Event Registrations

OVERVIEW: Midsumma Festival 2014

The Midsumma Festival runs from mid-January to early February every year. In 2014, Midsumma will run from 12 January to 2 February 2014. Anyone can register their event or show within Midsumma. We celebrate queer arts and culture through events and shows within the following streams:

• theatre
• visual arts
• spoken word
• cabaret & burlesque
• film
• live music
• parties
• sporting & other community activities
• social and political forums & debates
• and anything else you can think up (so long as it's legal)!

Midsumma consists of two categories of events:

• Premier Events: Midsumma selected events via a submission process
• Registered Events: all other events registered within the festival by community groups, businesses or individuals

PREMIER vs REGISTERED: What is the difference between a Premier and Registered Event?

Midsumma consists of two categories of events: Premier Events, which are selected by Midsumma after a submission process, and Registered Events: all other events registered within the festival by community groups, businesses or individuals.

Registered Events

Registered Events will receive:

• Your event's image and copy listed on midsumma.org.au
• Inclusion of your image and copy in a printed program guide
• Inclusion in our smartphone application(s)
• Event ticketing through midsumma.org.au
• Promotion through the Midsumma eNewsletter and social media networks

Premier Events

If you are a Premier Event, you receive all of the above plus additional marketing and PR. Your events will be included in Midsumma's marketing and PR focus, meaning you will get:

• A larger listing in the Midsumma printed guide
• "Premier event" highlighting on midsumma.org.au
• A Media Release through Midsumma, including images and contact information for interview and reviews
• Featured on JOY 94.9 if a Midsumma-produced show is presented
• Featured on the Midsumma Media Wall blog in the lead up to Festival
• Feature article in the print publication of Midsumma's Media Partner
• Premier Event listing in Midsumma Festival programming materials
• Inclusion in any additional Premier Event marketing print-media collateral

In 2013, the 10 Premier Events were consistently in the top 15 selling events weekly across the Festival. Other "best selling" events included T Dance, Free Sailing Day, Woman Say Something and The Gold Party.

COSTS: Midsumma 2014 Event Registration Fees

The fees for registering your event as part of Midsumma 2014 are as follows:

Registered Events

all prices are inclusive of GST
* proof of not-for-profit status must be presented to Midsumma
** Please note there will be a $250 surcharge for events who wish to ticket entirely outside of midsumma.org.au - see the Ticketing tab for more info.

Premier Events

In 2013, the 10 Premier Events were consistently in the top 15 selling events weekly across the Festival. This was due to the higher quality and level of marketing. It is a producer's decision whether they would like to apply to be a Premier event.

DEADLINES: Registration and Submission Deadlines

Submission and Registrations deadlines for Midsumma 2014 are as follows:

Registered Events:

These deadlines are strictly enforced due to the quick turnaround between registration and the printed guide going to print.

Premier Events:

All submissions will be informed of the outcome by 15 September, to allow time for registration of unsuccessful submissions.

TICKETING

From 2009-2012 tickets were made available for ALL Midsumma Festival events through one ticketing platform accessible via midsumma.org.au. This was in an effort to provide patrons with a 'one stop shop' for purchasing their tickets. This system was highly successful for those involved however we understand that it was not preferable for everyone. We now provide Registered Event producers with three options for ticketing their events:

1. Ticketing entirely through midsumma.org.au - standard fees apply

Your event registration includes use of Midsumma's ticketing system - the cost of building a General Admission event within our ticketing system is included in your event registration fee. See 'Standard Ticketing Fees' below for more information.

2. Shared ticketing between an external agency and midsumma.org.au - standard fees apply

Event producers may choose to ticket 50% of their capacity through midsumma and 50% through an external agency. This is fine with us! No surcharge will be applied, just the standard "per ticket" commission plus the booking fee (which is paid by the ticket purchaser). This option is extremely popular, and allows event producers to split the ticketing between the performance venue and midsumma.org.au. See 'Standard Ticketing Fees' below for more information.

3. Ticketing through an external agency of your choice - surcharge applies

Due to feedback from event producers, Midsumma is now offering Registered Events the opportunity to completely ticket their events through external agencies. A link will be placed on your Midsumma event listing that directs users to the ticketing portal of your choice. Since Midsumma will take no booking fees or commission from tickets sold, there is a surcharge for this option of $250. Note that if you choose this option, patrons won't be able to book for your event at the same time that they book to other Midsumma events, which can be frustrating for them!

Why pay a surcharge if not ticketing via Midsumma?
Midsumma have been able to keep our event registration prices low (not changing for three years now) as we have offset this through the commission from ticketing to cover the costs involved in event administration, printing a guide, maintenance of the website and the iPhone app. We understand that most event producers have cash-flow issues and paying a large registration fee prior to selling any tickets is not easy. The commission-based system has allowed for us to cover costs whilst not stinging event producers before they have any money coming in. By opting out of this system, we hope you understand that we still need to cover costs; hence the surcharge.

This surcharge is payable at the time your event registration fee is due.

Standard Ticketing Fees

If you choose to ticket your event with Midsumma, the cost of building a General Admission event within the ticketing system is included in your registration fee. If however your event requires reserved seating (i.e. numbered seating), the costs for building a venue map start at $495. Please contact Midsumma to discuss your requirements if you wish to offer allocated seating.

Transaction fees and commission:
There are two fee components for tickets sold via Midsumma's ticketing system: a "per ticket" fee plus a booking fee. The "per ticket" fee should be included in the ticket price you advertise for your event, but the booking fee shouldn't be. The booking fee applies per transaction - all of the tickets purchased within a single session incur a single booking fee.

'Per ticket' Fee

As part of the online ticketing service Midsumma will retain the following amount per ticket sold through our website:

• inside fee = $0 for free events.
  (You may use our ticketing system to collect reservations even if your event is free)
• inside fee = $2 for tickets that are priced between $0.01 - $25
• inside fee = $2.50 for tickets that are priced between $25.01 - $50
• inside fee = $3 for tickets that are priced between $50.01 - $100
• inside fee = $4 for tickets that are priced between $100.01 and over

Booking Fee

Midsumma charges a $2.50 booking fee per purchase, regardless of the number of tickets in the transaction. This is not paid by the event producer, but instead by the ticket purchaser.

As such, your ticket prices when quoted to Midsumma should include the inside 'per ticket' fee within them, whilst the $2.50 booking fee is advertised and accounted for separately.

Sample Ticketing Fees

Example 1

• If you require $15 from your ticket for your budgeted sales income, your advertised ticket price is $17.
• This $17 price is then advertised as $17 plus booking fee or "$17 +bf". The booking fee of $2.50 is added to the transaction at the end, regardless of how many tickets are purchased.
• The prices you nominate must include the inside 'per ticket' Midsumma commission fee but should not include the booking fee.

Example 2

• If you require $33 from your ticket for your budgeted sales income, your advertised ticket price is $35.50.
• This $35.50 price is then advertised as $35.50 plus booking fee or "$35.50 +bf". The booking fee of $2.50 is added to the transaction at the end, regardless of how many tickets are purchased.
• The prices you nominate must include the inside 'per ticket' Midsumma commission fee but should not include the booking fee.

Please contact Midsumma if you have any questions relating to setting your ticket price.

IMAGES: Registered Events

Once you have registered your event, the next step is to submit to Midsumma your event image. This image is a powerful marketing tool for your event as it will be featured in the printed guide, online, in the smartphone app(s) and elsewhere. So that your event stands out, please ensure the following:

• Your image should be high resolution, at least 300dpi
• Your image needs to be crisp and clean, not fuzzy!
• You should use an image that will work both in landscape and portrait. Because differently sized images are required on different media, your image will need to be cropped at times, so keep this in mind when designing or selecting your image.
• Your image should represent you event - this may seem obvious, but is often overlooked!
• Please don't "decorate" your image with writing or border patterns.
• Be sure to clearly label the image with your event name and provide us with any relevant photo credit details if appropriate.

Images must be submitted to Midsumma by 20 September 2013 at the LATEST - see below for address details.

IMAGES: Premier Events

When completing your submission, please include a mixture of promotional images, all high resolution, for the selection panel to consider. Please consider the above Registered Event guidelines for the image you wish to be used to represent your event.

Deadline for Premier Event images is 16 September 2013 at the LATEST.

Where to send Your Image

Your image should be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or supplied on CD to: Midsumma Festival, level 8, City Village, 225 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000.

PAPERWORK & PAYMENT: Submitting your agreement

Once you have registered your event or been told of the success of your Premier Event submission, you will be emailed out an Event Agreement. This agreement will lay out all the terms of being a part of the Festival, and confirm all the information about your event that you have entered into the registration form, with regard to ticket prices, venue, copy (description of your event), the name of your event and the dates / times.

• It is your responsibility to read this agreement carefully and alert Midsumma to any errors or inconsistencies ASAP!
• All Registered Event agreements much be signed and returned to the Midsumma office by 23 September.
• All Premier Event agreements must be signed and returned to the Midsumma office by 16 September.

If your event agreement is not returned by these dates, you WILL miss the boat and not be a part of the next Midsumma Festival.

PAPERWORK & PAYMENT: Paying your registration fee

Once you have registered your event or been told of the success of your Premier Event submission, you will be emailed out an invoice. This invoice will state the options for payment, including cheque and direct deposit.

• All Registered Event fees must be paid by 20 September.
• All Premier Event fees must be paid by 16 September.

If your invoiced amount is not paid by these dates, you WILL miss the boat and not be a part of the next Midsumma Festival (starting to see a trend here? sorry, but we have tight deadlines, and any departure from these deadlines means you will not be able to be included in Festival 2014).

If you are having difficulty paying the fee by the deadline, please contact the Midsumma office to discuss an alternate arrangement.

MARKETING

There is literally no end to the research and professional advice one can receive about how to best market or publicise an event.

It is ALWAYS the responsibility of the producer to plan how to best promote their event and then create a detailed strategy with all the steps and dates to execute the plan.

All events will receive a Publicity Pack (once payment has been received) containing information about:

• social networking
• target audience
• how to create a media release
• publication deadlines
• interviews
• reviews
• media partnership relations
• media contacts

Midsumma does not have the resources to be able to run publicity campaigns for all events. We do employ a publicist who works on Midsumma as an umbrella Festival, however not on specific events.

If you wish to engage a publicist for your event, please get in touch with the Midsumma office and we can offer some suggestions.

There are also excellent promotion opportunities at discounted rates for Festival events with our media partners.

Discounted Marketing Rates for Midsumma Festival Events

Rates for 2014 are TBC – watch this space (or contact us for the latest)!

As a Midsumma Registered Event or Premier Event you will receive the below Marketing and PR included in your registration. For a fee, further advice can be sought through Midsumma from a marketing professional or Midsumma's publicity company JPPR. Please contact the Midsumma office to make any further enquiries. There are also excellent promotion opportunities with our media partners, as outlined in Sponsorship and Advertising with Midsumma.

As a Midsumma Registered Event, you gain the following marketing and publicity:

• Your event will be featured in the printed Midsumma Program Guide
• Your event's image and copy listed on www.midsumma.org.au
• Inclusion in the smartphone application(s)
• Event ticketing through midsumma.org.au (where applicable), and the option to entirely ticket your event yourself, with a link to the ticketing site from midsumma.org.au for an increased registration fee
• Promotion through the Midsumma eNewsletter and other social media

For Premier Event media and marketing benefits please see the Premier vs Registered tab.

RESOURCES

Arts Resources

Melbourne Fringe Festival (with grateful thanks to the Fringe team for allowing us to use these superb resources). Unfortunately, the following links no longer work - we're trying to locate their replacements.

• 2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival Producer's Pack (PDF, 1.9 MB): comprehensive guidelines for anyone producing a Fringe show. Many of these guidelines are also relevant for Midsumma Producers.
• 2011 Potential venues database (Excel, 186 KB): massive db of potential venues for your show.
• Mentoring fact sheet (PDF, 566 MB): tips on mentoring.
• Community Building fact sheet (PDF, 480 MB): how and why community building can help you.

ACCESSIBILITY: information and resources

Midsumma wishes our festival to be as accessible as possible to people with disabilities. The first step towards achieving this is for all of us to start thinking about access and inclusion. Janice Florence from Arts Access Australia has kindly provided us with a lot of useful information which we've included below.

Resource Sheets

• Audio Description Delivery Models: this worksheet from Arts Access Australia is an excellent starting point
• Accessing the Arts: A collection of practical checklists and information sheets for arts and cultural organisations to assist in improving access and developing audiences
• Downloadable Disability Access Symbols: twelve symbols that promote and publicise accessibility for people with disabilities
• Access All Areas disability action planning: why all citizens should have an equal opportunity to participate in the arts, and how to enable this
• AAA Advice for Event Staff: an easy way to get your event staff thinking about access and inclusion
• AAA Advice on Accessible Marketing: some tips on how to make your marketing materials, communications and website more accessible to people with a disability (about 20% of Australia's population).

Brief checklist for working with Auslan Interpreters

• Theatre Auslan interpreting is a specialised interpreting skill, and the agency you choose should have a process for selecting Interpreters with these skills.
• You will need two Interpreters. At least two are needed to relieve each other and to portray a variety of characters in plays etc. They make use of facial expression and body language to indicate the action and dialogue of different characters.
• It is very important to consider the placement of the Interpreter so that deaf audience members don't have to constantly strain to look backwards and forwards from the show to the Interpreter.
• Auslan theatre interpreting is a very expressive art and can often fit in with or enhance the look of the show, especially a musical like Hair.
• Interpreters must be able to attend a few rehearsals before the show and to see the show at an earlier performance. They need a script and in the case of a musical, a recording. It would be ideal to also have a DVD of the show.
• Seating must be put aside for audience members who are deaf and hard of hearing, so that they have a good view of the Interpreter.
• In publicity, it should be shown that people can book for seating designated for people who need to see the Interpreter. This needs to be included in your booking arrangements.
• In all publicity you should include the Auslan symbol (see right) as a very direct signal that the show is Auslan Interpreted.
• Arts Access Vic and the Deaf Arts Network will publicise shows that are Auslan Interpreted on websites, Facebook and in Newsletters, so don't forget to send them information about the shows.