There are a million things that could go wrong on show day. You need to keep track of contracts, riders, stage plots, input lists, advances, and deposits… the list goes on.
But don’t waste time digging through your email, Dropbox, or frantically texting everyone on staff. Clear communication and streamlined technology are key to keep show day running smoothly. Here’s a day-of concert checklist to keep your whole team on the same page.
1. Collect essential information from the agent, band, or tour manager
The first item on your concert checklist is to make sure you have riders well in advance, and do your best to accommodate artists’ requests. Clarify who will have access to the green room — the headlining band may be willing to share it with their opening act, but sometimes they want the space to themselves. Beyond riders and other important docs, confirm other basic info: load-in, soundcheck, load-out times, and the names of the band members.
2. Make sure your entire team can access logistical info
Two-thirds of surveyed venues say keeping track of information is one of their top challenges. And if your team doesn’t have essential information on hand, your artists won’t have the supplies they need to pull off a great show.
Using tech like Eventbrite, you can store all your show information in one place for the entire team. Stop sending countless emails and Dropbox folder links back and forth between team members by using one platform to hold all your show’s info.
With a venue management platform like this, you can store marketing assets and creative in each show’s sandbox, so nothing falls through the cracks. Upload every file or comment with requests in the show’s sandbox, which updates in real-time. That way, everything’s in the same place and everyone stays on the same page. Your team won’t just communicate better internally, they’ll communicate better externally, too — improving relationships with agents and building your reputation.
3. Manage artists with a smile
When the band arrives, the green room should already be prepared with their requests. They’ll likely want a minute to relax after their travel to the venue, but be sure to share venue information upfront. Let them know if the venue has any sound restrictions that they need to keep in mind for load-in or load-out. Show them the general layout of the space, and where they will or will not have access. Many bands will also want ticket counts when they arrive, so make sure you have that information on hand.
4. Check-in fans fast, so they can hit the bar
Avoid a long line at the door by using box office tech like the Eventbrite organizer app. Scan up to 60 digital or printed tickets per minute and check the guest list on any iOS or Android device. That means fans can get in and to the bar.
You can perform sales, refunds, and upgrades on the fly, so you can stop putting out fires for long enough to enjoy the show. And with real-time attendance and sales data synced across devices, you can sell confidently until you hit capacity.
5. Make settlement simple
Once the show is over, it’s time to move on to the next one. Settle faster with a venue management platform that provides real-time sales data in settlement reports or across multiple shows.
6. Analyze the show in all your favorite tools
Last but not least on your concert checklist? Reporting on success post-show.
To really streamline post-show reporting, make sure your ticketing system can sync with your reporting tools. If you use Eventbrite, you can view detailed ticket buyer data and automatically sync ticketing data with your favorite business tools, like MailChimp, Google Universal Analytics, and more — no more manual imports or incomplete reports.
Download your concert checklist
To find out how tech can help you work more efficiently at every step of a show, check out this concert checklist to stop wasting time managing your music venue.
