Introduction
The Corona pandemic made us realize even more how much joy and positive energy we all get from dancing our asses of for hours, on all those lovely hypnotizing psychedelic trance tracks (across the broad spectrum of subgenres that have developed over the years). And we also realized how satisfying it feels to not only be a visitor, but to be involved in creating that magical vibe we’v
e all missed so much. You cannot “create” that magical vibe by force....It is the indirect result of people investing their time and energy trying to make other people happy (and thereby themselves). Not surprisingly, organizing Psychedelic gatherings is just like running any other business. You need a location, sound, dj’s, lights, decorations, technician's etc. You might need a bar with enough drinks in stock, and people behind it. The majority of those steps, tasks, mistakes and learnings are applicable to each gathering. So, why not share our knowledge on those somewhat boring and repetitive aspects of organizing gatherings, allowing more focus on the creative side? What we offer
We would like to offer our experience, network, structure and support in organizing non-/low-profit psychedelic gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, to the (small but fragmented) Dutch Psytrance scene. We want to unite our fragmented scene, and aim at crossing existing boundaries. We want to bring likeminded creative people together, and learn from each other while creating beautiful gatherings in the coming years. By helping other organizations we fine-tune our planning sheets and related documentation, so that the next organization can benefit from those learnings. We aim to not only learn from lessons made ourselves, but to share that knowledge so that other won’t fall into making the same mistakes. We aim at providing a reusable structure, that empowers all those creative souls to channel their creativity on what they do best. We do not share cost- or revenue figures across organizations. We do not want access to mailing lists, we do not share mailing lists. standard Materials We will not share information between organizations and with the public without explicit permission
Interested? Then don't hesitate to contact us for an open minded conversation of your event in planning. What can you ask from us? Event Planning Phase
Every event requires planning. Event dates, a location, crew, materials, logistics, etc. From bar to stage-design and management, an entrance, toilets and a bar.... A lot of events will have to deal with crewmembers that are only available on certain days, but how do you make sure that you still have enough people for that day/night/barshift etc. It’s all about correctly positioning all pieces and making them work together. Every event requires similar information, similar task- and material-lists, something that can be supported by a Excel sheet. Documentation and appointments
Most of the starting organizations we come across apply some form of (paper) notes and emails to share information. As a starting point, we can help you out with our standard Excel event planning template, in which we spend a lot of love and time to improve as we go along. The template contains all the basics, ready to be filled in based on your needs. The Excel sheet offers the basics of a complete event playbook. Building together is half of the work! Yes, you might have “organized” a party by creating an event on Facebook, actually constructing the event is the next major step! For all parts of the construction and breakdown process, you will need crew, including tech people, strong people, creative (deco) people, etc. We can help provide in that, including lighting and deco. Marketing might sound as a dirty word if you want to organize a small underground gathering, but promoting your event is crucial for it to become a success. Whether you aim at 25 close friends, or a slightly bigger Inner Circle gathering. Depending on your event, you have various options
to "spread the word”, but having the right network is key. And since we know so many nice souls out there...
Things like theming your event, or (video) recording can also help your event stand out. Our network can help out! Party on! Yes, but only when the generators keep running, when the crew has a smile on their face instead of showing signs of severe stress, and when the toilets are clean. You need more than dj’s to play music...You need a stage manager to take care of your artists, and a sound engineer to ensure the sound quality remains optimal....
Everybody can install a few lights. But you want more....You want a show, right? The clean-up after party Where our visitors go to the next level, we start to breakdown the event. Especially for outdoor locations, the “leave no trace” principle applies. Another task to check is finalizing the books and make up the balance. Retrospective We prefer planning a meet up shortly after the event, to share memories of the event, while having a drink, but to also share feedback and improvements of the event. And with that, the circle starts over again...
