Live Performance Venue Accelerator Program - Round 2
Published on 27 September 2024
Eligible hospitality businesses can develop relevant skills to diversify into live performance venues through specialist workshops, covering marketing, programming and essential equipment training.
Accelerator Program benefits
The intended benefits for successful applicants from the Accelerator Program include:
- An individual and free acoustic appraisal of their venue
- A series of skill building workshops delivered by subject matter experts
- Networking opportunities
- One-on-one coaching from subject matter and industry experts.
Round 2 of the Accelerator Program will start in early January 2025 with an acoustic appraiser visiting your venue.
The workshops will commence in February 2025 with an in-person bootcamp in Sydney, followed by a series of online workshops over the following six weeks.
Program content
Workshop topics and coaching sessions with SMEs may include the following modules:
- Vision
- Exploring and defining your venue's vision for a live performance program.
- Business model and financials
- Understanding how to create a long-term performance program based on the vision. This will include a deep dive into costs and revenue potential.
- Space acoustics and sound management
- Best-practice sound mitigation, equipment and systems setup, and good neighbour practices.
- Programming
- How to find and engage with appropriate artists, curation and scheduling fundamentals, and contracting best-practice. This also includes opportunities to hear from artists, agents and partners.
- Marketing and audience development
- Building and engaging with a new audience, including social media, performance marketing, and analytics.
- Brand and venue partnerships
- How to identify suitable partners and pitch to them.
- Planning and DA (Development Application) - optional
- What to expect if planning to undertake capital works.
Who can apply?
Existing small to medium hospitality venues in NSW who meet the eligibility criteria.
The ideal candidates are venues who do not currently stage a regular calendar of live performances and have a desire to diversify their business by doing so (refer to Assessment Considerations below).
The Program would suit a venue that has an existing space that could be dedicated to live performance, without needing to undergo significant structural alterations to the venue.
A maximum of one Accelerator application will be accepted per venue. If an applicant owns more than one venue, they can submit an application for each eligible venue. Each eligible application will be assessed separately on its own merits.
Applicants must meet all eligibility criteria and provide evidence as requested in the application form.
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