Presenters:
The Sanctioned

Martin Atkins

AP: How has the economy affected your promotional efforts & live events?
MA: Most marketing budgets have gone from somewhere to nowhere. It’s a huge challenge to the psyche and the wallet but energizing to see the triumph of ingenuity and ideas over money.

AP: Have costs increased over the past year?
MA: No. I’ve seen an increase in bartering and reaching out but you can’t increase costs when no one has any money.

AP: Do you think that unofficial showcases are disadvantaged because they’re not being promoted by the SXSW corp. or by the Austin Chronicle OR do you think it’s becoming hipper to be an unofficial event?
MA: It’s tough for any band down there, official, unofficial, whatever. It’s a bloodbath and I think that the value of SX is in the networking, the watching and listening - not the playing.

I’m showcasing my book, Tour:Smart. It’s always one of my philosophies if you can’t stand out then change the context. I advise bands to send music to art galleries and to send art to radio stations. I’m promoting a book at SXSW, not a band.

AP: What are the costs involved for your org to put on a successful event?
MA: I’m lucky enough to have been asked by SXSW to re-create my event from last year as an official SXSW lecture. To get there and be there, it’s a couple of weeks of time spread over a six month period and a few thousand dollars just to go promote a book.

AP: What are the essential do’s & don’ts?
MA: Don’t be an asshole. Create fliers for your event – not to leave in a pile, but to hand out to people, say hello, and make a connection. Keep it short and sweet. Don’t think you’re going to get a deal – there aren’t any. Enjoy being around so many like-minded individuals. Give advice, get advice, and shit your pants because you can actually see 0.5 of 1% of some of the bands that are on MySpace.

AP: Is location important is to the success of the event?
MA: Very. I only realized by accident last year that there were events outside of the downtown 6th street area. It goes for miles. I really enjoyed being amongst it and just walking around. I think there’s a danger if you’re not in amongst it...

AP: How important is the sound?
MA: Well, it’s not the be all and end all at a live show. I think anyone who has worked with bands and signed a young band can obviously see what the future might hold, can listen and watch past some stumbles, some fumbles and see the potential. Having said that, you don’t want screaming feedback and it can’t be appalling. That just gets offensive and the lack of preparing then poses a question mark.

AP: What tips do you have to keep costs under control?
MA: Find as many people that can benefit from what you’re doing as you can. You might not find one person who can split the cost with you, but you can find 10 people who can each take 10% of the cost in exchange for 10% of the benefit.

AP: How much does it cost to put on a great event at SXSW?
MA: You can’t compete with corporate events where buckets of alcohol and little lobster appetizers are easy and expected. You need to be true to yourself, your brand, and your band and do what you can. As long as you do that, anything more than nothing will be appreciated by the people who really care and those are the very people you should caring the most about.

AP: How do you calculate success of an event?
MA: Look around and see if anyone is smiling. If people are nodding their heads and tapping their feet, they are enjoying themselves. If you can lighten up somebody’s day, introduce them to a new sound, or just give them a ray of light – that’s it. You’ve won.

AP: Are sponsors being more cautious in this economy?
MA: Are you kidding? I think finding a sponsor and partner is harder than getting a mortgage these days. We have partners we’ve been working with for years and years and now is the time where those relationships become more important. Not in terms of money because there isn’t any, but in terms of a feeling of community and common purpose in a very difficult environment. For instance if you look at the Tour:Smart SXSW Survival Guide, five years ago it would have been cool. This year It’s existence it is a triumph, not to mention $4000 of free equipment, $1 off pizza, 15% off a tattoo, and a free three month subscription to Musician’s Atlas (thank you!! You guys rock!).

AP: Has the economy had any impact on your efforts?
MA: Of course. It’s made things very, very difficult on many levels. But I think it is a very important time for the entrepreneurs and leaders in the artistic community to come to the forefront and do what we can to help as many people as we can.

AP: If you could, would you prefer to be an official SXSW event?
MA: To be involved with SX in an official capacity is tremendous. Once again this is slightly different for me as I’ve been invited by the organizers to present my Tour:Smart lecture. That to me feels like a tremendous recommendation of my work.

AP: Why is SXSW still important?
MA: I don’t know how long SXSW has been going, but it seems like the oldest of these events. It used to be Rock Pool’s event in New York that might have mutated into CMJ. It seems like more people go to SXSW each year. Maybe it’s blocking off Sixth Street so everyone is contained. Maybe it is the weather. Whatever it is, it’s a great networking opportunity. There are many great events around the country, some just beginning, some five years in that are terrific but it seems like this is the largest and with the most people and the coolest, easiest-to-write name, surely.

    Martin’s schedule
  • Wednesday, March 18 - SXSW Austin, TX
    4:30pm Martin Atkins Tour:Smart Seminar at SXSW! This is a can't miss talk. (Austin Convention Center, Room 18)
  • Thursday, March 19 - SXSW Austin, TX
    1:00pm Martin Atkins / Tour:Smart special book signing at Barnes & Noble in the Austin Convention Center. We're giving our FREE DVDs!
  • Friday, March 20, - Waterloo Records, Austin TX
    12pm Martin Atkins / Tour:Smart mini-lecture and book signing at Waterloo Records (600 North Lamar). We're giving out FREE shirts!!