If you haven’t heard of Carissa Squadroni, aka Grrrissa,
just wait! It won’t be long until this
badass chick will be known all over the U.S.!
Yea, she’s a gorgeous woman but looks aren’t all this girl has! She’s a mother, booking agent, event
coordinator, promoter, bartender, cosmetologist, musician, entrepreneur,
model…..(taking a breath), body piercer, AND she owns her own production company, Heavy Rebel Productions. Whew!
If she hasn’t done it yet, I’m sure she will!
She’s from Mishawaka, Indiana, which is
right outside of South Bend, Indiana.
(If you still don’t know what I’m talking about, it’s where Notre Dame
is. ...Ahhh haaa, I bet you got it now!) Anyhoo, she’s always working on some kind of
event, whether it’s promoting or planning the whole da*&n thing! So, I decided she’s the perfect local
professional to talk to. Check out our
convo!
Me:
“Carissa, I know you work with a lot of bands, whether it’s locally or
nationally. Do you have any problems
with the artists when it comes to negotiating prices for the performances? Also, what are your positional bargaining
tactics?”
Carissa: “I occasionally have problems but it varies
depending on the show and certain situations. When I'm booking, normally, at the
bar we usually do a $500 guarantee. Sometimes
they also want food and drinks. Local bands don’t charge as much because they
don't have a large following of people that come out, so I'll usually go by a
certain percentage of the drawer for that.
For my larger events I charge a cover at the door and the bands split it
then I get a percentage of the bar sales. It really varies on the band and
such. Usually I will only negotiate if I know the band will bring a lot of
people in. If not, then I won’t have
anything to do with them. When I deal
with national acts, I usually only book the ones I can afford and know I will
at least break even because I don’t have a lot of money to put down on a
deposit. If I really want a band that I cant afford, then on occasion, I'll
find a check writer. When booking, I usually ask if they have a guarantee and
go from there. I tell them what we can offer depending on the business they
bring in, but like I said, for national bands it’s a little different (much
harder) process. They don't negotiate well.
Others are cool about it because they’re just looking for extra shows as
they’re passing through here to go to another one.”
Me:
“Ok, so working with local bands seems to be easier. Have you negotiated a deal with a local band
that has benefitted you both?”
Carissa: “The scene around here isn't that great. Not many people come out to shows. It’s getting better but it’s still a bit over
saturated. So, in this business, it
mostly depends on business whether both parties are benefitted. Anytime I negotiate a fair percentage of the
drawer seems to be best for both parties but usually lower for the bands. If we do a cover at the door, they get to
keep the door, and that’s usually the best bet. My best strategy is acting like
we're superior. As in we really don’t
need ‘em knowing they need and want to get playtime. With that, they'll usually start off with the
lowest price, then if they bring in a lot of business ill throw ‘em some extra.”
Me:
“Okay, okay. I like your
style. Either take it or leave it! HA! All right, one more question and I’ll leave
you back to your busy, busy life. What
type of personality usually comes out when you are negotiating to make a good
deal?”
Carissa: “I'm a little too fair to be an extremely
great business woman because generosity doesn’t work too well but I’m happy
with doing the best I can so both parties are happy! In the end it works better
for the bar.”
Me:
“Yea, unfortunately being nice and fair doesn’t usually get people far
in the business world, but lucky for you, you are doing great! Thank you for your time!”
Ladies and Gentlemen, that was Carissa
aka Grrrissa!
To keep up with this lovely lady, you
can check out her website, Heavy Rebel Productions, or add her on
Facebook (Grrrissa). She’s pretty entertaining on
Facebook too.
Thanks Carissa!
Make sure to check out her latest event, Rebelween!
