Ghana: Chaterhouse – GMA: For the love of Ghana music or for the event?
By Peterking Quaye, from Accra, Ghana – Over the past eleven years ,one event that have send many Ghanaian wondering what so much ,are they going to do to be collecting this huge money ?Your answer is go as my ‘just an artiste on stage singing ’. Is charterhouse giving value for money ?
Unlike other music event –Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya ,where the lots of effort goes into working the event ,Charterhouse rather uses the media to create ambiance of quality event ,when in actual fact ,the entire event has little or nothing new in content .The Ghanaian public deserves quality event and also value for their money spent . This year’s event at 12th can not boost of quality . The total quality management processes of Ghana Music Awards need to be revisited as the price to view keep escalating with nothing to learn.
I asked many people at the event and their views despite mixed had one thing in common that was: for the love of Ghana music and not the event .Ghana Music Awards is the only brand of event that Charterhouse have bragging rights over and if poor event management will be labelled to it for the past twelve years ,then stakeholders should consider a way to ensure quality event .
One person who made the call ahead of the event said tickets to the Ghana Music Awards at “ Ghc70 and Ghc150 for V.I.P,” which as Thursday was said to be finish as usual of Charterhouse to create an impression that the event has been sold out so much .It was been sold for 120 Ghcedis ‘can you imagine this ’.
Also l have also noticed that Charterhouse deliberately holds the event attendants at the door the venue usually ,more than 2 hrs to also create an impression that it is time factor while they use it to also create an impression that the event is over filled.
Authorities have also allowed Charterhouse to over sell event, when the seating capacity is know and people go to the venue and sit on the floor.
Ahead of the event ,Tony Pun Danning, manager of the multi-nominated Samini also added his voice to the seemingly increasing complains that “the price is too high considering that core of fans of our artistes would miss the action apart, meanwhile after making the large earnings from the show, organisers, Charterhouse do not give back enough to the industry.
The figures are outrageously high, meanwhile musicians whom the show was made for are not paid enough, information picked up by this journalist from the corridors of the Chapterhouse showed that even the artiste contract is not presented to them on time and the terms and conditions of the contract is not clear for their performances plus the take-home award plaques are unbelievably too cheap for the hype and money made by the organisers.
Ghana Music Awards is a big brand after twelve years of activation and didn’t expect organizers are still crying about not making profits out of the show”. It is also undisputed that only Ghana Music Awards organizers over the past 11 yrs have received a ‘standing order’ undisclosed sponsorship package from MTN-Ghana and other cooperate institutions–Charterhouse alone.
This bring to my attention what happened during this years edition when l started following it three days ahead of the main day, paying visit to the Dome and the office of Charterhouse-Ghana as well.
At twelve year ,one will expect vast improvement in the delivery of event ,but still Charterhouse is struggling to hold it acts together .In Events Management ,there are many component that the main day of the event lacked such as audience management, crowd management ,ushering system –this was seen clearly lacking in this year’s edition ,there was an incident at the backdoor ,the a security officer ,pull of his gun to shoot the guards at the gate for refusing him to go about his duty ,they pull each other from the steps unto the ground causing serious panic and fear for some minutes ,many people were seen running away .
Access control, admission control, contact list, this was the case of some special invited guest for the event , when Chief Dela Momolu, Stella Damascus all from Nigeria who visited the event and Samini, were restricted at the walkway and by the mixed security guard from Togo, and other country that were placed at vintage point ,these experiences are not expected the be seen at a twelve years old event in any part of the world not in Ghana can this be accepted.
Which was very bad for the image of the event after twelve years . In the walkway created by the organizers there, l also observed, a serious problem as to communication management particularly with event order, contact list of special guest invited
I heard the Media Relation Officer on a local station saying the awards plaques were made in UK, there question is will they travel all that distance to get an inferior plaque for such a prestigious named event . The one ,l saw for this year also was the same in terms of style and weight .Some Artiste Managers has lashed at the plaque and their experience and says Charterhouse-Ghana are lying saying “Who then is making all the money?” He asked. Tony back his claim about low quality of the award plaques and his experience:”Just last October at the launch of Samini’s C.E.O album, we had to glue two of the Ghana Music Awards plaques to enable us display them; meanwhile plaques of all the other international awards Samini had won were still strong”, he said.
This is one part of the news on Ghana Music Awards 2011, l will bring you reaction form winner and loser on the night as the week unfolds. Watch out for picture of behind the scene from GMA 2011 .
