By: Rebekah Carney Millsaps
In live events, relationships are everything. Deals are struck backstage, reputations are built over decades, and most new work comes from one thing: someone saying, “You’ve got to call these guys.”
I’ve been around production and live events my whole life. My family is an entertainment industry family through and through. My grandfather was a local celebrity in Statesville, NC, hosting TV and radio shows and promoting gospel music events well into the 1990s. My uncle followed in his footsteps as a radio host before opening his own marketing firm and writing several books. My dad is a singer who traveled the country putting on conferences before settling into a long career as a worship leader and executive pastor.
My three brothers and I all have our own mix of talent and interest in music and live performance. While I’ve pursued plenty of musical endeavors (someday I’ll finish that album…), my interest in art and psychology pulled me toward marketing. In 2020, at possibly the weirdest time in history, I stepped into a full-time director of marketing role for a production company.
Before I even knew that job would be mine, I had a conversation with the company’s founder that I’ve never forgotten. We were talking about the state of the production industry and how people get hired, how clients are won, and what role marketing really plays. The summary was simple:
Our industry is built on relationships, and that’s why word of mouth is king. But your digital and brand presence matters too.
Here’s what that means in real life:
The Referral Test
A production manager works a show with another PM for a different band. In conversation, it comes up that the second band is considering adding full production to their tour. The first PM recommends your company as a reliable partner.
From here, two things can happen:
Option 1: The referral leads them to find you on Instagram…but there’s nothing there. They check your website and find an outdated logo, clunky navigation, and photos from over a decade ago. Suddenly, they’re questioning whether you’re even still in business, much less equipped with current gear.
Option 2: The referral leads them to an Instagram with a clean, modern logo, recent show photos, and posts that reflect your company values. A link in your bio leads to a clear, professional website where they can see your past work, services, and contact info. Any doubts disappear before they even pick up the phone.
In both cases, the referral is what got them to look you up. That’s the power of word of mouth.
But in the second scenario, your marketing confirmed the good things they heard. It removed doubt. It showed you’re relevant, active, and capable.
And that’s the point…
In our industry, word of mouth is king.
Marketing backs up what people are already saying about you.