placed on YouTube and shown on your site can gain you valuable viewers.

Social Media

WordPress has an easy to use plug-ins that can help you spread the word through social media. These including Twitter, Google Plus, and Facebook. Winter Music Conference swears by social media when promoting their events, as has been said in past WMC panel discussions.

Valuable Event Plug-Ins

Other valuable plug-ins available for websites include:

For contact forms Gravity forms has a nice plug-in.

If your event includes speakers, TopQuark has an efficient way to get them listed on one web page, including a link to their bios and other info.

Want to live chat with site visitors while getting real time stats on where they are coming from? Check out Woopra.

At Soho Studios our experience in marketing events on the web can be an asset for you. We are pleased to help you in any way we can in making your event a success.