John Scrip
Active Member
Some really mundane stuff here -- Let's assume a venue with no particular policy for pre-production visits, but an increasing number of rental clients are taking an increasing amount of time.
SCENARIO ONE: So you've got a new client / renter - Dance school - Wants to book some dates and wants to come check the place out. They arrive at 1:00, you show them around, maybe bring up a few lights, show them where the dressing rooms are, etc. 15 minutes later, they're in the office setting dates for next spring and you completely forget about them until they show up for their first rehearsal day.
SCENARIO TWO: Business meeting for 350 booked for next month. Guy who is in charge of videos and PPT presentations wants to hook up and do some "test runs" - Stops by with a bit of gear, hooks up, runs stuff for a little over an hour - leaves and comes back next month for the meeting.
SCENARIO THREE: One-off private event (dance event with small live music ensemble). Walk-through takes over an hour. Several weeks later, they want to bring in the company that will decorate the stage. They all meet and spend an hour going over plans and ideas. Several weeks later, the person in charge of decorating the lobby comes in and spends an hour going over plans and ideas. Several weeks later, the caterer comes in and spends an hour going over plans and ideas (and you repeatedly remind them of the building's "no open flame" policy over and over). Several weeks later, the stage decorator wants to meet (at the venue, of course) with the lobby decorator to see if their plans and ideas will clash or not. Several weeks later, one of the musicians happens to be in town and wants to see the platforms they'll be using and spends an hour going over plans and ideas.
SCENARIO FOUR: Comedian has venue booked for next month. Wants to stop by with DP "for a few minutes" as it's going to be recorded. DP wants to see some looks. You bring up some lights. DP starts shooting "promo" video for social media. They leave 45 minutes later because the dance event from Scenario Three is loading in.
Does anyone have particular policies for "excessive pre-production" type situations...? When does "touring the venue" turn into "tech rehearsal" of sorts - and how does your venue approach such things? Obviously, you don't want hospitality to turn into hostility, so where do you draw the line - assuming you have a line?
SCENARIO ONE: So you've got a new client / renter - Dance school - Wants to book some dates and wants to come check the place out. They arrive at 1:00, you show them around, maybe bring up a few lights, show them where the dressing rooms are, etc. 15 minutes later, they're in the office setting dates for next spring and you completely forget about them until they show up for their first rehearsal day.
SCENARIO TWO: Business meeting for 350 booked for next month. Guy who is in charge of videos and PPT presentations wants to hook up and do some "test runs" - Stops by with a bit of gear, hooks up, runs stuff for a little over an hour - leaves and comes back next month for the meeting.
SCENARIO THREE: One-off private event (dance event with small live music ensemble). Walk-through takes over an hour. Several weeks later, they want to bring in the company that will decorate the stage. They all meet and spend an hour going over plans and ideas. Several weeks later, the person in charge of decorating the lobby comes in and spends an hour going over plans and ideas. Several weeks later, the caterer comes in and spends an hour going over plans and ideas (and you repeatedly remind them of the building's "no open flame" policy over and over). Several weeks later, the stage decorator wants to meet (at the venue, of course) with the lobby decorator to see if their plans and ideas will clash or not. Several weeks later, one of the musicians happens to be in town and wants to see the platforms they'll be using and spends an hour going over plans and ideas.
SCENARIO FOUR: Comedian has venue booked for next month. Wants to stop by with DP "for a few minutes" as it's going to be recorded. DP wants to see some looks. You bring up some lights. DP starts shooting "promo" video for social media. They leave 45 minutes later because the dance event from Scenario Three is loading in.
Does anyone have particular policies for "excessive pre-production" type situations...? When does "touring the venue" turn into "tech rehearsal" of sorts - and how does your venue approach such things? Obviously, you don't want hospitality to turn into hostility, so where do you draw the line - assuming you have a line?