Doing the sensible ~ B-Act

 

Some recommendations for B-Act to implement before next season's opening curtain:

Mailing List

• Assign mailing list responsibility - Cameron has been really great about shouldering the bother, but let's give the guy a round of applause & hand off to someone else.
• Contact everyone on the current mailing list who is not already a member & inform them that the list will be discontinued as of July 1, 2015.
• Everyone who sends us their e-mail address will get automatic membership for the coming season, entitling them to all earliest news about B-Act productions & events, as well as a discount on opening night tickets.
• Include a phone # for them to call if they want to continue receiving snail mail notices about upcoming productions.
• Send out an e-mail blast two months before performance, with date tickets can be ordered.
• A week before tickets go on sale, mail out any snail mail announcements.
• Send out a second blast the day before tickets go on sale.

 

Advertising Promotion

• Two months before the first performance, send a thank you letter (on the back of the poster for the upcoming production) to previous advertisers (go back three seasons).  
• Give a discount off an ad if reserved by a given date.
• Invite everyone who advertises to the cast party.
• Present the ways
• Spotlight the various ways to support a production - taking out advertising space, placing a shout-out in the program, sponsoring a yard sign (theirs to place & keep).  The yard signs are NOT a money-maker, since what we charge & what they cost are roughly the same, but they are HUGE for increased visibility.  And a nice momento for anyone associated with a production.  
• Create a master list for posters - check with BAC & ANC on where they post theirs.
• Include a very prominent thank you in the lobby alphabetically listing all advertisers.

Program

• Include a prominently placed notice that reinforces any sort of recording is not allowed, ushers will enforce.  
• On a full-sized page, post a similar THANK YOU with the names of all advertisers.

 

Promotion

• Send media contacts information as soon as we set the next season.
• Recommend subscribing as a theater to STAGE.
• Make up a list of all local community regional professional theaters within 50 miles & keep a current listing of their upcoming performances.  
• Encourage & even coordinate people to go to local community theater productions.
• Offer senior residences & churches an additional 10% off each ticket for pre-paid groups of over _?_ people.  If there is a bus driver, provide a free ticket.  Limit to specific performance dates?
• Complete the poster design at least two months before the play date. 
• Send "Congratulations!" cards to local community theaters on the opening of their plays.
• E-mail "save the date" notices to media contacts, follow up to make sure it was received & confirm the primary contact.
• Beat the bushes for ideas on how to get more media coverage.  Some people are really good at this - not currently one of my strengths.
• How can we get more people to underwrite yard signs?  
• Research affordable buttons with performance info.
• Send congratulations cards to all Cappy winners.