Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucas Doytier.
Hi Lucas, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My journey in the world of event production starts from when I was an adolescent. At the age of six, I began taking guitar lessons at a music school in Cooper City called ASM Music Schools. From there, my love of performance grew and eventually translated into musical theatre. I pursued theatre in high school and the beginning of college until I went into my third year, where I felt my true calling was in music. I switched majors from Musical Theatre to Commercial Music, which taught me even more about the field I already loved. In college, I was able to get piano lessons, vocal lessons, drum lessons, and classes that taught production work – something I still love to do in my free time. Making music has always been fun for me, and the first time I was able to share it (in reality, when I was finally able to get out of my own head and share my original music with others! ) was at the open mic which I now host/produce: The Riverside Mic. This open mic was really the start of Intracoastal Entertainment (@Intracoastal.Entertainment) and gave me a direction to look towards. Now, three years later, I’ve expanded the community that I once helped start with the previous owners, Blake Woodrow (@BlakeWoodrow) and Ricky Gonzalez (@RickyGonzMusic), and I produce other events in the Broward County area!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
You can’t know how sweet the victories taste without struggling to get there or stumbling on the way… And there are blessings with every delay! There have definitely been times where I’ve felt discouraged or where things didn’t go as planned – I think that’s a normal part of going through life and especially when starting a business for the first time. There are so many things I’ve learned from these struggles though, so I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything! It’s made me a better event planner, better performer, and a better leader for the community I’m growing.
One of the biggest struggles as an event planner, in my opinion, is figuring out the “big four”… First, making the venue/owners happy: this is usually done through the food/beverage sales of the evening, and I am always looking for new ways to help the business grow and become more profitable with each show.
Secondly, making the performers happy: If the performers you work with aren’t happy with the production, then they won’t work with you again and may tell others to not as well! Even as a starting business with minimal budgeting, I do my best to make sure I am able to provide the performers with something in exchange for their time and talents. Whether it be payment, free drinks, new followers/clients, or more exposure, I am always trying to provide more to the community of performers – without them. I wouldn’t have any shows!
Thirdly, making the audience happy: how can I elevate the patron experience so they feel comfortable in the space to have a good time, support the venue/performers, and of course have them return to other shows? One thing I take pride in is creating a special deal for my patrons at each venue we work with. Sometimes it’s a “happy hour” for food/drinks, sometimes it’s adding in raffles and prize boxes provided to us from local sponsors/businesses, and sometimes it’s finding a way to connect to guests from their phones at home! How can I create an experience that people want to talk about and share with others?
And last, making YOURSELF happy. As much as I try to think about others when making my shows, it’s important to remember that your vision, dedication, and efforts are the reason that the events happen to begin with… An event can only be as successful as the amount of love that goes into it, and if you don’t love what you do, then why do it? I am personally still learning to trust my gut more, but it’s something that seems to steer me in the right direction. Intuition is a powerful thing, and trusting yourself that your decisions are the right one can be hard – but it only makes you feel that much better when it turns out you were right! And if you were wrong… there are always lessons in every delay.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Intracoastal Entertainment is a 360° event production company specializing in live events with local talents. 360° means we plan and execute on all fronts: we help the venue focus on the kind of event they want to produce (whether it’s a showcase, an open mic, an album release party, a DJ/party event, or an all music, comedy, art, or combination event, etc.), we produce the marketing for the event, create the branding of the event, make unique graphic design work per event, take care of ticket sales, book and pay artists, set up and break down the equipment, host the event, and create unique “specials” for the venue (happy hours, specialty cocktails, discounts for performers, food specials, etc.) to name a few things!
We are most known for our weekly all-arts open mics and monthly comedy and music showcases. We currently have two weekly open mics, with a potential 2-3 more starting before the end of the year! Currently, we produce an open mic (@TheRiversideMic) every Monday at The Riverside Market (@TheRiversideMarketPlantation) in Plantation. Sign up (in person!) begins at 6:45pm, with the show starting at 7:30pm and going until 11:30pm. This venue features the best selection of craft beers (over 150 to choose from!) with a unique “honor system” built-in! This means you can browse their selection in coolers on the wall, grab the beer you want, open it, and pay for it when you’re done drinking! They also have 50% off most of their beers when you take them to go and offer $4 specialty draft beers during our shows. They also have a really delicious selection of food made in house and some specials to choose from as well: $10 for an appetizer with a specially selected draft beer, or $12 for a juicy burger with fries and a beer!
We also have our newest open mic at C&I Studios (@CIStudios) coffee shop, Brew Next Door (@BREWNextDoorCI), every Thursday night. Sign up (also in person!) begins at 7:00m, with the show starting at 8:00pm and going till 12:00am! Besides offering coffee and small bites during the day, they also have a bar that starts serving around 6:00pm. This venue offers a happy hour to our guests from 7:00pm – 9:00pm, with $5 beers, $5 glasses of wine, and $7 craft cocktails!
Personally, since I’m the musician with all the equipment in these projects, I am the one who usually runs the soundboard as well as hosting the show. Occasionally, I’ll perform as well! Not only is it unique that I am a musician hosting these events (99% of other shows in the are run/produced by comedians), but we are one of the few that highlights and works with EVERY art form – we’ve had talent ranging from comedians, spoken word performers, musicians, dancers, poets, live painters, to even a ventriloquist! There is no expression of art that we don’t want to work with, and we embrace the unique diversity of performers in our area. The inclusion of all the arts and being able to provide a platform for people to feel at home and able to be vulnerable with the audience is something I’m most proud of. I remember when I first shared my original music and how scared I was to be judged on something I put so much work into still resonates with me – I want to provide a space that people who never thought they would step on stage to perform can do so and be well received. The culture of genuine kindness is really prominent in the community I’m fostering, and it makes me really proud of my brand.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Local talent and venues can work with me in many ways, and we are always looking to work with more people and expand our community! My best suggestion to help support us, or if you’re interested in working with us, would be to follow my Instagram account (@Intracoastal.Entertainment) since we are most active on that platform, and send us a message! Another way to help us to is come out to the shows. We are always producing shows and are only adding more to our monthly lineup – come see what all the buzz is about and watch some amazing local talent! The best way to get all the information for our shows is again our Instagram, or to check out our website, intracoastalentertainment.com and add yourself to our email listing!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: intracoastalentertainment.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intracoastal.entertainment/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intracoastal.entertainment
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtiHhMvpq53fO8oNy5dCWGw
Image Credits
Headshot Photographer: @GeorgeD.Horton (George Horton) Other Photos: @LucasDoytier
