I wanted to post this to you all to get some feedback and some suggestions on promoting my upcoming theater show I will be doing in April. I want to give you a bit of background and what I plan on doing. Perhaps then I can get some feedback and other suggestions on things I may have overlooked. Thanks in advance.

Background:
New owners finally bought and restored an old theater in PA. They are now looking to bring in family crowds to the theater and are searching for acts they feel would be worthy for the stage.

A Parks and Recreation client of mine is also a friend of the owner of this new theater. She highly reccomended my wife and I to the owner as an act he may be intersted in.

To make a long story short, we met with the owner at the theater and both hit it off very well. He feels our show would be ideal for the theater as do we. We have been booked for 2 matinee shows on April 23rd of this year and have a 50/50 split of all proceeds. I am also allowed to sell BOR sales in the lobby and get all proceeds from that for myself and my wife.

Action Plan Ideas:
- I have already sent out my "blurb" of information to over 14 local online calendars. These are free and cost me nothing. They are also places where people go to see what is happening in their own areas and the websites allow you to post your information for free. This has been done last week and I plan on posting to a few more this week.

- I have finished designing a full color flyer that I am running off this week. These flyers I plan on getting up to the theater early this coming week so that he can place them on the information table and hand them out to the patrons who attend other shows there.

- The flyers will also be sent out to local schools of which the theater has connections with. The schools will pass out the flyers to each room to be given to the children to take home with them. The theater will handle the schools in their area and my wife and I will handle the ones down this way.

- I also want to create and prepare a press release about our show and get that ready to be sent to editors a few weeks prior to the show date. I am having problems with the appropriate "HOOK" for the press release but I am thinking on 2 ideas: 1) the fact that my wife and I are few husband and wife magic teams working in the area and 2) that the theater is restored back to it's 1700 look and the history behind it. I may post a separate post on the press release idea.

- I also plan on sending out invites to all my past clients as well as any prospects that I have in my ACT database. This is a way for them to come out and see the show and talk with me afterwards.

Is there anything else I can and should be doing to promote this show to the best of my ability, while keeping cost to a minimum? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks all and I look forward to your feedback and suggestions.

Kyle

It is interesting to read your comments since I am in the process of doing the exact same thing. I have connected with a local theater owner, and we will be performing on the stage in this theater later this year. It will be an illusion show complete with dancers, etc. I have offered to add my expertise with the promotion of the event. I agree with your comments regarding how to promote the event. I think there is more which can be done also. I am still putting my thoughts together regarding this, but I told the theater owner that I am willing to make some personal appearances to promote the show. For example, I told him that I could see myself at the local shopping mall doing walk-around magic while my assistants hand out flyers regarding the upcoming show & ticket information etc. I also have established contact with a local newspaper reporter who recently wrote an article about magic with a picture of me and comments about my show etc. He is personally very interested in magic, so I plan on inviting him to some of my upcoming events not so much for him to report on the events, but so he can enjoy the show. Then, as the theater show date gets closer, I intend to request an article about that show, the theater, etc.

At this point in time, I am still putting my thoughts together, but I do know this, publicity is much more effective than paid advertising, AND it is less costly too. Hope these thoughts help

They do help indeed. I am very active into marketing and the owner sees this and is so amazed at what I have done already. I just want to do everything I can do to pack the house and publicize the show the best I can while staying under budget.

As I go along, I would be happy to share with you what is working, what is not etc. If you could do the same, it would help us both out. =)

Kyle

Many retirement communities are "Dying" (pun intended) to find activities for their guests. Go to these communties and offer group discount tickets.

In addition, you MUST have a drawing for a FREE Pair or more of tickets at the communties even though they don't "buy" into your group discount ticket idea. This will create a buzz around during the meals and absolutely draw fans to your event.

You can also split the ticket sales with the community as well if you are willing.
It's much more convenient to have them purchase the tickets on site rather than at your event venue whilst standing in line. (Wheelchairs and Walkers Remember?)

Don't forget to give a FREE pair to the gatekeeper which is usually the Activities Director....If you don't then you have no class!

I have used this method to an overwhelming success rate for several years now!

Please make it a point to contact the community manager or activities director before you drop in unannounced.

Try it and you will Succeed! I Promise!~r2

I agree, the retirement communities can be a big help. Also, don’t forget to send something to the Daycare centers, they too can create a lot of talk. If you do any sort of discount ticket or group rates, the centers are perfect. Don’t underestimate the power of a little one pulling the whole family to the show.

Tom

What to create a little "buzz?" Here's an idea that's over 100 years old. Remember the "gift premium" shows from the 1800's. Wyman the Wizard, from Albany, NY, was one of the originators. Everybody who attends received something free.

Back then it could have been something nice for their home, a piece of china, for example. I don't recommend that, but how about a free magic trick for every child who attends, something inexpensive, like a Fortune Telling Fish. Print up a little coupon good for the free trick with every paid admission and spread them around town the week before the show.

Of course,at the show they have to stop by your product table in the back of the room to pick up their gift. Hmm...think they might buy something else too?

Hi Magic4u,

I've been a regular performer at a theater for aprox 7 years now. The theater has a variety of shows and acts that people can attend. Mine are usually Sat afternoon family type shows and in the summers they are held during the week. While I'm not involved with the advertisement here's some of the things I've observed the theater doing which may assist you and the theater owner in some way.

They issue a press release usually a month previous to the event with a list of perhaps 5 upcoming performances. The ad is placed in local papers (not the large ones but the local community papers.) There are reminders each week of upcoming events. They post a colored promo pic in the window of the theater of upcoming featured performers which generates interest on those that have just attended a show and catches the attention of those walking by.

They seem to have a theme, short by lines, under their press releases for example Whacky Wed's is used to feature children's entertainers throughout the summer. Eventually the general public becomes familiar with the term and knows what it implies. Although, I realize that when first starting out for yourself, and the theater owner it will take a bit of time to familarize the public on this concept or in your case, a new concept.

You may want to have the owner call the local community paper in regards to the purchase of this old theater. I'm speaking of free press release as it would be of interest to the local community and he could also take the opportunity to speak of upcoming acts.

Those are some of the things that came to mind at this time.

Good luck to you!

Chrystal

Kyle,
I know theatres like you know festivals! You are totaly on the right track here. A couple other ideas for you include finding a media co-sponsor who advertises in exchange for "name right". In other words "KMOC FM" Presents "Magic At The Palladium" this Saturday...blah blah. They run ads but gaina presence at the event. You can also then appear on thier TV or radio shows, run a contest and promise to use one of thier "celebrities",ie..a favorite DJ or weather man for a stunt or trick. They will then mention that they are going to be at the show on thier shows every day. You could never buy that amount of advertising but they will give it happily if it seems like an audience builder to the station owners. You will, of course have to clear this with the theater mgmt.
I did a headline prediction with a reporter from the newspaper once and it worked great. She kept putting in her articles comments about upcoming prediction and then wrote a follow up story about her experience.
Also...if the theatre already has events going on, you will never find easier peopel to sell to than those already in the same seats! Offer to do 10 minutes as a pre-show, or intermission strolling at an event prior to yours as long as you can push pre-sales of tickets while you are there.

Go get em!
-Ed

Ed,

Thanks for the great information. It is very much appreciated. I have been doing a lot in the past week and I am making some great connections. I will fill you all on that in a few.

I like your radio sponsorship idea and I had thought about that. However, since I am not renting out the theater, and because we are partners, the radio station could not sponsor the event as the theater wants the sponsorship agreement. That works for me as they have already done a lot for my wife an I. The theater is the one presenting us to the area.

The pre-show we are already doing. I have made contact with the theater owner and we are doing an open house as well as possibly 2-3 family style shows before our show. This would be doing small magic in the lobby before the other shows to promote our show. He loves the idea and it should not be a problem for us.

I already have my press release created and ready to go. I also found a gold mine of a site that lists all the radio stations, Tv stations and newspapers in the US. I am using this to compile a master Press release database and set up reminders as to when to send it out and what format they like to receive it in.

I have also made contact with a teacher in a school district. She is taking flyers to her school and does not think it would be a problem to get the flyers out to the other 12 elementary schools in her district. That may happen this week.

We also have the Philadelphia Inquierer interested in our photos and Press release. So this is looking promising for us. We have also done the same for Metro Kids - a local free magazine for parents. They asked for our information on the show as well as a color photo to go with it for the next issue.

Things are getting there. Thanks for all the advice.

Kyle

Kyle,
Sounds to me like youve got it cooking pretty hot! Just a clarification...when I used the term "sponsor" in order to catch media sponsor, I do not mean they get any part of the proceeds. That is still between you and the theater. Its just a namesake thing in order to gain the involvement of the media outlet.
Another point about that is once you connect with a media sponsor you will not get help from any competition media! So weigh that one carefully if you choose to do that.
Go get em and save me seats on the front row!
-Ed

Ed,

Thanks so much for the kind words. We are really trying are hardest to do both passive and active forms of marketing to get the name out there and pack the theater for both shows. There is a lot already underway and I think we have a lot of great PR ideas. Thanks to all of you for your help, insipration and advice. Anyone in the Philadelphia area, we will save some seats for you if interested. =)

I found a perfect source for all the tv, newspapers and radio stations and contacts listed by each state. It is a great website source and I have been using that to get a Press release contact sheet filled out and ready to go.

I will keep everyone posted as I go along. Any other ideas would be appreciated.

Kyle