The promoter is responsible for all aspects of making sure concerts are successful, from working with agents to book shows at venues, to marketing and promoting events, to overseeing the sale of tickets.

Nick Farkas, Senior VP of Booking and Concerts at Evenko, details what exactly a promoter does, and how this fits into the live music ecosystem. He also discusses the importance of touring for an artist’s livelihood.

Then, Nick gets into all the different components that go into making a music festival happen. He describes a music festival as a “small city,” and details the numerous logistics and details that must be considered in putting together such substantial productions.

Here, Nick talks about how he got started in the music business, how it has changed over time, and what young people interested in a career in the industry should keep in mind.

Nick Farkas has been booking shows in his hometown of Montreal for over 30 years. He started with punk and metal acts in the late 1980’s, eventually co-founding Greenland Productions in 1993. Four years later, he was recruited by legendary Montreal promoter Donald K. Donald. Nick worked for DKD from 1997 to 2002; over this 5-year period the company merged into DKD/Universal, then Universal Concerts Canada, and finally, House of Blues Concerts Canada. For the past eighteen years, Nick has headed the Talent Buying division of evenko (formerly Gillett Entertainment Group), which books over 1,200 shows a year in venues ranging from small clubs to arenas and large outdoor venues in Montreal, Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and Vermont. He also oversees all of the evenko festivals: Osheaga, IleSoniq, Lasso, Yul Eat, Heavy Montreal, and ‘77 which all take place in Montreal. He is on the boards of The Canadian Live Music Association and the evenko foundation.