The new internet
Since many years sellers and buyers do find each other on local, national and global internetplatforms for all kinds of products. For services there is basically nothing; it is very limited and largely insufficient. The introduction of DIR-ACT changes this picture completely for all performing artists. In that way DIR-ACT is at the dawn of the new internet where the virtual and the real world actually meet.

A complete new approach
First of all the starting point of DIR-ACT is the “act”, in five distinct categories: music, dance, show, art and words. DIR-ACT makes bookers and artists find each other in a quick and direct way under clear and transparent conditions. Resulting in an automated mutual contract in the language of their own choice. The heart of DIR-ACT is full of new concepts and ideas.

Search and find, up-to-date results
Nowadays bookers and artists have trouble finding each other in the current Internet Society. The search not only takes way more time then necessary but also the many obtained results (after googling) are dead ends, websites that do not exist, email-addresses that are no longer in use. A local search (booking agencies) most of the time gives a limited choice by language or by the one-sided push of their own artists. DIR-ACT makes sure that the profile-pages of the acts are up-to-date, mainly by automatic functionalities like an active agenda and the SatisFactor.

Worldwide, no cure no pay
DIR-ACT works on a global scale, but many performances will be arranged on the local or national level. For the artists DIR-ACT is in that way all-of-the-online-marketplaces-in-one: local, national and global. And quick as well: most of the time a deal within the day and for the last-minute-bookings also with the PanicButton.
And only when they have a booking and a contract the artists pay just 1% of their net wages.
Note to editors (not for publication)
Of course there’s a lot more to say about DIR-ACT, but way too much to describe in this short press release. About the research that forms the base, about engagement and idealism, about the Dutch couple that gave birth to DIR-ACT, about the deposit of the idea in April 2010, about the process so far of building the website, about the first positive reactions at the beta-test, about the many artists (worldwide) that have already registered their acts before the official start, about the other languages that will take effect in a few weeks, etc.
But a visit to the website and using the many functionalities will say a whole lot more.


For all questions and more information please contact me by email. After a first contact it is also possible to make an appointment by phone.

M.A.H. (Madelon) Janssen,
Ceo Finance & Public Relations,
 Madelon@dir-act.com.


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ANNEX

The 10 of DIR-ACT
(extra info, might serve as editorial content)
Service besides product
Act versus artist
Find versus search
Contact and contract
Online booking-system
Local, national and global
No cure no pay
Up-to-date
Fast: the same day versus weeks
Fast: the PanicButton


1. Service besides product
Since many years sellers and buyers do find each other on local, national and global internetplatforms for all kinds of products. For services there is basically nothing; it is very limited and largely insufficient. Take a look at all the marketplaces and sites like eBay with a focus on products. Also take a look at the start-pages that actually do offer services: they try but most links are dead ends. And a service can never be obtained straight away, it’s more informative. For that fact performing artists are mainly invisible in the clew of start-pages, MySpace and Facebook. Besides the high rates advertising seems a hopeless case: which sites to choose?
The introduction of DIR-ACT changes this picture completely for all performing artists. In that way DIR-ACT is at the dawn of the new internet where the virtual and the real world actually meet. Acts can be found quickly on (sub)category, availability (date and place) and price (wages plus traveling expenses).

2. Act versus artist
Many artists do have many capacities. What about the singer that sings solo and in a group. Or the rockgroup that could be either support-act or performing a complete show.
DIR-ACT wants to make it easier for artists to get more performances. In order to do so the starting-point of DIR-ACT is the “acts”. Beforehand it needs to be clear what the act exactly is and what the expenses are. This is the first innovation of DIR-ACT.
Of course artists may register all their acts. On top of that a manager-account is created for managers with a multiple of artist (acts).

3. Find versus search
Nowadays bookers and artists have trouble finding each other in the current Internet Society. Whether it concerns musicians, dancers, stand-up-comedians, actors, presenters, speed-drawers, magicians or clowns. The search not only takes way more time then necessary but also the many obtained results (after googling) are dead ends, websites that do not exist, email-addresses that are no longer in use. A local search (booking agencies) most of the time gives a limited choice by language or by the one-sided push of their own artists. DIR-ACT ends this once and for all. DIR-ACT makes sure that the profile-pages of the acts are up-to-date, mainly by automatic functionalities like an active agenda and the SatisFactor.

4. Contact and contract
After making his choice the act can be booked fast and easy. After filling in the necessary data he agrees with the preliminary contract. By email the artist receives a message that he has a booking, he logs in to his account on the website, looks at the preliminary contract and by agreeing the artist and the booker automatically receive the final contract by mail. Both artist and booker in their own language! The standardized contract gives a maximum of clarity to the booker and a maximum of flexibility to the artist, in accordance with the legal rules.

5. Online booking-system
The artist keeps full control over his profile on dir-act.com. Whether it’s the agenda, the rider with the technical specifications, the net or gross wages, the traveling expenses, the traveling distance (radius), etc. Besides the fact that the act can make a quick, clear and easy profile to bookers the artist or manager can also use DIR-ACT as their online booking-system. For the small fee it wouldn’t be a surprise if many of the artists prefer the quick and solid handling of their bookings and contracts through DIR-ACT.

6. Local, national and global
DIR-ACT works on a local and national level (let’s say like the current start-pages and marketplaces), as well as on a global level (let’s say like eBay and Facebook). DIR-ACT applies its ideas and concepts on every scale. Whether an artist wants to be booked within 50 km or around the world: anything is possible. The booker searches and finds all acts of all artists worldwide that want to perform on the given time and place, within the given budget (wages plus traveling expenses). In that perspective DIR-ACT is all of the marketplaces in one, for the whole world, for every booker and artist.

7. No cure no pay
The concepts and ideas of DIR-ACT will be applied on a global scale. This is why there’s no costs involved for bookers and there’s only a small fee of 1% of their net wages for the artists only if they have a booking and a contract. And that is a negligible small amount compared to the current costs of advertising or the fees (tens of percentages) used by agencies.

8. Up-to-date
When an artist creates his own profile-page on the website of DIR-ACT he has to fill in a lot of data. Done in a proper way the act is visible on the website. If the artist maintains the agenda (by opening possible dates to perform) and replies in the appropriate way to bookings the act remains visible, also in the results. If the artist is inadequate in doing so his ranking will drop, overall and in the results. An inactive artist or an artist that does not keeps his end of the agreement will be (also automatically) invisible or his account removed. On top of that the data of the act will be screened, partially automatically. That’s clarity. Clarity concerning the video (of a performance), the price, the time-sets, the additional conditions, etc. Besides that the acts are ranked in an honest and objective way (e.g. by the SatisFactor).

9. Fast: the same day versus weeks
The speed of DIR-ACT emerges on many spots. In finding an act under clear criteria. In the time of response of an artist: you almost instantly know whether there is an agreement. In the automatically generated contract in your email-box. Compare that to the current practice where you might turn up with a contract after weeks of searching, negotiating and almost losing your mind.

10. Fast: the PanicButton
And if you really need an act fast there is always the PanicButton. The PanicButton is developed to make it possible to arrange a performance last minute. It has to concern a performance within a week. The booker chooses 5 acts maximum and invites them via the PanicButton. The artist that responds first get the contract, the other artists get an automated message that somebody else has already got the contract.
The PanicButton is meant for exceptional situations. You can say there is panic, you don’t know what to do and you hardly have any time to do it. Think about the situation that a band cancels their performance a few days before the date. But what about the trumpeter, the choir or the organ-player needed for a funeral. You only have a few days to make the arrangements; that’s where the PanicButton comes in.