You have a theatrical need. Not a prom, wedding or celebration, where you have control over the guest list, but something to sell tickets to. How do we make sure you have the best shot at success possible?
First step is to come in and talk to us. Fill out our booking form if you have enough information, or just drop us an email at alliancetheater@utaharts.org with an inquiry. We’d love to chat about your event, and invite you in to tour the space.
The most important thing is to lay out your goals for the event, and what sort of support you need. It’s useful to be clear on what you absolutely need and what would be nice if time and budget allow. We can help with this conversation, but it will be ultimately up to you.
We have two spaces: the main theater that can seat up to 100 people (depending on layout), and the more intimate Black Box theater that maxes at about 50 seats. Both options have professional lighting and sound.
Once you have signed our contract and paid the deposit, it’s largely up to you to sell those tickets! Here are some tips we’ve found useful:
- Social Media: Depending on your target audience, social media can be vital. Make regular posts to Facebook, Instagram, and if you’re more video-oriented, TikTok and YouTube. Make an event on Facebook and set Alliance Theater as cohost, so it’ll show up on our social media as well. Facebook changes the rules, but as of this writing, only a page can create an event that will allow you to co-host with a page. Individual accounts can only co-host with individuals.
- Give us a good description of the event and an image to use so we can add your event to our mailing list.
- It is often useful to make flyers and posters to put out around town. We like to have lobby posters for our upcoming events as well. If you’re on a tight budget, the City Library has a multimedia lab that includes a large-format poster printer, which you can use at cost (great for printing just a few posters).
- Contact media! City Weekly’s events desk, SLUG magazine, Utah Front Row, KSL, Visit Salt Lake, can all be useful places to get the word out. Start as early as you can to give them time to work with. Write an ad, but also a press release showing ways in which your event is newsworthy. Be creative, there’s almost always something you can report on!
- Use our ticketing link if you’re using our box office platform (which is often the best option). Make a QR code and post it everywhere. The easier it is to find the ticket page, the more tickets will sell. Get there in as few clicks as possible.
- INVITE! Especially if your production has a large cast and crew, ask all of them to invite family and friends, post to groups they are members of, put up flyers at work, etc. Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool, and no one can sell your event like the people attached to it.
- Go to other, similar events and hand out flyers, and plug the event at open mics (including our own weekly open mic on Monday evenings)
- Make sure directions to the theater are part of your plan. We have free parking, but not everyone knows where to go! (The underground parking lot is accessed from the 6th East side of Trolley Square)
Sell those tickets! Then you can focus on the event itself. Take rehearsals and tech runs seriously. The more your tech needs the more important it is to work with us ahead of time to ensure everything comes off without a hitch.
If you have the people, consider having an usher and a doorperson to guide the guests as they arrive, so they don’t feel lost.
If appropriate, concessions, possibly including a bar, can be part of the contract. This can go far to keeping your guests happy, and goes toward supporting the theater so we can continue to help local performing arts in the community.
Follow these steps and have the best chance at a good event, whether you are producing a play, holding a recital, doing experimental theater, playing a concert, or whatever artistic performance-based event you have in mind!
