Boom Bap And Breaks organised by DJ KhanFu
November 2017
A lot more discussion on organising jams and competitions has been popping up on social media. Whether it’s to do with finances and sourcing, schedules and timekeeping or the generic “what is a good Hip Hop dance event?”.
I personally have been organising Breakin’ competitions for the past 7 years. From smaller, local cypher based jams to a more nationally recognised competition. I started deejaying around the same time. Skills and knowledge in both those areas have grown simultaneously – as I play for more higher scale events, I’m around events with bigger productions and budgets (and bigger talent) to soak in that environment and learn. But I’m young and still have a lot to achieve and learn in both those domains.
One thing that helps with growing is learning from other’s experiences. Interviews, blog posts, videos and even social media have been a decent source of information for myself but I think there still isn’t enough good quality how-to knowledge out there (specific to battle based events). These occasional posts I hope will shed some light on day to day tasks, budgets and finances involved, marketing/social media and basically how to go from the concept to the actual event (for the level that it is at now). But it’s more for myself because I hope to start a further discussion on these topics and learn from them to help grow Boom Bap And Breaks.
Quick recap
Boom Bap And Breaks has been running for 3 years now, with each event held annually in May. The previous edition comprised of international invites, Poe One workshop, pre-party, 1v1 Breakin’ battles, music production workshops with Ableton, live emcee performance and a drummer, graffiti and finally an after-party. What sets my competition apart is that the deejays only play Hip Hop/Rap based music. No fast breaks or traditional Funk. This goes for both cyphers and battles. If you don’t like dancing to slower/mid-tempo beats – then this event isn’t necessarily for you as a Bboy/Bgirl. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of other events that you can attend (maybe too many but that’s a separate question altogether).
The event programme was successful! Battles were hype! This included having Poe One compete as an invite for the 1v1, also a full house of dancers and jam-packed parties! Feedback was amazing and no one came up to me to tell me it was a shit jam and neither did I see any backlash surface online. Some downsides included making a loss (to be discussed later), traffic jams due to a marathon that made for a little late start, lighting not being favourable for cameras (but this did help set the vibe, however) and there was no after-after party at 4am on Sunday night (oh gosh). And one of the invited competitors had problems with check-in at the airport and so missed the flight. But overall, I was left exhausted and happy.
Questions and next steps
The past 3 years, each event has resulted in a financial loss on paper. The budget and spending have grown 2x with each year and the losses have respectively halved with each event also. So while I’ve gotten better at raising the budget and spending more, I’ve also gotten better at losing less too – but a loss is still a loss. So the first question is of scale.
Do I want to scale up, down or remain the same? And why?
Boom Bap And Breaks has grown substantially from the 2nd to the 3rd edition. From a single-day event and small afterparty to 2 full days and nights with a hella load more features in the programme. So for now, the size of the event can remain the same in terms of minimum spending and programme. The event is now at the level where it can start generating a profit so spending more doesn’t make sense until incomes grow. Instead, I’m shifting parts of the budget around to allow for a bigger and more spectator welcoming venue (still keeping the same vibe) and affording different guests (deejays, invites, performances etc.) That will keep the event fresh while still staying in its lane. Ultimately, I need to be able to afford to pay for the event myself before involving sponsors to make it better. Previous consequences of turning a loss included late payment for some staff and personal finances suffering. But everyone was cool and no one left pissed off with me as I made that my number 1 priority. As for the personal finance side of things – money comes and goes. For me, it’s a tool to use and I’m prepared for (and to accept) the consequences. However, I need to consider where the losses can be made the minimum and the income streams maximised.
Having thought about that, the next step is to have the concept planned.
I’ve decided on the format of competition, the Bboy invites have all accepted their invitations, deejays and judges are all on board, as is my host. I know what changes I want to add to the event and what to keep the same. So then let’s get to business.
I’ve approached some venues and know which ones I want to ideally use. Currently in the midst of raising a budget and sourcing sponsors. Once the venues are confirmed, the travel and accommodation all paid for, fees and prizes set aside – it’s usually all smooth sailing from there… usually.
Time afterwards is normally spent on marketing and being as resourceful as possible with making the production of the event better and of more value. So, for now, the top priority is getting the finances right and making sure the event takes place before sharing more details of invites and how to go about funding. That will probably be the subject of the next entry in the Boom Bap Diary.
Check out the Facebook event page and save the date!
https://www.facebook.com/events/185612678656836/
Boom Bap And Breaks Facebook & Instagram
I’m also organising a smaller, more fun orientated local event called The 3rd Wheel Jam alongside the boys from Groovanometry. This event is about simplicity and having fun, and we are also hosting the 1st event as part of the newly formed British Breakin’ League for kids. Check it out:
https://www.facebook.com/events/709706715899180/
Thanks for reading,
KhanFu
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