Company Hospitality

What needs to be done to ensure that the Company can give you their best performance?

Before the day

It is part of the Promoter Agreement that you provide tea and coffee-making facilities and a light meal or refreshments for the performers. Please phone the company before the day to say “hello” and confirm their arrival time and details about the hospitality they would like to request from you. Your Booking Details Form will usually indicate if the artists have requested a light meal or refreshments, but please check with them in advance to make sure. Find out if they have any special dietary requirements and when they want to eat (they may prefer to eat after the performance).

If you can’t provide what has been requested, please call us to discuss alternative arrangements. If you can provide their requests, then please still call the company to confirm the details, i.e. how many, what and when, etc. Don’t wait for them to contact you – we say the same to the companies!

Don’t forget to ask the company if they are planning to bring programmes or any other merchandise. If they are bringing programmes to sell, ask them to give you a separate float.

Accommodation for Artists

Live & Local promoters are not expected to provide accommodation (it’s included in the artists fee) and in fact we positively discourage this for very good reasons, regardless of whether the promoters may be amenable. Promoters should not be asked by artists for accommodation.

The artists may have experienced other schemes allowing or even encouraging this practice however there are substantial issues relating to public liability, safeguarding, security, health, and professional space that makes it untenable.

Things to sort out before the day

• Squeaky doors or non-working door closers;
• Noisy heaters;
• Do other users of the venue know the show is on?

 

On the day

Make sure that there is someone available to meet the company when they arrive and supply them with whatever they need (within reason of course!).

It is often best not to lay out any chairs until the Company arrives (especially for theatre companies who may need a lot of space during their Get In), unless this has been discussed beforehand and both you and the Company are clear.

Please read Hall Layout to ensure that ALL the audience AND the performers have the best possible chance to enjoy the evening.

Please ensure that dressing rooms and the hall are warm and approximately the same temperature - musicals instruments can go out of tune if the change is too much!

When the performers arrive, discuss immediately with them:

• How many tickets you’ve sold;
• Safety issues (exits/seating layout);
• A time to layout the seats;
• Where/how someone can be contacted during the day;
• If you are providing food for them check when they would like to eat. If not, suggest somewhere local where they can get a meal or a snack;
• Running times and interval times (Remember: performers may have a long journey after the show);
• When they will be ready for you to let the audience in and how to deal with latecomers
• How they want to start / finish the show: let them know if there are any introductions / speeches you’d like to do, whether there will be a raffle, etc.

During the show

Enjoy it, but be alert: you are responsible for both the audience and the performers.

• Check with the performers before opening the doors;
• Try to keep extraneous (!) noise, light and general disturbance to a minimum;
• 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.

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!)

After the show

Move the chairs so the company can have an easier ‘get-out’ and, of course, don’t forget to thank them!