Merch
Merchandise is one of the primary revenue sources for touring artists. This workshop will dive into the deal structure between artist and merch company, best practices to maximize revenue and profit, and look at innovations in the industry.
Sarina Larson -
Co-Founder Merch Roadie
In 2015, Natalie Brede and I founded Merch Roadie Corporation, which both of us were still working full time gigs elsewhere. Since 2013, in addition to being the “CoFounder” of Merch Roadie, I’ve been a Tour Merchandise Manager, a Hybrid Merch Manager & Merch Roadie Tech, Festival Food Production Manager, a Gaming & Music Manager, and a Festival/Local Merch Seller. My job obligations at Merch Roadie are endless, but primarily, I was and am responsible for raising seed capital, overseeing the composition of our supply chain, strategy, financial projections and budgeting, technician training, and business development.
Charles Haile - Marchandise Manager
Charles specializes in Festival, Special Event and Tour Merchandise. As the onsite Merchandise Manager, he oversees the merch site build, display management, staff, inventory control, financial accounting, artist settlements, and above all: customer service. Since 1996, he has been on the road (or on site) with the Vans Warped Tour, Pearl Jam, Broadway’s Be More Chill, Pixies, Behemoth, and many more.
When not touring, Charles worked in a range of other roles in the music industry. Highlights include Publicity Assistant at Columbia Records, Office Coordinator at Q-Prime, and Alternative Street and Tour Marketing Coordinator at Tommy Boy / Ignition Records.
If you find value in the workshops, and have the means, I’d greatly appreciate a tip to keep this workshop machine running. I will donate a portion of all proceeds to help roadies out of work during the pandemic. Thank you!
