Q & A
Each month, MusicBizAdvice.com answers your questions about the music industry.
Education for
Venue Management or Live Events Management?
Q. I'm a 20 year-old student very interested in the live music venue
business. I am wondering what kind of education is out there for this kind
of work? I noticed Gina
Zamparelli mentioned some type of courses in the
Backstage Spotlight article about
concert promotion and
venue management.
A. There are quite a few programs worldwide, if you know where to
look. Different colleges and universities list them under various headings,
and the courses are different for each, so it's imperative that you read
the course listings for each program to see which school's program meets
your needs. (In your case, you don't want to end up in a Entertainment
Management program that focuses on artist management instead of venue
management, for example.)
Some degree programs that may include venue management courses:
Entertainment Management, Sports Management, Sports Marketing, Event
Management, Music Management, and Meeting, Conference and Event Management.
Some programs might even be under Live Event Management or Live
Entertainment Marketing. Again, read each course list thoroughly to be sure
that school's program includes classes in your chosen area. At most
universities in the US these programs fall under the area of Business
Administration...but not always, as a few schools have large enough
entertainment studies departments to support their own programs.
You should also note that not all programs are created equal. Some are full
degree programs, some are certificates offered for post-grad studies, etc..
I recommend degree programs or post-grad certificate programs rather than
"trade school" type programs: in this decade's music industry climate, it's
likely that at some point you'll work for a venue owned or operated by Clear
Channel (one of the largest concert venue owners/event producers in the US)
or a sports team...both of which have corporate climates whose HR
departments will want new hires to be degreed candidates. Venues that don't
require degreed candidates for new hire positions in upper management will
be rare, the exception being the candidate with a couple of decades of
proven live event success at large venues.
A lot of Internet searching and a talk with a good librarian and your
guidance counselors will help unearth the right program for you. Because the
entertainment industry is an usual profession, most guidance counselors have
very little expertise in it and may have trouble directing you. But if
you're clear about what you want to do and what the position entails, a good
counselor will try. Failing that, you might also make a telephone
appointment with a department head in the music or drama department; you
never know what resources they may have. Also, If your university has a
major sports venue that is used for booking national talent, ask one of your
instructors or guidance counselors to help you get an appointment with the
venue manager for an information interview. (They're very busy people, so
this is sometimes your only way in.) This will show your instructor or
counselor you're serious and make them more likely to help you later.
Finally, internships will be of vital importance, so if you live near a
major sports or concert venue or there's one at your university that books
national acts, try to get any job you can--even if it's at the concession
stand. (Being an usher or working in the box office would be especially
valuable.) Get on your college events committee, too. All this will help you
put you in a position to learn the lingo and be a sponge, and will be great
for your resume.
Meanwhile, here are links for a few of the programs out there. There are
many more not listed here, and these are listed as suggestions only. We
haven't personally checked them out and don't endorse any particular
program.
http://www.mgt.smsu.edu/em/faq.html
A great FAQ for the program at South Missouri State University. (An
excellent FAQ, regardless of where you wish to attend.)
http://www.em.smsu.edu/faq.htm
Southwest Missouri State University Entertainment Management Program. (Event
management, venue management, or sports management.)
http://umtentertainment.org/overview.html
University Montana-Missoula School of Business Administraton: Entertainment
Management studies program which includes venue management.
http://www.scps.nyu.edu/departments/department.jsp?deptId=21
New York University (NYU) Certificate in Meeting, Conference, and Event
Management, or Certificate in Sports Marketing
http://www.business.uts.edu.au/acem/education.html
Sydney, Australia: University of Technology Sydney; UTS Australian Centre
for Event management.
http://www.jimiscollege.com/managementmusiccoursedetails.htm
London, England: Jimis College Course outline; Music management courses.
www.jimiscollege.com
JIMIS college has locations in the UK, Portugal, Canada, and Kenya. Not all
locations may offer all courses.
Good luck!
Randi Reed
Editor-in-Chief /Founder
MusicBizAdvice.com
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