Question

Topic: Strategy

Local Event Marketing

Posted by theamelia on 8/11/2011 at 8:55 AM ET 25 Points
Two of my four jobs include marketing local entertainment events.

Of course, by nature, these are want not need-based events.

In both cases, we do a number of things;
* One email per week to our list with this week's events
* New email subscribers are awarded with free passes to an upcoming show
* Facebook and Twitter posts (3x a day) of upcoming details and events encouraging bookings.

The events need to have ticket sales for us to do well... so we need to push online and phone reservations.

Ideally we get SOMETHING for tickets, but we're not opposed to giving away seats, as we're in a new location (reopened in July) and the bar can keep us afloat if we have happy customers.

I'm just reaching out to see if any of our Profs have any suggestions for local event marketing. I'm in need some some freshness here. Getting burned out with a low-budget and slow summer runs (which is typical, but still).
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  • Posted by peg on 8/14/2011 at 3:33 PM Accepted
    Hi, Amelia.

    As is about to become painfully obvious, I'm not an expert in the entertainment business, and I'm not sure what market you're targeting; but let me ask ...

    -- Could you borrow from baseball and have the equivalent of "bat night" or "autograph night" to increase the draw of specific markets? (App night? Join the band night? Free CD night? The band/troop/act buys your first drink night?)

    -- Could you borrow from theater and bundle things into a mini season pass-like group? (Tonight's performance is regularly $10 and $15, but if you buy the $15 seat tonight, you get a bonus $10 tickets to A and B next month.)

    -- Could you borrow from concert halls and stage a performance in conjunction with one or more local charities that collectively have large lists? They promote to their list(s), you give a percentage of the evening's take to the charity/charities. Maybe make this a "red carpet" equivalent with a searchlight, a logo'd backdrop for pictures with the main act -- or better yet, the celebrity face of the featured charity -- ushered seating inside, etc. (Chicago for Kids? Comedians Care? Jousting for Jobs?)

    -- Could you borrow from open mic night, and invite the local newscasters or weather people or radio personalities to a sing-off, comedy-off, soliloquy-off, karaoke-off? Again, this is something more likely to work with a charity.

    -- Could you do something flash-crowd-like that incorporates everyone's smart phone as part of the evening's event? You collect everyone's number or text or IM (whatever) or direct them to a site that lets their phone be part of the performance. Punchlines delivered to iPhones? Questions or improv suggestions tweeted to the stage? Chorus played from phones throughout the audience area? Unexpected pictures, sounds, delights delivered digitally at surprising moments? Maybe end up with a QR scan that earns a free drink at the bar or a free coffee traveler for the trip home? Theme would be, "Come Charged Up!"

    Anytime something is coordinated in conjunction with another organization, a condition would be their agreement to promote to their list, and for this a part of the proceeds might go their way (rather than a discount to the attendee).

    Any of that helpful?

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