Greetings, Participants-

Thanks to everyone who attended the Town Hall last night, we had a grand time talking, meeting, and mingling with all of you.

Big day tomorrow: Print ads are due and we officially lock down listings for the printed Fringe Guide. Make sure to read through this latest update to get the skinny.

Fringe On.

Ben Hill, Festival Director
The Hollywood Fringe Festival

PRINT ADS

In a matter of hours we close ad sales for the printed Fringe guide; an inexpensive and effective means of promoting your show to the Fringe audience. We are printing 15,000 of these (90+ page) booklets and every Fringe patron will traverse Hollywood with one tucked under their arm. As the regular listings do not afford a graphical image associated with your project, this is how to jazz up your guide presence with some artistry. To purchase your advert, visit www.HollywoodFringe.org/ads.

If for any reason, you have issues uploading your ad – do not panic – contact us at [email protected] so we have you on our radar. We will get it fixed in time for your inclusion in the guide.

For the wise amongst you who have already purchased ads and wonder about next steps, we will reach out to you early next week to proof your ads and verify everything is well.

Ads are due this Friday night by midnight pacific time.

GUIDE LISTING: FINAL CHECK

Also due by midnight April 15 are final lockdowns of Fringe Guide listings. This is important: You do not want the guide to go to press with inaccurate information about your show. To check your guide listing, visit your project’s profile page, click “view dashboard”, and click “guide listing”.

Make sure to check for performance times, dates, duration and prices as well as description, title, and company. Instructions for addressing issues are along the right column of that page. Missing some performances in your listing? Contact your venue immediately. If you are having serious issues contacting your venue, please contact us.

THE SILVER LAKE JUBILEE

At the Town Hall last night, we discussed some events partnering with the Fringe to provide exposure for our participants. Here’s an exciting opportunity with the very popular and super fun Silver Lake Jubilee. Read all about it in this blog post by Fringe Outreach Coordinator Meghan McCauley. Meghan needs your info by close-of-business next Friday (April 22) if you would like to be considered for this opportunity.

LISTEN TO THE TOWN HALL

Miss the Town Hall or just want to relive the joy of a live forum? You can listen to the Town Hall in-full to get your fix.

TICKETING INFO

During the Town Hall last night, we discussed some detailed info on how Fringe ticketing works. Next week we are going to have everything in writing so you can study the details at your own leisure. Much of the work you are doing now to verify the accuracy of your guide listing is a precursor to the ticketing onsale launch on May 1.

For those of you getting a headstart on printing your flyers, here’s a little info that will help. The Fringe Box Office phone number is 323-455-4585 (note: this is for ticketing, not support). You can download a Hollywood Fringe logo for your flyer at hollywoodfringe.org/branding.

Thanks again to everyone who attended the Town Hall last night.

For those of you who couldn’t make it, we have included the following audio track for your listening pleasure.

It begins with a rousing introduction by Monica Martin from ArtWorks (our host venue for the evening and the home of Fringe Central), followed by about 40 mins of announcements, and 90 mins of Questions & Answers.

Give it a listen!

photo by elizabeth steele

And now a message from our Outreach Coordinator Meghan McCauley on Fringe participant opportunities in the upcoming Silver Lake Jubilee!

__

Hello participants!

The Hollywood Fringe Festival has made it a mission of partnering with other local arts festivals and non profits, and one of those partnerships has presented an exciting performance opportunity for you: the Silver Lake Jubilee.

The Silver Lake Jubilee is an eco-friendly community-based outdoor festival that features dozens of musicians, comedians, food trucks, artisans, games, etc. They have three mainstage areas and several outdoor “villages” dedicated to different elements of the Jubilee. This year, the Silver Lake Jubilee has asked the Hollywood Fringe Festival to provide some diverse, creative programming from our festival to feature at their Eco Village and Community Stage.

We are reaching out to you to find some enthusiastic groups who want to take advantage of this excellent promotional opportunity. The Silver Lake Jubilee is May 21st and 22nd and expects thousands of attendees to follow last year’s successful event. It is an ideal time to get your production on its feet and get some early exposure! The ideal participant group for the Silver Lake Jubilee is family friendly, community-focused, and interactive in some way.

Interested groups should e-mail Outreach Coordinator Meghan McCauley at [email protected] by Friday, April 22.

Meghan McCauley, Outreach Coordinator
Hollywood Fringe Festival

Greetings, Participants-

More exciting news and resources to help you navigate your Hollywood Fringe adventure. Hope to see many of you at the Town Hall tomorrow night, it should be a great discussion.

Fringe On.

Ben Hill, Festival Director
The Hollywood Fringe Festival
www.HollywoodFringe.org

THE PARTICIPANT PACKET

Make sure to study the 2011 Participant Packet for a comprehensive guide on promoting your show, financing your budget, working with the Fringe organization, and courting the press. This little guide will answer many of your questions, so make sure to read through all of it before contacting Fringe Support for tips.

TOWN HALL TOMORROW!

We are hosting another Town Hall for participants on how to promote your show. Topics will include media sponsors, ticketing, and advice for marketing and production. We strongly suggest reading through the participant packet (above) before arriving and make sure to come with questions.

The Town Hall is scheduled for 6:30 doors/7pm show on Wednesday (tomorrow!), April 13 at Fringe Central (ArtWorks Theatre & Studios, 6567 Santa Monica Blvd). As always, we are recording the proceedings for those who can’t make it.

We are hosting an informal mixer after the Town Hall at Three Clubs on Vine, NW of Santa Monica – look for the “cocktails” sign. It’s a bit of a walk (12-15 mins) so plan on driving or walking with us down Santa Monica blvd. for the afties. There will be drink specials so make sure to pick up a wristband if you are interested in saving some money at the bar.

CABARET & VARIETY CATEGORY

By popular demand, we have changed the name of our “cabaret & circus” category to “cabaret & variety”. We strongly suggest changing your category if you are producing a variety project which may include clowning, juggling, burlesque, magic, and the like. It’s a pretty small category in the way of numbers right now, so the chances of winning an award are significantly higher.

You can change your category by clicking “edit project” from your project’s profile page and adjusting the category dropdown. There is still time; we need this change made by this Friday (April 15) to make the printed guide.

GUIDE LISTINGS

Don’t forget to check your guide listings – this is critically important. Reference our last update for more information on how to do this. Reminder: Guide lockdown for participant listings is April 15. If your venue has yet to schedule your performances on the Fringe website (or the listing is incorrect) contact them immediately.

PRINT ADS

Just four days left to purchase a print ad in the Fringe Guide, an excellent and inexpenive marketing opportunity. We need your ad payment and artwork uploaded to the website by April 15 (this Friday) at midnight pacific. Don’t miss out!

Greetings, Participants-

Welcome to the Hollywood Fringe Festival 2011!

This little missive is one of many communications you will receive over the next three months to help guide you through your Fringe adventure. Today we discuss the final preparations for the printed Fringe Guide including listings and ads, as well as a “save the date” for the next Town Hall meeting.

It’s a privilege to have so many promising projects on-board this year, it’s going to be a great one.

Fringe On.

Ben Hill, Festival Director
The Hollywood Fringe Festival
www.HollywoodFringe.org

GUIDE LISTINGS

Now is the time to proof your guide listings so we can verify we have your information correct for the printed Fringe Guide. This is something to take seriously as it’s one of those things we can’t go back and correct once the guide is published.

Please take a moment, follow these steps and take any appropriate actions:

1. Login to the Fringe website
2. Navigate to your project’s profile page
3. Click “view dashboard” at the top of the page
4. Click “Guide Listing” in the menu there

Some things to check:

• Is the project description accurate?
• Are your performances represented correctly (date/time/duration/price)?
• Is your company name/project title correct?

The information you see in this tab is what will be going into the printed guide (the layout may change slightly).

There are directions on the right side of the page on how to correct inaccuracies. In a nutshell, if it’s a performance date/time/duration issue – contact your venue. If it’s a price/text issue, you have the tools to correct them yourself. If you have questions, you can contact support.

The #1 issue is going to be lack of scheduled performances as some venues have yet to enter these. It’s your responsibility to work with your venues to ensure these are listed accurately.

We need everyone to lock down their guide listing by April 15 so we can hit our print deadline.

PRINT ADS

Interested in an ad in the printed guide? Well you should be, guide ads are very inexpensive for participants. Many of you have asked how you can add a marketing image to the guide; buying an ad is how this is done. Check out last year’s guide for some ideas on graphical ads.

To reserve a spot and upload an image, visit www.HollywoodFringe.org/ads. Make sure you are logged-in to the website as this is how we know you qualify for the participant discount.

Print ads with art intact are due April 15 – reserve yours asap. Please be mindful of the published dimensions.

NEXT TOWN HALL

Save the date! We are hosting another Town Hall for participants on how to promote your show. Topics will include media sponsors, ticketing, and tips for marketing and production.

The Town Hall is scheduled for 6:30 doors/7pm show on Wednesday, April 13 at Fringe Central (ArtWorks Theatre & Studios, 6567 Santa Monica Blvd). As always, we are recording the proceedings for those who can’t make it.

We are hosting an informal mixer after the Town Hall at Three Clubs on Vine, NW of Santa Monica – look for the “cocktails” sign.

PARTICIPANT PACKET

Next week we will send you your 2011 Fringe Participant Packet listing tips on promoting your show, navigating your way through the Fringe, and the many promotional discounts we have locked down for you guys. Keep an eye out, this will be the basis for the Town Hall discussion.