Post-Show Tasks: Everything to Do Once the Curtains Close

You’ve just spent weeks, maybe even months, planning your event. Blood, sweat, and tears have gone into every moment, on and off the stage. And now, now it’s all over. The post-show blues are kicking in, and you’re tempted to just jump straight into the next thing, but just because your show has finished, it doesn’t mean there aren’t things to do still.

1. Momentos

You, your teachers, your students, and their parents have all been working towards this event for months, through the rehearsals, the costume measurements, and every moment from the start of rehearsals to the final bow.

It’s common for families to want to take some sort of memento home. Ideally, during your show(s) you would have hired a photographer to capture the moments, from backstage to the performance itself. (If a photographer isn’t in your budget, asking a trusted friend or family member is a nice touch too.)

After the event, you can showcase the photos on your website or in an email and offer them to friends and families to purchase, so they can be kept as a memento. Let the magic of the show live on that little bit longer.

2. Thank Yous

They say it takes a village to raise a child; well, the same can be said for organising a show. After the show, it’s a great opportunity to thank all of those people who lent a hand and dedicated hours of their time to the smooth running of your show. (Find out more about how to utilise your volunteers for future shows in our blog post “How to Run a Seamless Show: Tips for Supporting Your Backstage Team”.)

There are numerous ways you can do this:

• You could host an awards night, where you invite all those who volunteered to help…
  
• If you had a photographer at the event, gift the photos of the volunteers or their children to them as a thank you for their hard work.
  
• Give them a discount on studio merch or future classes.
• Or simply send them a personalised message where you thank them for their hard work and explain how you couldn’t have done it without them. Being genuinely grateful and recognising effort goes a lot further than people think.

3. Utilise The Publicity

You’ve just put on a spectacular show, and you’ve had full audiences for all of your performances. Audiences filled with your target demographic! Post-event is a great time to reach out to them.

If you’ve recently hosted an event, reach out to those attendees — maybe offer them a discount or a sign-up incentive to see if they will bring their children or recommend you.

Or run a referral scheme: any child who performed in the show can bring along a friend and get a discount or prize, or something similar. You can find out more about running a referral scheme in our sister blog post.

4. Look Forward to Next Year

Post-event is a great time to think ahead to next year and reflect on what went well and what didn’t. Is there anything you wish had gone better?

Did you have too many printed programs? Maybe next year, you can use Stage Stubs to sell your merchandise, so you know exactly how many printed programs to order (along with a few extras for last-minute purchases) rather than having a load of outdated programs…

Did you end up paying extortionate ticket-selling fees for using the in-house box office or expensive solutions? Save time and money and use Stage Stubs next year — it’s a free-for-studios ticketing solution.

Or maybe things went great?

You started your marketing earlier for the event this year and sold out your tickets for all showings — fab!

You did tiered seating for the first time this year and saw an increase in revenue… have a look back over every aspect and see how you can build on it for a better next year. 

How Can Stage Stubs Help?

The show may be over, but the work isn’t done. Celebrate your team, capture memories, and start planning for next year.

With Stage Stubs, managing tickets, merchandise, and audiences is simple, letting you focus on creating unforgettable experiences for your students and their families.