Publicity Report

Publicity Committee Report – March 2011

From John Lamb, Webmaster: Allan Kugel found a company that provides free web hosting for non-profits like Folk Project. We are working to collect all of the tools and information that had been on several different servers into one place. This has taken a little more time than we had hoped so our mid-February target has slipped to early March. Thanks to Cathy Thomas and Allan Kugel for all of their hard work. Until the new site is ready, I will continue to update the existing site.

From Nancy Kelner, Publicity Committee Chairman:

Publicity Committee members were hard at work in February. Alice handled performer photos. Carolyn, Cathy, Joanne, Lynn, Will and Pat handled postings to Internet calendars and lists. Debby wrote the Swingin’ Tern flyer and prettied up the Minstrel flyer. Jim wrote two press releases, one for The Short Sisters and one for the special concert with Craobh Rua. I am working with Kevin on doing a posting each month. Mark Schaffer, member of the special concerts committee, wrote a press release for the special concert with Za Zu Zaz.

Report on Jersey Arts Marketers meeting of Feb 18 – The meeting was held at the Shakespeare Theatre at Drew University. Jersey Arts is an arts advocate group. Membership entitles us to apply for various kinds of extra publicity, in addition to an organization listing and calendar listings on its website (where we post events every month). For example, we may ask to be listed as a monthly E-saver, which offers a two-for-one admission to an event. Podcast services are available. Listing as a Best Bet for the month is available. I met Maria Gatewood, account manager at WBGO, if we’re interested in paid on-air advertising for a jazz concert.

A bit of networking – I sent the Craobh Rua press release to Larry McCullough, who handles Music on Main St. for Woodbridge Township and gets our information every month. He gave me contact information for an Irish events calendar; I emailed the woman in charge and she said she’d be happy to list the Craobh Rua concert on the website.

We were again invited to post events on the NJ Travel website (www.visitnj.org). I sent them information on The Minstrel; will add Swingin’ Tern and special concerts information soon.

Prior email with Mark Moss of Sing Out! Magazine did not lead to a Folk Project listing in their latest magazine (available on the web). Roger Deitz offered to help, and at his suggestion, I emailed Amy Neff at Sing Out! and await a reply. Looks like they would at least list the Fall Festival.

Follow-up to NJ Monthly magazine’s March issue and the listing for Bucky Pizzarelli – Yes, it’s there, under events for the week of March 1^st. This was due to the efforts of the young woman in charge of the events section. There is also a nice article with photo of Dugan’s Hooligans in that issue (also not initiated by the publicity committee).

Use of Hometown Quarterly discount: I have no information from either Minstrel or Swingin’ Tern that anyone saw our ad and asked for a discount. I am disappointed and will not renew our ad in that publication.

2/28/11