Administration: Cancellations

Please read the 'Contractual Stuff' at the bottom of this page. Unilaterally cancelling a performance without the agreement of Live & Local may make you liable for the full company fee quoted in the Menu.

This page will give you some ideas to help manage the cancellation of your show, limiting damage locally and to the rest of the Live & Local network of Promoters. I’m sure you can appreciate that although you, we and the performers know it is no longer happening, this isn’t the end of the story! There are a few things both yourselves and Live & Local need to sort out in the run - up to the date when it was due to happen.

Your own local publicity
Talk to as many ‘movers and shakers’ in your community as possible to gently let them know that the show will no longer be happening, e.g. the local shops, the vicar, the local school – all of whom could pass the message on quickly to others.

Be as positive as you can about the cancellation: ‘Postponed until a later date’ sounds better, you don’t have to tell them what date! Or perhaps simply the old faithful: ‘The event has unfortunately been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control’.

• Contact people who have already booked and arrange refunds
• Get the contact details of people so you can tell them about the new date / next show.
• Are there any meetings / groups etc before the date who could announce it?
• Collect in your leaflets but LEAVE YOUR POSTERS UP with a simple message flashed across them announcing the cancellation.

Things we have no control over
There are 12,000 Live & Local What’s On Diaries out there, still announcing that your show is on. However, we will take your show off the website as quickly as possible.

You may get phone calls on your Box Office number, so make sure that your contact person is well briefed and it has an answer phone message to the same effect. If the show is on at another Live & Local venue (check our What’s On Diary), PLEASE, PLEASE show goodwill and suggest that the person enquiring might like to go there, or refer them to us.

The local press still think it’s on and may continue to plug it. We will send out a simple announcement telling them it’s cancelled and refer their enquiries to Live & Local.

On the night - VERY IMPORTANT THIS BIT!
Despite our best efforts, people might still turn up on the door. The likelihood is that they won’t be local as they would have heard about the cancellation via another means, so they could have driven some distance. It is best if you can arrange for someone to be there for around half an hour before and after the original start time to explain to people.

At the very least there should be an apologetic poster on the door of your venue: ‘We are sorry that this show has been cancelled; please contact xyz for further details’.

Preferably, have someone there to apologise to anyone who turns up – and direct them to the nearest, nicest local pub. Offer them a Live & Local What’s On Diary and tell them where else the show is on.

If anyone turns up and becomes upset / angry / horrible (!), suggest they phone us, or take their contact details and we’ll contact them to smooth over troubled waters.

It’s not a nice situation to be in, but managed sensitively, the Live & Local network of venues should all come out of it smelling of roses!

If you need to discuss anything / double-check anything do give us a call at the office.

Contractual Stuff
Submitting a Show Request Form constitutes an offer from you to Live & Local Ltd to host Event(s) as part of the Live & Local community performance scheme under the terms of this Performance Contract. If an Event is cancelled after submitting the Show Request Form the following conditions apply:

1. If the Promoter cancels the Event without the agreement of Live & Local the Promoter is liable for the full Company Fee + Vat quoted in the Menu and will not be eligible for the Event Support Fund.
2. Where it is agreed that the cancellation is unavoidable and caused by circumstances beyond the control of either party (i.e. not by default or neglect) this Contract shall be cancelled and costs incurred by both parties in preparation for the Event shall be apportioned by mutual agreement.
3. If the Promoter cancels the Event with the agreement of Live & Local less than 30 days before the Event the Promoter is still liable for the Company’s cancellation fee*. More than 30 days you will be charged the minimum guaranteed fee detailed for the Event or £300 + Vat, which ever is the greater.
4. Should Live & Local cancel the Event after the Final Confirmation email for the event has been sent to you, Live & Local will cover any agreed costs incurred by the Promoter in preparation for the performance, except where Clause 2 above applies.
5. If the Event cannot go ahead because an appropriate Licence is not in place the Promoter will be liable for the full company fee + Vat quoted in the Menu.

* NB: At less than 30 days before the performance the company cancellation fee is likely to be the full company fee + vat that is publsihed in the Menu. Also available on request.

Event Support Fund
Please see the 'Event Support' Fund sheet for further information.