You may have heard tales of green M&M’S and all-white furniture, so it can be difficult to know what to give an artist if they don’t provide much for a hospitality rider.
We’ve put together a list of the basics of what to put in a green room or backstage area to welcome a performing artist team. If you can put the items into a nice basket, even better!
THE BASICS:
☑ Water
This is the most important. Make sure you have plenty of water bottles for artist teams, production, and everyone involved in a performance. If you are looking to use less plastic, provide aluminum water bottles for each artist team member and a refilling station backstage.
☑ Snacks
Even if an artist team has literally nothing on their rider, it’s important to have a few healthy snacks available for them. Artist teams are often onsite for many hours and need something to keep their energy going, especially if they don’t plan to eat a full meal until afterwards.
☑ Black Hand Towels
These are also referred to as “stage towels” on a rider. They should be hand towel size, black, washed and clean enough that they don’t leave fuzzies all over an artist’s face if they wipe the sweat off during their set. These towels come in handy for wiping sweat, cleaning up tiny water spills onstage, putting into a bass drum to help the sound a bit, etc.
☑ Thank You Card
This sounds silly but a basic little thank you card goes a long way. It says “welcome to our home.” It says you are appreciated. It is a small touch that goes so far with artist teams.
☑ Contact info
Help them succeed by making sure they have the cell phone number of at least 2 people from your team, in case they need anything or have questions. We realize when you are planning an event you are being pulled in many directions, so make sure the artist has a way of reaching someone from your team if you cannot be near them throughout the day.
These are the basics, but it’s also important to consider going above and beyond to treat the artists the best you can, because ultimately anything that makes an artist feel welcomed and appreciated will help them give you the best possible show. (For more ideas, check out our previous blog post “How To Treat Artists Like Family.”)
GO THE EXTRA MILE:
☑ Dinner
Even if it isn’t listed on a rider, artists will usually expect a meal onsite. We recommend ordering from neighboring restaurants if you can, because there is usually less food waste than when catering is utilized.
☑ Local favorites
Coffee beans from a favorite local coffee shop, a binder of recommendations for local places to visit while they’re in town, access to gym facilities, a candle, air freshener, etc. are all nice touches if you really want to roll out the red carpet.
☑ Swag
A campus or venue t-shirt / jersey will not only make a sweet personal gift, but if the artist wears it onstage your crowd will likely get extra excited.
Bonus: Here’s a TikTok of a really nice greeen room setup!
Jolene Chevalier
Founder & Talent Buyer | How To Concerts
Jolene has been a middle buyer for over a decade, helping colleges and others with their concerts, comedians, and speakers. (And, yes, she is named after the Dolly Parton song.) She would love to talk with you about helping to book, plan, and prepare for your event.
Jolene Chevalier
Founder & Talent Buyer | How To Concerts
Jolene has been a middle buyer for over a decade, helping colleges and others with their concerts, comedians, and speakers. (And, yes, she is named after the Dolly Parton song.) She would love to talk with you about helping to book, plan, and prepare for your event.
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