Recapping the Marketing & Ticketing Workshop!

Hollywood Fringe Communications Director Carly Barnhill recently sat down with Fringe Veterans Kevin Neighbors, Ruby Marez, and Jared Pixler to discuss Marketing & Ticketing at Fringe! Catch the video of the workshop here.

Key Takeaways, Tips and Tricks in case you missed it:

Listing your tickets:

-When selling tickets, at least 50% of your tickets must be sold through the Hollywood Fringe website. You are welcome to sell all of your tickets on the Hollywood Fringe website — it’s entirely up to you. The only rule is that it must be at least 50% of your house size listed on the HFF website. 

**Note—100% of your ticket sales on the Hollywood Fringe site will go back to you as an artist. Some third-party ticketing platforms may take a cut of your tickets, so be aware of that as you explore options.

Ticketing and Expectations:

-Don’t undersell your work! Panelists recommended setting ticket prices around $15. You can always discount down, give out comps, use dynamic pricing, etc. — just be sure that you do not undersell OR oversell your work. Think about different ticket pricing strategies — “I can pay more” tickets, “pay what you can” tickets, a discounted show, etc. are great options for pricing dynamically.

-Have comp tickets available for special guests — press, industry, and folks that you may want to squeeze in last minute.

-You can create as many discount/comp codes as you’d like! 

-Take advantage of comp swaps! Swap a comp with another Fringer — get them into your show, and you get to see a show in return. 

Printed Guide:

-The printed guide is 100 pages of HOW TO FRINGE for audiences– every show that registers by April 15th WILL have a text listing in the printed guide which is included with your registration, and we distribute the guide all around Hollywood coffee shops, bars, restaurants, etc. This is guaranteed exposure for your show! We will send information on proofing your guide listing to all participants ahead of the date.

-You can also purchase ads in the printed guide with your show imagery, business information, etc. Buying an ad is the only way you will have visual imagery in the guide, and is a good way to show off your branding. 

-Guide ads start at $125 for registered participants. We don’t make any money off of this – we do this solely to help promote your shows!

-Printed guide ads MUST be purchased and uploaded by April 20th in order to be included. You can purchase digital ads at any time leading up to the festival. Go to hollywoodfringe.org/ads to see Canva templates and more information!

-Want to have the coveted back cover, inside cover, or centerfold of the guide as your ad space? We will run a premium auction only for those who have already purchased a guide ad starting April 23 and ending April 27. If you have purchased an ad you will automatically get an email on how to enter. 

 

Two events that will be VERY helpful when it comes to ticketing, as well as the printed guide:

-Town Hall #3: Printed Guide, Ticketing & Press: Sunday, April 14 from 7-9 pm | The Broadwater + Livestream

-Web Session #2: Ticketing, Ads & Guide Proofs: Monday, April 15 from 7-8 pm | Zoom + Livestream

 

Marketing your show:

-Marketing budget: 60% is not a bad idea for a Fringe marketing budget if you really want people to come to your show, but there is also a way to operate on a minimalist budget for Fringe. Use social media for marketing! It’s free, and you don’t have to use paid social media ads to reach folks via social.

-Giveaways: In addition to having a small postcard (4″×6″ recommended), what is something that someone can take home to remember your show? Something small, something that will remind people of meeting you, something that people can fit in their pocket or bag. Make sure it’s related to your show!

-Office Hours is KEY! Use Wednesday night Office Hours events to mix and mingle with the community and begin to market yourself and your show! Bring a friend with you, and/or invite your teams. You can pass out giveaways at Office Hours, or even consider coming in a costume or something related to your show to stay top of mind!

-Elevator Pitch: Know your show so that you can market your show! Get your elevator pitch down. Come up with ONE very catchy sentence that people will remember your show by when you meet them at Office Hours. Make it catchy, make it fun, and make it stand out from all of the other elevator pitches people will hear. Examples: "<insert movie title> MEETS <insert character> is a great way to use characters or stories that people are familiar with to get them excited about your work.

-The WHO: Think of communities that relate to your show outside of the Fringe community and your family/friends. What is your show about, and who would enjoy that out of the theatre community? Think of groups that you can bring in that might not necessarily go to the theatre otherwise, but would be interested in the topic of your show.

-Reviews: Reviews are your best friend! Folks who see your show will write reviews, and reviews are very important at Fringe! Write a review for every show you see, and always remind your audiences to write a review for you.

 

Reminder, you can watch the video of the entire panel here with all sorts of fun tips and tricks from panelists.