How the winners of the Skiddle Promoter Fund used their grants: Out The Box London

Toward the back end of the summer this year, as new undergraduates fled the nest to begin their new independent lives in their chosen places of study through September, we reintroduced our Promoter Fund bursary initiative.

The popular scheme, which supports emerging event organisers interested in pursuing a career in the industry, was targeted specifically at those looking to organise student events, offering them the chance to get their hands on a grant of up to £1000 to bring their unique event ideas to life.

One of those lucky enough to acquire funding was Liam Monaghan, the man behind Out The Box; a Bristol-born event brand relaunched in London, specialising in Drum n Bass and Jungle. We caught up with Liam to find out how he’d put the funds to work and to learn how they’ve helped Out The Box to develop.

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What have the funds that you secured enabled you to do that you might not have been able to do otherwise?

“It’s such a relief to have been granted the fund as it’s getting tougher out there for the smaller promoter. With the cost of putting on a show higher, down to venue fees, agent fees, artist costs, and marketing costs, it alleviates some of the financial pressure of simply wanting to put on a good show that will be memorable for people.

“The grant has allowed me to secure one of my favourite artists of all time and we can’t wait to welcome them in December! It’s also allowed us to look at online ads in a different way as there is a budget to experiment with as we never really run ads!”

How important is it, as an upcoming promoter, to receive the sort of support and financial backing that you’ve received from Skiddle?

“It’s vital – the art of putting on an event for the entertainment of a group of people and making memories is getting harder. Whilst dodging the promoter politics of cities, trying to adapt your lineups and marketing to a younger audience, rising costs make it incredibly difficult to pull off a good show! This grant will help more people starting out in promotion to put on a show where it may otherwise not have been possible.”

What are the perks or advantages of using the Skiddle platform when promoting and selling tickets to events?

“I’ve always used Skiddle and the ease in being able to change information, set up ‘sign up features’ and get the events live with support is amazing. The Skiddle team have always been helpful and the analytics and data really help develop our brands’ marketing strategy.”

What does the future hold for Out The Box?

“Next up for us is Skream on the 9th December in a limited capacity event which will be super special! We’re also in talks with a few different venues across London and Bristol as we look to grow our brand and upscale!”

Why should other promoters apply for future Skiddle Promoter Fund initiatives?

“It allows you to try the marketing you didn’t have the budget for, to book the DJ you could never afford and to create an experience you couldn’t afford. I would absolutely recommend applying. It’s helped take our events to another level!”

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Are you an aspiring event organiser based in Scotland? Interested in getting your hands on up to £1000 to bring your event concept to life?

Our second Promoter Fund of the year is now live and has been devised to support the next generation of party planners in cities and towns north of the English border.

Click or tap HERE and fill out the form to be in with a chance of securing a grant.

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Got a question you need an answer to? Give us a call on 03333010301 or ask us a question over on the Skiddle Promoter Twitter account by clicking or tapping on the button below. Alternatively, you can also find a list of our most frequently asked questions over at https://help.promotioncentre.co.uk/