Big expectations may be the biggest hazard for musicians eyeing next March's South by Southwest music showcase in Austin, Texas.
New Zealand has had an organised presence at the event for six years.
Cath Anderson, the general manager of the New Zealand Music Commission, says that means it has established contacts - it has learned what works at the rapidly expanding event.
Anderson said the biggest danger for first-timers was inflated expectations. "Some focus on their 40 minutes on stage and believe they are going to get signed by a record label."
Ensuring exposure and progress among up to 1600 acts was also about preparing in advance how they were going to use the time to get ahead.
"You either have to think of it as an investment or as the greatest musical holiday," Anderson said.
At this year's event about 14 acts were selected by SXSW to take part and seven actually made it - about normal, Anderson said.
Experiences of the showcase were different for each act.
This year musicians such as Ladyhawke and Cut Off Your Hands were among the New Zealand contingent to have had success.
Ladyhawke had been active in Britain and was preceded by a "buzz" while Cut off Your Hands joined a United States label backed by Warner Music.
The Australasian representative for the 12-day music showcase, Phil Tripp, is in New Zealand to sign applicants to register for next year.
As part of that push he is running seminars which include advice on how to capitalise on the exposure.
Immigration is one issue.
Trip suggested bands intending to go allow six months in advance to secure a US visa. Even minor legal offences from the past would get applicants knocked back.
He knew of instances, not involving New Zealanders, where musicians "who had been arrested when they were trying save some trees" were rejected by US Homeland Security and had to drop out at the last minute.
"They regarded them effectively as terrorists."
Tripp said the seminars would feature industry leaders. The first seminar is in Wellington today and the second is in Auckland tomorrow.
Tripp said both Australian and New Zealand groups had capitalised from appearing at the showcase though exposure to music-industry talent scouts and mixing with other industry players and media.
When the Music Commission first took part in 2003 the showcase had a maximum of 750 participating acts.
Now the maximum was 1600.
Anderson said the growth of the Austin showcase did not mean it had become more corporatised, but it did mean more bands with established corporate backing were playing.
The value of the showcase was exposure to all the potential partners in one place, and more could be achieved in two weeks there than five months in New Zealand.
Keep it low-key, musos told
Ladyhawke was one of the New Zealand acts making their mark at this year's Texas showcase. Photo / Stephen Field / Rhythm & Vines
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