TIM BOUCHER RAW!

Before heading in to work the matinee this afternoon, I stopped by a local restaurant for a bite to eat. Looking around at the people assembled there, I began thinking of which people – which type of person – I’d like to see in the audience of shows at my theatre. And then a little light bulb went off in my brain, zooming me back to years ago when I used to frequent the “club scene” down by the rivers in Pittsburgh. One of my cohorts at the time was a long-time veteran, having worked and partied at clubs all over Miami. He’d tell me stories about things that would happen, business practices, and simple techniques that work. Like promotion.

One of the most basic techniques to build up a specific type of crowd to attend your event is to go out and hand-select those people. Approach who you want, talk to them, engage them, invite them. Give them free tickets, drink vouchers, whatever. Just get new blood, new faces, new life, new spirit in the door.

It’s funny, cause I hear people in theatre all the time lamenting the lack of “quality” audiences, but I don’t see anybody going out and actually doing the hand-to-hand work to actually find, build and engage those audiences. The techniques exist. Other hospitality businesses use them to great effect. It’s not rocket surgery, folks.

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