Glossary of Terms

Ad Break - Date ads first appear in print and on t.v. or radio
Advancing the Event - Go through contract and riders, to make sure everything is covered. Working out the details.
Agent - Sells the entertainment acts to the promoter or venue.
Back Of House - Everything from the stage on back; equipment, dressing rooms, ...
Backline - Band equipment. Rented locally for artists who fly the date without their entire gear.
Billing - How an artist is presented in print, t.v. and radio. Examples are 100% Sole Headline Billing, 85% Special Guest Star billing; 100% Festival Billing
Box Office - Everything that has to do with ticketing.
Breakeven - monetary point at which the promoter begins to receive their promoter profit.
Buyer - Person responsible for buying the show; promoter.
Contract Rider - Document from the band. Make sure you read it cover to cover.
Front Of House - From the front of the stage on forward; includes exits in and out.
Guarantee - Fees guaranteed to the artist as a minimum amount of compensation for the engagement.
Gig - Event, Show
Green Room - Bands ask for reem room mainly as the production office for the band manager.
Gross Potential - The total gross income of a show calculated by taking capacity (number of tickets printed) and multiplying by the ticket price.
Ground Transportation - Supply runner and vehicles, make sure band gets from point A to point B. The runner is very important as the band gopher.
Headliner - Artist that closes the show and receives preferred billing.
Hospitality - Food and beverage you supply the band, usually included in the rider.
Input List - Shows wires going into microphones and instruments from stage plot
Labor - Crew to set up and tear down
Lighting Plot - Same as stage plot, shows where the lights need to be pointed on stage.
Line Item - Expense item listed as a show cost. Examples are staffing, rent, advertising, stagehands.
Major Market - A population of over a million. Los Angeles, New York City for example.
Making the Offer - Giving the artist a firm offer, once you've determined you want the event (usually you want to see the rider first)
Manager, Artist Manager - Takes care of artist.
Meet and Greet - Term used to describe a session where the artist meets fans, radio giveaway winners and local V.I.P.'s
Net Potential - Gross Potential adjusted for tax
On Sale - Date tickets first go on sale to the general public
Power Requirements - You need to know the power requirements of each act playing in your venue and you also need to know how much power your venue can supply.
Presents - Designation given to a media outlet that sets them apart from others as the "Presenting" station. Normally a radio station.
Production - Anything that has to do with producing the show.
Production Manager - Makes sure production sound, monitors, and lights are in place.
Promoter Profit - Percentage of profit allowed to the promoter based on show expenses. Industry standard is 15%.
Riggers - People who get up in the rigging system to hang points; always in safety harness.
Road Manager - band road manager is responsible for managing the band on the road.
Routing - Travel route the band takes around the country on tour
Scaling - The number of tickets printed that are different prices according to the layout of the venue.
Secondary Market - A population of more than 100,000 to a million. Spokane, WA for example.
Security - Provides safe environment and security for the event.
Settling the show - After the show you gather reports and receipts and you account for every penny. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row before going to settle the show.
Shore Power - Electricity to the band's bus from the venue.
Snake - Cable that runs from sound board to stage.
Sound - System used to produce the sound for the concert or event.
Sound Wings - Extra speakers get put on sound wings in big shows
Split Point - The monetary point at which the promoter begins to receive their promoter profit.
Stacks and Racks - Sound equipment. Stacks are speakers. Racks are the amplifiers that run them.
Staffing - Security, stage hands, catering, ...
Stage Plot - Shows where the musicians will be on the stage, where their microphones and monitors are.
Stage Manager - Person in charge of directing people involved in backstage activities: gets folks on and off stage, supervises sound and lighting crew. If you have a good stage manager it sets the tone for a successful show.
Staging - What size and type of stage you need.
Support Talent - Artist that opens or gets second position on a show and lesser billing than the headliner.
Tertiary Market - Population of 100,000 or less. Missoula, MT is a tertiary market.
Ticket Manifest - How many tickets are sold, where they were sold, which seats or areas were sold, and for how much each was sold.
Truss - Rigging the lights hang from.
Variable - Show expense that isn't fixed. Normally a percentage based on number of tickets or net potential. For instance, rent may be a variable of 7%.
Venue - Synonym for building or theater where the show is being presented.
Versus Deal - Financial arrangement between the artist and the promoter whereby an artist receives a guarantee versus a certain percentage of the net revenues after the deduction of show expenses. The word is versus because the artist receives the guarantee or the percentage, whichever is greater.
Welcomes - Designation given to a media outlet that sets them apart from others as the "Welcoming" station. As opposed to the "Presenting" Station.
Walkout - Amount of money an artist can ear on a show where they are participating in revenues past a certain split point.