Successfully Managing a Performing Arts Venue

Before The Advent of Event Management Software

Anyone who has ever been involved in community theater or performing arts venues knows the huge volume of paperwork that makes the job difficult and margin for errors incredibly high. Managing the overhead of a performing arts facility is an enormous task. Add to that booking the best entertainers who attract audience interest, arranging publicity for each event as well as hospitality services, guest rooms, rehearsal equipment, stage, prop and scenery management and if applicable, costuming and musicians. The answer is a tight rein on details with the help of event management software.

Managing Details As Well As the Event

The worst-case scenario is forgetting to check in with the printer on ticket release dates or verifying the shipment of costumes from the company that supplies 30 or 40 dancers with cabaret-style costumes. That is an "oops moment" no performing arts venue manager wants on their professional resume. Hire the best marketing and PR people available. Without top-of-the-line marketing, the best performing arts venues free fall. From one season to the next, depending on the venue, diversity of events is equally important. Predictability in entertainment has a negative impact. Even in small community theaters, the range of performances should vary from heavy drama to light musicals. This is where a good director and producer are likely the most valuable assets. Their professional status should be equal to the star quality of performers.

Point and Click Away Performing Arts Venue Management Blues

With theater management software, just about any detail is readily available and in most cases the event management software will flag certain dates and create reminders the minute the program boots up. This is the beauty of this type of software. Everything that normally ends up on paper is right there on the screen. If hard copy is needed, it is simple to print it. This is handy whenever there is a dispute over dates, times, release information or marketing schedules. Just point and click away the difficulties of performing arts venue management.

One other asset of theater management software is the ability to review archived information for future reference. The name of a particular singer, musician or director and contact information stays in the records and can be sorted like a database. The software is user friendly and saves time and money. All of which helps successfully manage a performing arts venue.