FUNDRAISING
EVENT PLANNING
SOUND & MUSIC
TECH REHEARSAL
FUNDRAISING/DEVELOPMENT
- Determine financial goals for funding the production through fundraising & donor support
- Sponsorship
- Create a grant/sponsorship proposal
- Identify potential sponsors: What current relationships & partnerships do you possess?
- Reach out to potential sponsors to inform them about the production, the needs of the production, and ask for their support (if previous donor, thank them for past support first)
- Acknowledge sponsors at the event and in marketing materials
- Send thank you package/note following the event
- Invite past & current patrons to event or to donate if they cannot attend
- Develop New Donor Engagement Plan
- Determine goal for acquiring new patrons
- Keep track of attendance at past events through data sheet
- Maintain list of contact information for people who have participated and/or attended past events or programs
- Go through the list and contact to invite them to the event and/or ask them to donate.
- Thank them for their involvement with the organization (regardless of whether or not they donate)
EVENT PLANNING
- Determine purpose & primary goal(s) of the event
- Prepare a detailed Rubudget for the event
- Determine a timeline for booking & preparing the event
- Include schedules for marketing, vendor/venue booking, staffing needs, and other deadlines that pertain to the event
- Select a Venue: Things to consider when choosing a venue:
- Parking/Ease of access:
- Is it easy to find and is there enough parking spaces?
- Do they have handicap parking?
- Is the parking situation safe and walkable?
- Paid or free parking?
- Distance: Is the venue reachable by public transportation?
- Availability of venue: Does the timing fit within the needs of the event?
- Accessibility: Is it ADA compliant? Does it have elevators? Are the aisles wide enough? What are the seating options?
- Load-In & Strike: What time restrictions does the venue have regarding load-in and strike?
- Safety:
- Does the venue have any regulations for COVID-19 and Social Distancing?
- Are they up to code with fire and health inspections
- Capacity: Does the size of the event match the capacity limits of the venue?
- Equipment: Does the venue have the equipment needed for the event?
- Parking/Ease of access:
- Hire Vendors: Determine the needs of the event
- Photographer/Videographer
- Stage Hands
- Food & Drink Caterers
- Set Up/Take Down Staff
- Servers
- Submit deposits for venue & vendors by deadlines
- Ensure that the staffing/volunteer needs of the event are met for the day of the event & necessary information is communicated to participating staff/volunteers
MARKETING
- Determine purpose and goals of the marketing campaign
- >Is it to promote an upcoming event?
- >Is it to increase your exposure in the community?
- >Is it to expand the number of participants or donors for your organization?
- >Is it for a new program that you are launching?
- Based on your goals, develop a adequate budget for the marketing campaign
- >Do you need to hire someone to be responsible for all marketing needs?
- >What types of marketing will you need? (print, digital, press etc.)
- >How expansive do you want the marketing to reach? What communities do you need to engage through this campaign?
- >How does this budget fit within your overall organizational budget?
- Create a schedule/plan for social media posts, email blasts, media releases and print media distribution
- Create a uniform graphic/logo/design and language that will be used across all promotional materials
- >Digital Promotional Material Includes: Hashtags, Videos, Gifs, Stories, Social media posts, Email blasts
- >Print Promotional Material Includes: Flyers, Posters, Newspaper Ads
- >Don’t forget to include acknowledgements of any sponsors
- Write out language for event details, online media captions and press releases to include with your designs
- >How to Write a Press Release
- >Don’t forget to determine the frequency of posting within your schedule
- Build a website/page and social media platform (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, etc.) for the event or campaign (if needed)
- Set up ticketing links for the event
- Identify local organizations/businesses in the community where opportunities for cross-promotion and/or partnership exist
- Distribute flyers/posters/emails out to community
- Submit event information to local community event calendars & websites
- Submit a press release
- >Press Contacts in Atlanta (MAKE DOWNLOADABLE PDF)
- >Don’t forget to submit your event to our DanceATL Calendar
SOUND & MUSIC EFFECTS
- Decide what sound effects will enhance a production
- Determine how you are going to source those sounds and when they will come in
- Adjust the volume that sound effects should be played at
- Create cue plans for all sound effects and music
- Choose who is going to operate the sound effects & music
- Consider hiring a musician, DJ, sound designer, engineer (if the budget allows)
- Find suitable equipment to play sound effects and live music
- Do you need to rent/buy any equipment for the event?
- Mics, mic stands, speakers, sound board, etc.
- LINK TO EQUIPMENTS PAGE
- Designate one tech to be responsible for the sound/music during the event
- Create and share sound testing schedule prior to the event
LIGHTING
- Decide what type of theatrical elements you want to create with the lighting
- What type of lighting can you use to support the production
- What areas of the stage do your performers use/occupy
- What colors should you use to convey different ideas or emotions
- Determine the timing and how lighting changes can enhance music and sound
- Determine whether any large set items you use will create unintended shadows
- Choose what types of lighting you will use (spot, Fresnel, flood, strobe, etc.)
- Create a plan for light positioning and the use of barn doors, gobos, and filters
- Draft an adapted version of the script with added lighting cues
- Decide whether to use blackouts or lighting transitions for scene changes
- Consider hiring a lighting designer (if the budget allows)
- LINK TO DESIGNER PAGE
TECH REHEARSALS
- Rehearse in the space that you will be using for your performance
- Communicate & understand all cues for the production
- Block out spacing and transitions
- Do a run through in front of peers, asking for feedback
- Use feedback & self-assessment to improve your production
- Examine audience sight lines for the stage and set you are using
- Consider additional time and rehearse: bows, pre & post show speeches, Q & A session, etc.
- Run a technical rehearsal for light and sound, using cue sheets
- Do a dress rehearsal with the correct costumes, set and props