Let’s consider the presenters and live gigs during COVID.
Last week, I looked at some of the considerations performers needed to think about as you plan to do live performances.
This week, I want to offer some of the concerns that presenters are dealing with as they think about how to open their venues safely.
Presenting organizations around the world are having in-depth conversations among presenter networks, arts councils, funding sources, presenter conference organizations, small and large venue owners and managers and their staff and with the artists that perform in their facilities.
There is no question that everyone involved in the performing arts wants to get back to the work they love, but how to do it safely without risk to anyone’s health, is the question.
Here just some of the things to consider:
From the presenter’s side:
- When is it safe enough to reopen their doors to the public?
- What is the safest number of people to allow in their space given their seating or standing capacity and still make the money necessary to meet performance fees?
- What issues do they need to deal with regarding air quality and their current air filtration systems?
- How do they need to clean and sanitize their facility and all the spaces within the facility needed to present again to comply with CDC standards?
- What additional costs must they incur to satisfy those health and safety standards?
- How do they remain relevant to their customers during this break in presenting?
- How do they remain relevant to their donors, sponsors, and funding sources?
- What new tech platforms are they considering keeping programming available to their customers? At what cost?
- How far into the future are they able to plan?
- How are they maintaining relationships with agents, artists and support services during this Pandemic?
As you can see from the concerns above, presenting organizations have a lot on their plate as do artists. Many organizations have large support staff to support during normal times. Now they have had to apply for grants and loans just to remain in business or hold onto their facility.
There are legal questions, insurance questions, financial viability concerns that venues have been dealing with over these last few months.
Throughout the world, national and international organizations that are the backbone of the performing arts and entertainment industry have been holding webinars and online meetings, to discover how to meet the current challenges the industry faces in your home town and globally.
I will leave you with one idea as you ponder not only your part of the equation, but the presenter’s side, and that is:
How might you approach those presenters with whom you normally interact to offer some presentation solutions? What have you experimented with during this time away from live performances, that might be a method or a platform that a venue can use to connect with their audiences? How might you present a proposal to the venue that could help bring you into their conversations as they consider viability relevance to their audiences? How might you help them survive and in turn help yourself thrive?
Stay well, be creative, remain energized and keep smiling behind your mask!
Jeri
Leave me a comment below.
I can’t wait to hear about your success.
thanks to Carol Ehrlich for this week’s graphic image.
Check out her work at v360.com
Now, Thanks to the Band Curfew from the UK for providing the Biz Booster theme Music, “Future Dance.”
And for more career boosting tips, articles, books, resources, tele-seminars and online courses, visit me at Performingbiz.com
