If the show is a competition, decide on the rewards for the winners. Make a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place with tiered awards. Consider making a winner for each performance category. Create a judging criteria. If you have judges, create categories and a point system. For example, 20 points for originality, 20 points for costume, etc. Create penalties for exceeding the time limit to keep the competition fair.
Find sponsors to help raise money to host the show and provide awards. [1] X Research source Application fees and ticket sales will help pay back your initial expenses. Set a spending limit for each show category such as advertising and rental fees.
An organizational committee will not only help take the pressure off of you, but will also give you support in emergencies. Designate a treasurer to keep track of your budget and expenses.
Find a local school or theater to host the event. If you work with a place that already has the venue, contact the person in charge of its schedule. Remember your audience. Depending on the venue you choose, you will have the provide adequate seating. If you choose an empty hall, for instance, you have the choice to set up rows of folding chairs or tables for the audience to sit. [3] X Research source
It’s important to think about every aspect of your show. You will need people to set-up, run the show, attend to the audience, and clean up. Host a tech training day. Some people without technical experience may wish to help with the technical aspects of the show. Holding a technical training day will help them gain experience and be able to help run your talent show.
Make sure participants under 18 get the signatures of their legal guardians to participate. List the categories of the talent show so that the participants can check where their performance falls under. Charge an application fee to create a larger reward and to help with the costs of running the show. Indicate when the prizes will be disbursed.
List the application fee if there is one. Specify if you want them to be in their stage apparel. Provide relevant contact information in case anyone has questions about their act or your show.
Any off-site hall, dance studio, or gym makes a great spot to hold auditions. Do not use someone’s home. You will not be able to hold the amount of people auditioning, and you will bringing strangers into your house. If anything goes wrong, then the owner of the home can be held liable. Make sure the performers have a space where they can wait and practice before their audition.
Advertise well in advance for you show so people can make plans to attend. If you know someone who is great at graphic design, then recruit them! This can be a very cost-effective way to make professionally designed flyers. Place flyers at local universities, performance spots, and coffee shops to attract not only an audience but performers as well. [7] X Research source If you are selling tickets, advertise where they can be purchased. If you are selling tickets ahead of time or online, be sure to include that information.
Find a local community member who is willing to build a website for your show that provides all the details for the event. If you have enough funds, consider hiring someone for this purpose.
Have volunteers answer the line. Make sure you set hours for the hotline so that the volunteers are no overworked.
Use this time to go over all the logistics of the show with your committee and volunteers. Make sure that everybody is informed of any last-minute changes. Create an emergency phone line. Either purchase a new line or designate someone’s phone for emergency calls. Keep this number separate from your informational line. This line will be for performers who are running late or unable to attend.
Have the tech crew check the lights. Make sure to have replacements bulbs in case any lights are out. Have the tech crew check the sound also. Have replacement cables and back-up equipment in case something does not work. Make sure the performers have everything they need for their act such as musical instruments, laptops, or screens.
Have a cash box with plenty of change. Make sure the treasurer keeps track of how much money is in the box before and after to check that against the amount of tickets sold.
Comply with the local ordinances to avoid being fined. You will most likely need someone with food safety training to handle the food. You will also have to comply with fire safety requirements. Bring disposable utensils and dishes so you do not have to wash dishes. Provide a place to recycle them. Bring cleaning supplies, such as wiping cloths and a bucket to rinse them in. Use bleach in the bucket water to keep them clean. Have a cash box for the food stand as well.
Make sure you have an announcer or M. C. to engage the audience in between acts. This will keep the audience engaged and give the stagehands time to set up the next act.
Designate teams to clean certain areas. This will make cleaning faster and more organized.
