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Ticket Prices for blocks of seats

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Topic: Ticket Prices for blocks of seats

Posted By: Scott B
Subject: Ticket Prices for blocks of seats
Date Posted: 6/25/05 at 11:21am

We're getting ready to do Smoke On the Mountain at the end of September. We've had a couple of dogs lately and our hope is that this show will bring us back. We're also moving the venue to a nearby town as there is less going on over there.

Prices for now have been set at $10 adult, $8 student/senior, and $5 children under 12. We're also thinking of doing something new. We're going to approach churches in the area as well as a few banks and offer them tickets at $7.00 if they are purchased in blocks of at least 20.

The seats must all be purchased with a single check and must all be for the same performance.

My question is; has anyone tried this before and if so ... am I overlooking potential problems with this setup? Is there a better way to accomplish this?

We have a board meeting in a couple of weeks, but we had a four hour show committee meeting yesterday afternoon hammering out this stype of stuff.

I appreciate any info you can provide.

Scott

Replies:

Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 6/25/05 at 12:47pm

We did exactly the same thing for our production of "Joseph/
Dreamcoat" - it was a very good marketing thing for us. We did
not make the discounted tickets available for our 'always sold
out anyway' shows (Saturday Evening and Sunday Matinees) -
but those churches and synagogues really came through for
our Thursday and Friday night performances! We ended up
close to selling out for shows that normally had 1/3 - 1/2 house
sold. The small discount we lost on each individual ticket sale,
made up for itself in the bulk sales (which is, LOL, I guess the
idea behind bulk sales).

We then continued the system for every show - offering blocks
to the Jaycees, the Lion's Club, etc. They would buy blocks of
tickets at discount prices - and then sell to THEIR group for full
prices as a benefit for themselves. Everybody made out.

Just make sure somebody responsible and PROMPT is in
charge of notification to the various organizations - those
people require LOTS of time to drum up enthusiasm from their
membeships - it can't be done overnight.

Good luck with your venture - hope you meet with the success
we did.

Posted By: Dustmac
Date Posted: 6/26/05 at 11:28am

We have started doing the same thing and it has been succesful for us. The great thing about it is the fact that by hitting churches, etc. you get more word of mouth advertising, etc. It also helps with bigger advance ticket sales, etc and makes it more likely to make a profit.

Posted By: Wishbone
Date Posted: 8/26/05 at 12:48pm

That's a great idea! I have to suggest that to my theater!

Pocahontas opens today!!! So EXCITED! We had only 19 seats left and that was last week. So I think we might be sold out!!!

WISHBONE

Posted By: Scott B
Date Posted: 9/02/05 at 12:23am

Just now getting back to posting on this. We open in three weeks and so far this looks really good. I can't for the life of me figure out why we never did this before.

The church that has graciously allowed us to use their facilities ... their Worship Team just had a meeting and decided to purchase a block of 20 seats for every night of the perfomance (6 performances). We've been receiving calls from other churches as well.

Also ... called a local bank that takes many of the Club 50 on trips like cruises, dinner theatre or concerts. They just called to put them down for 25, but that they could easily need more.

My gal that's doing advertising (a tireless worker) is contacting all churches in our area by phone. Any church that she doesn't get a human to answer she'll send out a letter.

She's got a meeting with the Campus Ministry group at our local college. She's attempting to get them to purchase an entire night and then provide them to the students. Probably won't happen ... but with Rachel I never say never. After all ... as of today she got 100% of our flyers/posters and tickets printed for free from a vendor that we couldn't get as much as a discount out of the last 6 years!

Again ... I don't know why it took this show for me to start thinking in blocks as opposed to indiviual sales, but we're definately doing it from now on.

Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 9/03/05 at 1:10am

One of better patronised community theatres here. Do what they call charity performances.
They managed to tap in to a lucrative audience base, by offering Service organisations such as Rotary & others. The whole capacity of a the theatre for a particular show. The Service Group /Charity pay about 1/3rd the normal rate per seat, if they take all the seats & ? price if they opt for a portion of the house over 50 seats or more. The performance becomes the charity?s venue, in as much as they can hold raffles or any other fundraising activities that night. They also can re-sell the seats at what ever price they wish to charge their members or supporters. With a 100 seat venue normally charging $15/seat, the Charity can make over $1000 And more if they sell them at a premium rate for say $20 or more/with added value such as supplying supper or whatever + fundraises. They don?t have to do much but flog the tickets!
This theatre started this a few years ago, when they averaged only 20% Houses/season, now this is in the high 90% houses/season.
Also with block bookings, they have a cast priority booking system, where the cast can book blocks of say 10 or more, before they are released to the public at a discount/block rate, This also works well!
Further this particular theatre group, also offers any Corporate Sponsors staff & Company, the same deal as the charity groups as well!
They will add about 3 or 4 of these performances to their normal season & pay the extra performance rights fee involved.
What they have created is inexpensive promotional exposure to a greater audience base, that they would not normally achieve, even with seasons that are not every ones tea bag!
Scott look after your Lady & her ideas! - She is worth bottling mate!

-------------
Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}