The One Thing Touring & Group Sales Agents Said They Need to Promote Your Show
Last weekend I was chatting with Tracey MacFarland, Founder and President of Booking at Broadway & Beyond Theatricals.
At its most simplest form, her job is to sell shows that play Broadway, Off-Broadway, etc. to theaters around the country (and the world!).
So I said to her: “What materials do agents need in order to sell the show to performing arts centers, regional theaters, etc.?”
Her answer?
VIDEO.
Presenters (the theaters that book these shows) NEED some sort of representation of what the show is, and a video is the best way to give it to them.
Now, what was interesting to me was that a few months ago I was speaking to a Group Sales Agent. I asked them the same question . . . what did they need to sell a show to a group BEFORE the show opened on Broadway? Their response . . . was the same.
VIDEO.
And I have a feeling if we asked individual ticket buyers the same question, we’d get the same response!
Video holds a lot of power online right now. Just look at TikTok, YouTube, Instagram.
>> WATCH MY VIDEOVideo makes the show more tangible, more real, and gives our potential buyers a better idea of the look and feel of the show.
But here’s the challenge that I’m facing – and I’m sure you are too.
How do you get video for a show that hasn’t been produced yet?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on YouTube or Instagram.
What can we do to create video content for our shows a year before the show exists, in order to sell it to booking agents, performing arts centers, groups buyers, and individual ticket buyers?
Podcasting
Ken created one of the first Broadway podcasts, recording over 250 episodes over 7 years. It features interviews with A-listers in the theater about how they “made it”, including 2 Pulitzer Prize Winners, 7 Academy Award Winners and 76 Tony Award winners. Notable guests include Pasek & Paul, Kenny Leon, Lynn Ahrens and more.
