#event creation

Let us go to the core of every event creator; Inspiration. What inspired you to pick up creating events for the performance genre?

“It was an accident, actually. I applied for Keeper's Kiss almost two and a half years ago, and they had slots for performers. I was like: I don't know what this is, but okay. I had to audition, and that's when I wrote my first story. Then I got addicted, and wanted to do something like that on my own. So I went out and started up the troupe -- I was working on the foundation of it for ages before I finally made the leap. ” 

What are some of the challenges you face when you run your events? 

With a performance FC, the hardest part of putting everything together is getting the acts. We have a good space, I've MCed a thousand times, we have a good strong core of members -- it's a matter of getting enough acts. A lot of times, performers need to drop out and that means constant adjustment to the line-up. Once the event starts, if you have a good line-up, the event just rolls right on through, it has its own momentum. We had the circus yesterday, and our line-up was so great that two hours passed really really fast.

Have you ever been concerned about competition from events in the same time-slot? 

Not particularly - performance RP isn't everyone's cup of tea, and variety is what makes Balmung what it is. I find it stressful enough to worry about my own shows and getting them all set up and put together. We also have one of the more unique performance FCs, in that we're always trying to push ourselves a little further with what the game can handle and how we can make that into a better act. 

When you run events so often, something we’ve come to wonder is feedback- Arguably, some of the most difficult thing to get your hands on. Have people ever whispered you and thanked you? Have you ever received critique? 

I get thanked by the performers more than those who attend the audience. The shows run smoothly, the actors are all making friends really easily, it's really a fun and supportive environment for them. I've gotten told we put on a good show, but I've never gotten thanked. Once, I had someone get upset that our acts weren't cohesive enough for them and they told me off, though. 

Advertising is everything! Where do you advertise, and how often? 

We advertise through multiple discords and tumblr, mostly - we have an officer to post the RPC stuff, but they haven't been on in a while. We see a lot more recruits through the RPC than through anything else, though. I post across the discords two hours before a show, and we always release our posters two weeks before the events. I reblog it as often as I see it, or about three or four times per show onto my personal blog. I should probably pay more attention to WHEN other than that -- but I don't. XD

Who do you admire in the event creator landscape community? What have you learned from attending other people's events?

I really have come to admire people who can plan the events that span two, three, four different FCs. I want to do more of those, the coordination they take is amazing.  From attending other events, I've come to learn a lot about keeping the momentum of a show going, and what audiences are looking for in terms of how long, how fast, how venue and decor sets the theme of the show

What advice would you give to a brand new event running personer?

Don't be afraid to delegate and ask for help. You can't run an event alone, and the people you surround yourself with when you're working will help make it amazing.

Do you have a big dream event you hope to pull off in your career?  What is your next event?

WELL our dream event is a full on opera. One of my officers is a composer for a day job. And he's been working on writing a full-on opera, with original music, for the Fantasia Players to perform. And the next show we are doing is a summer festival, which we are going to start collaborating with other people for - one of those nice big outdoor events!

Are there any other thoughts you’d like to share with the rest of the community? 

Housing is not the beginning and the end of an FC. When I started, we didn't have a house. We performed at other venues and we had our 'home base' in another FC's basement.  A lot of people tried to tell me that without a house, my FC would never be legitimate, but those early shows were some of our best.

We here at Curious-Balmung definitely agree with that! Once upon a time, all events were open-world. Just because we now have housing, does not mean you can’t run good events - or a good FC for that matter - without a house. Don’t let the housing war get you down!