Lisa Grissom, event designer and co-founder of Promising Projects, said that while a six-month event planning cycle is generous, they can complete it in four months by fast-tracking processes and working directly with musicians or their agencies, depending on contracts. Grissom was a guest on a recent episode of the Best of Midland Podcast.
“A six-month cycle is very generous, very doable, with lots of breathing room, but we can do it in four months,” said Grissom on a recent edition of the Best of Midland Podcast. “We've learned a lot over the years through the school of hard knocks, experience, and wisdom, so we've learned how to fast-track a lot of things. We often have the privilege of dealing directly with musicians, although we have great working relationships with agencies.”
“Some musicians have exclusive contracts with their agencies, and some have non-exclusive, so it just depends,” Grissom said. “Regardless of whether we're booking an act from an agent's roster or dealing directly with artists, we've learned how to fast-track things and put systems and processes in place to facilitate that.”
Grissom is the co-founder and chief business development officer of Promising Projects, a company she has led since 2006, focusing on event marketing and production. She also co-created and serves as the chief fest designer for Tall City Blues Fest, organizing concerts and festivals in Midland, Texas, since 2010. Additionally, Grissom has worked as a freelance website designer since 2020.
Best of Midland Podcast is hosted by Ryan Shewchuk and Terra Avery. It is an extension of the broader Best of Midland program, which aims to support small, local businesses by showcasing them and the people behind them. Their website lists top businesses and upcoming live events happening in the area.
The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.