14 Publicity Officer Handover Document

The publicity officer is generally responsible for advertising and promoting concerts, as well as
talking to potential advertisers, creating programmes, updating the ULMS noticeboard, and
maintaining a good public image for the society across campus.

14.1 Concerts

Regular concerts include the following: Concerto Concert, Big Swing Events (generally at least 2 per
year), Freshers’ Concert, ULMS Christmas Concert, Proms/Summer Showcase.

Other concerts will appear irregularly throughout the year, e.g. anniversary concerts, ULMS By The
Bar gigs (8 in one term, all of which posters were produced for), etc.

• For each of these, posters should be made and distributed around town and campus with at
least one week before the concert.
• Facebook events should similarly be created and shared via the ULMS page.
• For some of the larger events programmes will be needed to be made.
- (These will be covered in separate sections)

14.2 Proms/Summer Showcase

I was not Publicity Officer for the 2017 Proms/Summer Showcase and so cannot advise past the
things I have previously done for normal gigs. This is taken from the 2016 Publicity Officer’s
handover, as the publicity officer for the 2017 Summer Showcase is no longer with us. However,
most should be relatively similar to normal concert procedure, simply on a grander scale.

• Create a plan of what needs doing and by when in order to keep everyone on top of
publicity as there is often the need to chase up people so you need to ensure that the
deadlines which you give people are far enough in advance for if some people are after the
deadline (programme should be completed ideally two weeks before the concert in order to
allow time for printing).
• Logo competition – President will usually sort this out.
• Poster needs to be produced and distributed.
• Programme – each ensemble rep needs to write a short report about what their ensemble
has done in the year. Every conductor should write a short biography (use previous years
programme as a template) and they should also give you a photograph. The programme will
also require a welcome message from the president. You can fill any blank space in the
programme with any photos – remember to ask for permission to use photos if you didn’t
take them.
• Radio announcement – Bay FM.
• Newspaper advert – for Proms 2016 we put an advert in the Northern Life magazine;
however, this wasn’t necessarily worth the money, so it may be worth looking into getting
an advert in the Lancaster Guardian instead.
• Lead up to Proms – in 2015 it was done in the form of the blog with a variety of blog posts
from each ensemble and last year I did it by photos on Instagram – it may be worth doing
something like this again just to make people aware of it every so often.
14.3 Freshers’ Concert

• Posters for around campus should be produced and stuck up all over campus. 2017 I went
around and posted 40 posters of each of the major ensembles (i.e. 280 posters in total).
Don’t just limit yourself to noticeboards. Pillars are just as good.
• Create flyers for the freshers’ fair. Make sure you and the exec are on hand to go up and
down the line handing out flyers and talking to people about the society.
• Flyers produced prior to freshers’ concert.
• Post on the ULMS Facebook page and ULMS Instagram prior to freshers’ week.
• Also post on the Lancaster University fresher Facebook pages prior to and as people arrive at
uni.
• Create an event for the concert and post it to ULMS Socials and the ULMS Facebook page.
Hopefully ensemble reps should encourage people to join/like these pages respectively;
however, a helpful poke would be good depending on the quality of the reps.

14.4 Concert Poster Checklist

• Interesting design.
• Try to use artwork rather than clipart.
• I tried to work with artists from around the world, most recently the French-Polish artist and
violinist Alexi LeFay.
• Event Title, Date, Time, Location, Where are tickets available from, Contact Details (either
email secretary or the facebook event link or the link to LUSU for tickets)
• On some posters it is worth mentioning which groups will be performing.
• Try to have a colour scheme that grabs the eye.
• Alter the contrast and brightness to add definition to your posters so that the lights attract
the eye (darks don’t but lights only do when they are juxtapositioned with dark).
• Be innovative.
• Worth using outside companies to print professionally despite the extra cost. Helloprint has
been used previously, as have other companies. Worth looking around but also worth
getting them in early, so we have them in advance.
• Remember the ULMS logo.
• Flier on campus, the library, the Gregson, hairdressers, Sainsburys, the Dukes, the Castle, the
library, shops/cafes, the venue of the concert, every bar should take them - if not speak to
Claire Tomlinson, say I sent you, and shortly afterwards they will take them.

14.5 Programmes

• I found this to be the single hardest job when on exec because it relies on other people.
• The reps this time were very slow for the Christmas Concert so keep on top of them.
• Good way to structure this is to have the setlist, band bio, and conductor bio on the same 2-
page spread.
• Always worth advertising other ULMS events at the end.
• Maybe advertise other allied society events if they will do the same for us – i.e. LUTG.

14.6 Radio Advertisement

 • Useful contacts at this moment are Adam Bragan (Head of programming at Bailrigg FM) and
Sam Possible (Head of Bailrigg FM publicity and website management)
• Useful to make contacts with Beyond Radio – Callum Elliot is useful (Callum Breadsticks Elliot
on facebook). Callum is a cracking guy.
• Useful to make contacts with Bay Radio – Chris Rodowicz. Really great guy and amazing kit
player.

14.7 Local Facebook Pages

• Lancaster Funk Club (but you need to be a member).

• Local Sounds of the City.
• Lancaster & Morecambe Musicians Forum.
• Lancaster University Bands & Musical Acts.
• Morecambe and Lancaster Musicians Group
• ULMS – University of Lancaster Music Society

14.8 Useful Contacts in Town

• Paul Thurston at Lancaster & Morecambe Visitors’ Centre

• Ben McCabe is a useful contact for the town itself. Use Facebook.
• Chris Rodowicz is a useful contact for the Gregson Centre. Use Facebook.
• Claire Tomlinson is a useful contact for the John O’Gaunt. Use Facebook.
• Ben Ruth previously ran the Lancaster Music Festival (he is not the best of people to contact
- number is 079-084-95549 . Rebecca (Becca) Pattison is head of their marketing, dead easy
to get along with, and incredibly helpful. But! Get requests in early as she gets busy quickly.
She also does D&C and Bombarda Brass so gets busy! (ex-ULMS player too for the big band) -
useful dep if required. Number is 075-928-85081.
• Anthony Mark Cutter (referred to as Mark) is the current owner of the Apothecary. Use
Facebook.
• Scouse Rachel is a useful contact for the Stonewell Tavern. 07530 757423.
• Clifford Williams is a very useful contact with many fingers in many pies. Very useful to get in
touch with if you need a favour. Use Facebook.
• Matt Robinson runs Lancaster Jazz Festival. Use Facebook.