Ryan Desko
Analysis of Peter McPoland Show
BAN 245
Peter McPoland is a singer/songwriter based out of Rhode Island. He currently has accumulated 114,000 Instagram followers, 25,000 YouTube subscribers, and 1.600,000 Spotify followers. McPoland is featured on radio stations in France (Rock Station), Switzerland (Plus Radio), and the United States (Wesleyan University community station WESU, and Vanderbilt University radio WRVU). Due to the venue’s location in Ithaca and its proximity to both Ithaca College and Cornell University, the artist can find success because he has already been picked up by multiple college radios in the northeast. There is a large population of college students to draw from in this area. He is currently selling tickets for an American tour which includes dates in both Canada and the United States. The tour is set to begin April 29th, 2022. A majority of the dates are sold out with the remaining having limited tickets available. In addition to the tour dates being sold out the merchandise on the artists website is also sold out showing that the fan base is engaged and committed to supporting the artist. Another momentum to note is that Peter McPoland was labeled best new artist by We Are: The Guard (crowd sourced label for indie artists).
The local audience that would be targeted is college students making this venue a perfect location. We are looking to target those who have a creative and against the mainstream style which fits the area of Ithaca perfectly as it has a large arts scene. Since Ithaca is a college town, the biggest external factor that would need consideration is any events occurring at the college. This concert should be planned for a night that the schools in the area have no major events to maximize attendance. Additionally, most college students do not have their own transportation and it can be a risk to have so many students around drinking age driving. Therefore, another external factor I would consider is whether a venue near the school can be secured or something along reasonable lines of public transit to the schools.
With these external factors being considered, the State Theatre of Ithaca would be a suitable choice. It is close to Ithaca College and Cornell University, the two local schools. This is ideal to bring a young crowd of college aged kids to the show. This is likely the majority of Peter’s crowd as he has a large following on Spotify and social media. Additionally, it has a capacity of 1600 which would allow for adequate revenue. Due to proximity to schools, this act should perform during the month of April to maximize student participation in the event. I would make this event’s base price forty dollars to net a gross revenue of minimally $64,000 if sold out. If half attendance, $32,000. Looking at Peter’s current tour dates, the shows he is currently playing are on par with this capacity size. In addition, there are a lot of theaters and ballrooms which fit with the State Theater of Ithaca. Additionally, this theater has been played by famous names such as Dave Chapelle. Although this theater is a drive from Syracuse, it is reasonable for students from Syracuse University to drive and those who have ties to the artist due to his connections to the area.
Overall, the State Theater of Ithaca provides a strong option for a show in Peter’s tour. Realistically, the most important factor will be the proximity to campuses and the cost of the ticket. Keeping prices low to align with the traditional college student’s budget will be key. These two factors combined will provide the best chance of success. If we can combine these factors with a strong social media push for the show, a sellout is within possibility.