Old sayings hold true, for the most part. One that has plagued me, unfortunately, is "You never get a second chance at a first impression". This is especially true for promoters, not matter what you are promoting. A poor debut, or event, can kill your reputation and eventually your promotion. It is important that you present a very professional and entertaining product to your customers. We have to be realistic when dealing from the promoter’s side. No matter what you call it, you are a business. Your fans are your customers and therefore, your income. What you provide them will be the basis of your success or failure. Some people are made for promoting and some really have the want and drive to do it, but are better off in more of a "support" kind of role. Just because you want to be a promoter doesn't mean you can do it. The reality of promoting is that it is a lot of hard work and eating a spoon full of crap while smiling. I spoke with other promoters and compiled their suggestions for success - along with the things I've learned - and have finally put them to print. The topic of this article is making your show look like the BIG TIME.
I am notorious for refusing to allow others to do anything with my promotion. I have always been someone who has trouble allowing someone else to work with my ideas. I simply feel that allowing others to have a say in "my dream" makes it no longer "my dream”. I had to learn the hard way, and have slowly begun to loosen the reigns and let others help me. The reason: "one man shows" do not work and it shows. Overextending yourself will lead to so many problems. Not only will it affect the quality of your show, but it will have such and impact on you mentally and physically. Create a core base of people to help you. I have an excellent core group that I rely on. These are all people that I trust and they know what I want to do and where I want to go with my promotion. They also give it to me straight. There is no time for BS-ing. Just tell me like it is. My wife Chantell has been my best friend and partner for over 19yrs now. I trust her with every aspect of my life and I honestly would have nothing if it wasn't for her. She is the only person who can yank me back into line, when it is needed. I have to admit that I can get over-excited about an idea and need her to be that base that keeps me centered and concentrated on the whole picture. She is also the only person who handles finances. Let's be honest here, I will spend it if I have it and sometimes if I don't. She keeps the un-ending mountain of dead trees (aka receipts) in order and in an easily understood system. She also keeps me focused on deadlines and appointments. I have a lot of responsibilities and can be overwhelmed like anyone else. Rob Beals is my best bud and bro. He believes in what we are doing and is always thinking of ways to help improve. I can trust him to have my best interest at heart and know he will always push me forward. Donn Nadeau is more like family than a friend. We have known him since he was about 9yrs old. His mother is one of my wife's good friends and he grew up less than half a block away from us. He is now 20yrs old, in the Marine Corps Reserve, and works for the laborers union in Detroit. He has that youthful excitement that us older ones have kind of lost with time. He's always willing to get right into the mix with everything. On the other hand it's his youthful excitement that helps to get me into trouble, but that mainly happens at events like Bike Week or the Biker Rodeos. I have a lot of other people who help from time to time, but, these are my core group. We put a lot of hard earned hours into making things work, and it shows. There is a downfall to this as well. You have to make sure that, if it is your promotion, everyone realizes that. I had a problem with people trying to say they were my partner or it is our promotion or show. I had to put a stop to this. I am the one who owns the company, I am the one who puts it on the line, and have fronted all the money. No one else is going to come in and just think it's theirs. You want to be a partner, then flip half the bills, take responsibility for things, and be prepared to except blame if something goes wrong.
It doesn't matter if you are promoting in front of 200 people or 20,000, they should all walk away felling like they've been to the same quality of event. The product you present should "feel" the same no matter how much you made off of the event. It doesn't take a UFC Budget to do this either. You can present a very expensive and hi-tech looking event on a minimum wage budget. You have to look for the deals because they (normally) don't just fall in your lap. Just taking a few extra minutes can help improve your production tremendously. I like people feeling like they are at a "WWE" type of production. Not in the "soap opera" style story lines, but the feel of the setting. I have a huge entry way with fog machines and flashy lights. It isn't expensive, but it sure looks it is. I have light rigging, for venues where it is needed. My PA system is loud and clear. I have huge banners with my logo on them and they’re placed where they are very visible. I use an MC that works the crowd into a near frenzy. I have so little invested in my set up, that most people can't believe it. It's not that I don't like to spend money, I just didn't have it when I first started promoting, so I learned to find deals and it carries over to now. If the venue you are using has room for an entry way, use one. It makes the show a bigger spectacle for fans and fighters. They get to make this grand entrance and feel like a star for a little bit. The fans love it because it gives them this BIG TIME type feel for the show. An entry way can be done for next to nothing. I have Kennel Fencing that was used as a portable cage system. I am a Herpetologist and keep large crocodilians. It is one of my true passions and I used to do alligator shows at festivals and fairs. The alligators I did these shows with measured between 6 and 8 feet in length. I have 2 that are pushing 8 1/2 feet long. My actual career takes main stage and, with a promotion a few years back, I just didn't have the time to do the fair shows. I am a pack rat and kept the cage panels. These work perfectly as they look like the panels in the cage we use for the fights. Simply using other items to support and tie them together, I have a nice looking entry. Add a fog machine I have from Halloween and lights with flasher switches to create a strobing affect. Local beer distributors can make your banners in house that are very nice and will do it to advertise their business. The lighting rig I have for over my cage is extremely simple. It is metal tubing that bolts together in a square and holds 8 of those 1,000 watt shop lights. It looks like a pro set up and cost less than $100.
A good announcer will make your show that much bigger and bolder. I don't advise anyone to try and promote and announce. It is hard enough to keep all of the controlled confusion of an event under control. I personally use Phil Davey to handle the announcing at my events. Phil has been at it for a long time and really gets the crowd going. His antics keep everyone happy and entertained. A good announcer will be able to stretch out delays, which happen at almost every show. A good announcer is worthless if you can't hear them. Make sure you have a good sound system that covers your needs. You can get a decent 2,000 watt system for under $2,000. I have one that I picked up new for $1,200. You can get used systems for a lot less. You have to hunt for them, as most people think that you should pay the same amount for a system, that's a couple years old, as you would for one that's new.
Your staff and crew represent you and your promotion. Find a decent screen printer and have your own shirts made. You don't have to go overboard on the shirts. I use black shirts with white printing. I have my company name on the front and "Staff" on the back. It presents a more organized and professional look to your fans. My refs wear black Polo's with the logo embroidered over the heart. I have a real pet peeve with shows that have refs wearing a t-shirt and jeans. It just looks so cheap and unprofessional. It honestly looks like they stepped in off the street and jumped into the cage. As the promoter you set the tone, so dress appropriately. You don’t have to be there in a $3,000 suit, I personally hate suits and have to wear them for work. I wear a nice black polo with my company logo embroidered on it and my name. It looks professional and is casual enough that you look approachable to anyone.
Whether you choose to use a cage or a ring, make it look nice. Maybe you can't afford to buy a cage or ring, or can't for another reason, it doesn't mean that you can't make the cage/ring look like it's yours. You can go on eBay or a local banner shop and have tall thin banners made. These can be any color you want and have your promotion name or website on them. They can be placed around the poles of the cage/ring and give it a nice look and feel. I own my cage and have added my website address to the inner cage pads. I literally bought 6 inch tall vinyl letters from a crafts store and applied them to the padding. They glue on and I'm going to have to make a new pad cover since it's almost impossible to peel them off. While we are on the subject of the cage, try using a different look for it. I went with yellow pads and floor covering. This serves 2 purposes and it stands out so much. The yellow is not a common color used for the cages, so I don't have to worry about my cage looking like everyone else's cage. It is also a great color for lighting purposes. The yellow reflects the light and it's like the cage itself is a light source. I have gotten untold amounts of positive reviews about the cage and the top of the list is, "I would never have thought of using that color, it looks great.” So don't worry about being original, do something to stand out; just don't copy my cage colors. Please have someone do a mock up for you of your colors before deciding though. Some colors just don't go together or look horrible. I've seen cages that look so cheaply done, and they are the same setup as mine, just different colors for pads. Make sure you know about the cage/ring you are buying. Ask around and find out from people who have the same setup before you drop the $8,000 plus on a cage/ring. There are incidents that have been reported about some and simply asking about a product could save you from a law suit. I'm not going to name makers of cages on here, you can email me directly and I'll tell you who made mine. It's the only one I can personally tell you about and I love it.
You have to also make yourself available and seen. Get out there and shake hands with the fans. Smile and make eye contact with them. Just taking a second or two to do that will make a big impact on them. Your VIPs pay a lot to be VIPs, so make them feel like it. I'm not saying you have to like everyone or even like talking to people; suck up your pride or fears and do it. My wife likes to tell people that I can sell ice to and Eskimo. While that's not true, I did however sell them some freezers (just kidding). No it's the fact that I make a connection with people. I am 39 years old, have served in the Army, have been a Police Officer for 15yrs, have been all over the country and world, and seem to constantly get myself into trouble. I have a lot of life experience which I can share with people or relate with others life experiences. Making that connection with people will do wonders for you.
You have to look at the whole picture. Think about events you have gone to, whether they are MMA or not. You know how you felt about poorly set up events. They could have had some of the best action you have ever seen but, the fact that it looked poorly setup had an impact on you. There is a venue that has some of the best concerts, for those who are fans of certain types of classical music (like Slayer or Danzig). I won't go there anymore; I simply refuse to. I am not going to spend my hard earned money to go to a place that smells foul, is filthy, and looks like it hasn't been maintained since it was built. The sad fact is that I miss some great concerts because of this, and I'm not alone. I tell friends about an upcoming event at this place, and the answer is the same "I'd go if it was anywhere other than that place". You don't want to be "that" promoter. Take a little time and spend a little money. You may not have the top of the line concert series equipment, but that doesn't mean you can't look like you do.
by John Poe of MMA-Underground (Owner of Combat X)
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