1. Bring Video

The videos we made for the conference were a great way to quickly show off our bands to potential show promoters. Having video readily available is a great way to get into a rhythm of pitching several folks at one time, without spending too much time on one person. While that in itself sounds terribly impersonal, the fact of the matter is that there are a ton of bookers at NACA who want to quickly get your message and move on. It’s important to maximize their time at your booth by quickly leaving a lasting impression.

2. Take Video

All the video I took at the event was taken with the awesome and fairly unobtrusive Flip Mino HD camera ($150 at Costco). While this camera has some flaws, its a great way to cheaply document your experience. And while we were mostly just fooling around, it made our booth a bit more of a spectacle and therefore much more memorable to those who stopped by to speak with us.

3. “I got my own booth!”

It seems to be a great advantage to “have your own booth.” We joke about it in the video, but it’s true. At agency booths, there is a wall behind the representative plastered with pictures of 10-50 artists. If you are represented by an agency your picture will be posted amongst these artists. Instead of creating a personal interaction with potential bookers, you are ultra-genericized. You basically trade your awesome individuality for a little more credibility, a deal that I don’t think is necessary until you’ve reached saturation in your own market.

4. Dennis Haskins (Mr. Belding) Is Awesome

Yup. Looking past all the sleaziness that you can find out about Dennis Haskins on Google Image Search he seems to be a genuinely nice guy who was more than happy to put up with our stupid shit.