Student Entrepreneur Spotlight: Harrison Bamel of HB Productions, LLC

Harrison Bamel

Harrison has always been involved in the New Orleans music scene. In fact, he sites the tight-knit, grassroots community of artists here as one of his primary sources of inspiration. Bamel’s first “Fridays at the Quad” event at Tulane left him awestruck, thrilled to be at a school that was so ingrained with the music and culture of the city around it. But it wasn’t until sophomore year that he got involved in the music business. Harrison worked under the Marketing Director, recruiting and managing the promotional street team at The Howlin’ Wolf, a local music venue. He gradually gained responsibility and ultimately started booking shows for them as Marketing Team Manager.

Harrison toyed with the idea of branching out and starting his own company, but it was the spring of his sophomore year. He had plans to study abroad, to travel, to see the world. That mindset changed when Rick Farman, Tulane alum and co-founder of production company Superfly, came to speak on campus. During his lecture, Farman discussed how he got his start in the music industry—a story that directly parallels Bamel’s. Farman started by promoting for Tipitina’s, until he decided to spin-off and work independently. Fast-forward twenty years, and Superfly is responsible for the execution of acclaimed music festivals such as Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.

“I know that my path would have been quite different if I had not ended up in New Orleans studying at Tulane, which is why I am extremely grateful for the people I’ve met and opportunities I’ve had over the past four years. I would like to thank you, Nola, as I will forever know what it means to miss New Orleans.”

With a newfound role model and sparked motivation, Bamel cancelled his trip abroad and focused on creating his own venture. He registered HB Productions, LLC in the summer of 2016, and began networking. With help from Booking Representative Jake Titlebaum, Creative Counsel Matthew Eshagoff, and Operations Coordinator Jonah Flint, HB Productions was able to foster ongoing working relationships with New Orleans’ beloved Big Chief Juan Padro & The Golden Comanche Mardi Gras Indians, funk band SexualThunder!, and the up and coming Georgia based group Walden

The first big show the group put together was a fundraising event called “The Bayou Banger ft. SNBRN,” which raised nearly $5000 for victims of the catastrophic floods in Baton Rouge during the summer of 2016. HB Productions has since become a one-stop-shop, specializing in event management, artist booking, digital marketing, and promotional representation.

Check out hb-productions.net for more information!