Audience Hospitality

Here are a few tips suggesting how you can help your audience (and YOU!) enjoy the whole evening – not just the show.

Beforehand

Do you have enough:

• Ticket seller(s);
• Programme seller(s);
• Stewards/ticket tearer(s);
• Car park attendant(s);
• Raffle ticket seller(s);
• Refreshments and bar staff.

 

Make sure that all these people know the running times, the layout of the venue and any health and safety issues - and about the actual show.

• Turn on the heating in advance if necessary or more rarely, open the windows!
• Arrange for your helpers to arrive 45 minutes before the audience, to help set up;
• Noisy doors, non working door closers or heaters? Sort them out before the show;
• Make sure the hall is clean and tidy.

 

Make sure you’ve got a float with plenty of change for the Box Office and a separate one for any raffles or refreshments.

Are you prepared for any known/unknown disabled audience members?

Sort out with Company/Artists on their arrival (Click here for more on this):

• How will the performance / second half start?
• When do they want their refreshments?
• When are any speeches / raffles going to happen?

 

Just before

Do your final Health & Safety check (refer to the section on Health and Safety).

Two queues will speed things up at the Box Office: one for 'on the door' sales and reserves (putting these in alphabetical order beforehand is helpful) and the other for ticket holders. This keeps everyone happy!

Actively hand out your Live & Local feedback/mailing cards and our What’s On Diaries.

Dealing with Latecomers: Make sure that you check with the company when they should be let in and, if you haven’t sold out place a few ‘RESERVED’ signs on seats near the door. If you’ve any local dignitaries or disabled people coming, you might want to put reserved signs out for them too.

During the show

• Enjoy it, but be alert: you are responsible for both the audience and the performers;
• Do a discreet head count of the audience to double check the ticket sales.
• Try to keep extraneous (!) noise, light and general disturbance to a minimum.
• Do other users of the venue know the show is on (if relevant)?
• Watch out that your refreshments people aren’t too keen – and noisy!
• Have a policy on noisy food (e.g. crisps or sweets) during the show.
• Remember the audience and the performers are there for the performance!

 

Interval

Check both the performers and the audience are happy at the interval and if they’re not, try and sensitively change things. (e.g. ask the chatty table at the front to pipe down!)
A quick turn around in the interval is often necessary, so have several serving points for refreshments and put milk and sugar for self-service at a distance from the serving points in order to keep the queue moving!

After the show

• Ask people what they thought – collect in Live & Local feedback/mailing cards!
• Give people a leaflet about the next show or another nearby Live & Local show;
• Thank people as they leave – a personal feel is why people come to your venue;
• GO HOME and get someone to make you a nice cup of tea (or a little stronger!)

 

Raffles

If you are having a raffle to raise funds to save time in the interval why not draw it during the second half and people can pick their prizes up as they leave. (Two tickets for the next show at your venue is a good prize and will mean the show gets at least one mention. Also, don’t forget the Live & Local raffle prize voucher for a show at a different venue which we have included in your pack!)