7 ideas to raise your burlesque show revenue
When we talk about performers and pay rates, one of the common issues that comes up is around the size of venues and how that impacts on the ability of producer’s to pay according to the Media Entertainment Arts Alliance.
Producers will point out that when audience numbers are low there is a massive flow on effect onto performer pay.
Basically it’s the math of: small venue + fewer bums on seats = less ticket income and not being able to pay performers adequate and award rates.
Not to be too glib about it, but the flip side of this argument is that - regardless of the venue - the price of performing is the same. Whether it’s for 30 people or 300 people, the value I have as a performer doesn’t change. And the cost for me to take time out to perform is about the same.
While I am a performer, I am also a producer . So I too end up in small venues where your audience numbers might be lower. And the overheads of working in a regional area can be challenging.
Despite this, I don’t believe running a smaller event means that you can’t afford to pay people at scale and award.
Rather than dwell on the negative, or start a ‘tit for tat’ kind of discussion, I thought I thought I’d share some tips on how you can maximise your profit margins and build a financially successful show. I have definitely had some trials and errors over the past fifteen years that i think anyone can learn from.
1. Change your mindset.
Start by thinking about the size of your venue as a massive advantage.
It’s really easy to get into the head space that you aren’t doing well or you are hamstrung by the size of a venue.
I’d start to think about it in reverse.
A small venue is a huge advantage when it comes to having intimate audience experience. Where else are you going to be up close and personal to a performer? Maybe get a meet and greet? Get something organic and authentic? A small venue lets you tick all of these boxes.
2. Price your tickets to your advantage
Just because it’s a small space doesn’t mean you have to reduce your ticket prices.
Again, to me it speaks to your mindset and the advantage a small and intimate show can have in a competitive market.
Remind your audience that they are getting a unique and intimate experience. You can then adjust and scale your tickets to take into account the up close and personal experience.
3. And consider bumping up your ticket packages
I think one of the big learnings as a producer, was about budgeting and project planning (that Certificate IV in Project Management really paid off).
Costing your event based on a sell out show can really create a big financial risk. And it might mean that you are not being fair in your ticket pricing. When setting your budget, work out what a conservative capacity might be (this could be 30% - 50% capacity sold). You can then work out what you would need to charge in order to appropriately pay everyone.
And remember, it doesn’t have to be a blanket increase in fees - because sometimes that doesn’t work.
It doesn’t cost you much as a producer, to add easy value adds to patrons to your event. This could be:
Offer higher priced tickets for VIP / Front Row seating
Include a meet and greet before the show with the performers for extra fees
AND I’m going to steal an idea from my lovely friend Hera Fox, who offers a donation to artist option on their shows - letting the audience donate a few extra dollars if they have the means.
I’ve also seen producers do things like add a sponsored prize and raffle on the night. I think this can work well for community events - but not so well if you are trying to pitch yourself as an exclusive and up close and personal night. BUT I’d love your thoughts on this if it is a strategy you use!
4. Make your venue relationship a partnership
The other way you can really look at creating a sustainable, small sized show is to build the relationship with your venue.
If you have a good relationship with your venue partner, think about the ways you can build on the partnership.
This could be really simple like creating exclusive offers:
A custom cocktail and/or mocktail offer for guests. This could be themed towards your event.
Or if there’s a restaurant, offer a set menu or package.
Why? These sort of offers can benefit everyone. Venues really rely on drink sales to be profitable (you only need to look at the markup on alcohol from wholesale prices to bar or restaurant prices to get this). And we know that attitudes to alcohol are also changing. So having both a great cocktail and mocktail option to encourage a spend at the bar.
And if you can build an exclusive offer for guests coming into a venue it can be beneficial financially AND promote the venue really well.
Remember, sometimes a burlesque show is a way for a venue to build customer interest and loyalty - encouraging an experience where they want to return on other nights
5. Expand your partnerships
Doing simple things like a bar snack / meal/ drink offer/ are pretty simple.
But you might be able to look at other things that can help your event be more financially sustainable - whether that is more collaborative advertising through to a discount on venue hire.
Here’s the other thing. A lot of venues know the value your event can bring in. Remind them that your burlesque show is ultimately bringing in revenue and building a new audience for them. And a lot of smaller venues understand the battle artists are in when it comes to bringing out audiences, and building nightlife. So having those conversations about how mutually beneficial the relationship can be and what you can do for each other.
6. Develop other sponsorships
If you can’t afford performance fees based solely on ticket sales, start to try and line up a sponsor.
Here’s the thing. Yes it’s hard. Yes, businesses get hit up all the time. But you miss 100 % of the punches you don’t take.
Research the community you perform in - whether that is the physical backyard or the broader demographics.
A lot of businesses might want to target your audience.
And cash sponsorship is pretty unlikely. But a prize? Some discount offerings? That’s often pretty achievable - event for a small business. As a producer this can let you build in some exclusivity to your ticket prices, help boost your marketing and reach.
7. Be realistic about your costs and what you can afford
So there are definitely ways to build your revenue, expand your reach or bring in other opportunities.
Your flip side is to look at the costs of your production,
I love burlesque. Love going to shows. But even I don’t want to sit through a three hour show with 30 performances.
If you aren’t in a huge venue and you know finances are tight, be realistic about how many performers you can add.
In my opinion a tight show with a great cast that runs for an hour is better than a bloated, 2 hour night with forgettable performances or too many acts.
I’ve done many shows in a small space with just 9 acts and an interval. For me, in the Tik Tok age, this short and snappy format is the dream.
And finally two golden nuggets of wisdom…
And I can’t state enough how important your MC is. At any event they are GOLD. But at a small event, they can interact way more organically with the audience. Get someone that can banter, or knock out a best dressed competition. Someone that really links the performances together. Someone that can really tie all the elements together and make the audience feel like they were at a really special experience - - not a paint by numbers event.
Equally, my other big learning is that when you run regular events your audience numbers might fluctuate. If you exceed your expected ticket sales for a show (or snare a great sponsorship or investor) don’t thin ‘yay profit’. Stick that money aside towards the next event, to make sure you don’t have a shortfall down the track. You could always evaluate after six months or twelve months if you don’t need to keep carrying money forward in the budget - but best believe a bit of carry forward can make a big difference for any independent producer.
I didn’t intend this article to be a negative one or to ‘diss’ producers that have struggled with paying performers. Or even navigating the complexity of the industry rates. But rather to give and share any ideas and advice that might make your event sustainable.
-Grace Cherry, Owner - Miss Kitty’s Meow