[Dixielandjazz] Adverstising/Booking Senior Retirement Homes

[Steve Barbone]

"Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" wrote:

> ......but I got a little book that seems to be published other places too so
> it might be available in your area.  It's called New Lifestyles.
> www.newlifestyles.com it lists every retirement home and senior service in my
> area.  I would bet they are in every major market area.
> ___________________________________________________
> 
> I decided to see what a medium size city would look like for Senior venues.  I
> went to the New Life Styles web site and chose Cape Girardeau Missouri.  I
> went to college there and It's not a huge metro area.  I found 51 results
> within a 25 mile radius.
> 
> I find that there are at least six new ones a year built here.  The one I did
> last night is at the highest end of the Senior homes at $6000 a month per
> resident *** and they are adding a whole new wing to their extended care
> complex.  This is a growth business and so is the entertainment business
> associated with it if we go after it.
> 
> Might be worth a try......
> Larry
> StL
> 
> ****Their courtesy cars are Cadillac and Mercedes stretch limos just to give
> you an idea.  Must be tough.

EXCELLENT ADVICE LARRY. In the Philadelphia area there are NUMEROUS VENUES
like those you mention and several booklets like "New Lifestyles" that tell
you where they are and give you other demographics. I have more than 100
such venues on my prospect list, within an 80 mile radius.

Two years ago I posted the web sites of these books in the Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, Delaware and Maryland area and suggested other bands contact them,
especially the CCRCs, (Continuing Care Retirement Communities) which have
the highest entertainment budgets. Basically because I had more gigs at them
than I could handle. I also suggested that bandleaders in other states check
out these publications.

We have 4 gigs at Senior Retirement/Assisted Living facilities this month
alone, along with our usual private party gigs. If I were to count up the
year, I guess it would be about 45 performances total. Mostly one hour
concerts, a few at two hours. Best of all, on weeknights.

One word of caution. There is no need to give the music away at these
venues. They have a budget for entertainment. But like anything else, there
are music competitors out there who are so ignorant of the value of OKOM
that they will indeed, play free because the activities director asked them.
Makes it better for bands like mine which then get more money because some
idiot left that money on the table.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone