ARTIST LIAISON MANAGER - THE ROLE, SKILLS AND MORE
There are many behind-the-scenes roles at festivals that ordinary visitors don’t consider, yet without these dedicated professionals, the favourite artists of the audience wouldn't be able to shine on stage. Among these vital roles is the artist liaison manager, a crucial position within festival teams that ensures everything runs smoothly for the artists. Artist-facing roles are often the most appealing for newcomers to the industry. As one festival organiser mentioned to me recently, "It's easy to find people eager to work in the artist liaison team; there's a line out the door for these positions, but filling other roles can be a struggle because these positions aren’t sexy enough." Despite the “sexiness” of the position as my colleague referred, it's a position with significant responsibility, requiring careful selection since artist liaison team represents the festival to the artists and their crews.
So inspired of that would like to take a look at the role of the artist liaison manager at the festival setting, what skills are needed to do the job well and what are some of the most important things to pay attention to.
The Definition of the Role & Main Responsibilities
An artist liaison manager acts as the primary contact between the artist team and the festival, ensuring all logistical and hospitality needs are met. Depending on the festival, the responsibilities can vary quite a lot. For smaller festivals, one person might take care of everything, while at bigger festivals there can be several different people filling those duties formulating an artist liaison team. There’s no right or wrong there, it’s all about having the right resources to get the work done, also different countries can have different ways of handling things or naming the positions as we still lack some standards on it in the industry.
The responsibilities of an artist liaison manager are wide-ranging and commonly include:
Coordination and Communication - Effective communication is key to ensuring everyone is aligned regarding the festival performance. Coordinating various aspects and paying close attention to details can be stressful, but successfully managing complex tasks is extremely rewarding.
Scheduling - An artist liaison ensures that everything runs like clockwork. This can include managing schedules for sound checks, performance times, meet-and-greets, and more, ensuring all commitments are clearly communicated to the artist team but also within the festival team.
Logistics - Arranging travel, accommodation, and transportation for artists as per the performance contract is crucial. Logistics that work like a charm will make everyones day better.
Hospitality - Providing for artists' needs backstage, from refreshments to a comfortable green room, is essential. Following the hospitality rider provided by the artist team simplifies this task. If something in the rider isn’t possible, it’s important to address it during the advance process as quickly as possible.
Problem-Solving - Addressing any issues or last-minute changes that arise before, during, or after the event is a key part of the role. Quick thinking and effective problem-solving skills are essential.
Skills of Artist Liaison
So what are the skills to have if you want to be an artist liaison manager or what are the skills to look for when wanting to hire an excellent one? Insert shameless self-promotion: you can always hire Thrust Productions!
Attention to Detail - This role revolves around details. Every aspect, from travel itineraries to backstage setups, needs careful checking and rechecking. Organisational skills are crucial for managing multiple responsibilities and minimising errors.
Excellent Communication Skills - Another absolutely key skill to have in this role is the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively. Balancing the right amount of information prevents miscommunication, which can lead to delays and frustration. Properly titled emails (e.g., "Artist Name - Date - City, Country - Festival Name") enhance clarity in the advance process.
Flexibility and Adaptability - no matter how well you plan, things can happen that are beyond anyones control. Being adaptable and quick on your feet to find solutions is crucial. Focus always has to be on resolving problems rather than assigning blame.
Diplomacy and Discretion - Handling (high-profile) artists requires a diplomatic approach and maintaining confidentiality. This is an essential part of the job, and understanding this indicates suitability for the role. It’s the part of the role that should be self-evident.
Networking - Building strong relationships with artists, their teams, and other industry professionals is key to long-term success. These relationships foster trust and facilitate smoother communication.
In a way, it’s all very common sense and simple. It definitely isn’t rocket science as they say. As long as you remain on top of your game, concentrate on the job ahead of you and work on providing a good experience, it should be all fine.
Good to know
Every festival is different and therefore the approaches can be different. Working with different festivals, it’s important to be mindful of it and adapt to what’s the standard. There are festivals that provide the full hospitality rider for every artist, no questions asked. There are festivals, who do a festival-hospitality, which can be limited to water, soft drinks and snacks (all often provided by the sponsors). Some may offer three most important items from the artist rider, as highlighted by the tour manager. Regardless of how it is handled, it’s important those things are communicated clearly during the advance process and everyone, who needs to be in the loop about it, is involved in those discussions. A good and thorough advance process makes major difference in how things go onsite. The devil really is in the details for this one!
It’s also worth remembering that the artist liaison manager represents the festival to the artist team, that person is the face for it. If the role is poorly executed, it can tarnish the festival’s reputation with the artists and their crews, impacting how they speak about the event afterward. Festivals that provide excellent hospitality and care for artists quickly become favourites. Moreover, positive feedback from artists and their teams can influence agents and managers when deciding on future bookings, so don’t ever underestimate the importance of good artist liaison.
Having worked as both an artist liaison manager and a member of an artist crew, I’ve seen firsthand how often this role can be overlooked. The backstage area is the first to welcome visitors like crews arriving for load-ins and sound checks, and therefore needs to be ready and welcoming before the rest of the festival area is in place. A well-prepared backstage sets the tone for the entire festival experience and can also have an impact on what the audience sees on the stage. But it all starts in the advance process and experienced artist teams can sense it from the first e-mail, when the festival is not on top of their game.
Keeping all that in mind - have a wonderful upcoming festival season!
