Live, in-person shows are back and the regulations that guide them are constantly changing. With that in mind, we thought it would be helpful to discuss some industry trends related to live touring so you can be prepared for your first show back.
Why Artists Need to Stay Safe
Keeping the artist team healthy should be a priority for every venue on the tour – it helps keep your team safe and keeps the tour going. If the artist team tests positive for covid at any show it could impact your date and the remainder of the tour.
Trends to be Aware of
For production and support staff:
Most artist teams want the support staff they are in contact with to be masked – this includes at front of house, in monitor world, on-stage, and during event setup / teardown when these teams are on-site. Artists won’t want to share equipment, so make sure the production teams have plenty of microphones and a way to sanitize them.
For attendees:
Some artists and venues are requiring proof of vaccination or negative test taken within 72 hours of the event. Some are requiring masks at these shows too depending on local health guidelines. It’s best to have a plan in mind should any of these requests arise.
Meet & Greets:
Touring teams aren’t comfortable with lengthy individual meet and greets right now. It’s best to find alternate options like providing posters to sign in the green room, or take a quick group photo. Sometimes these are masked, and it really needs to be on a case-by-case basis depending on the artist and your team’s comfort levels. Here are 3 ideas for a safer meet and greet:
- Masked group photo
- Group photo with artist on stage and event team in front of the security barricade
- Hybrid meet & greet – utilize Zoom to minimize the artist’s exposure, while still giving your team an opportunity to meet them
Backstage checklist
Here’s a checklist to help you prepare your space for the artist arrival. Do you have:
- Extra masks available backstage, in greenrooms, and other shared spaces?
- Hand sanitizing stations in high traffic areas?
- Proof of vaccination or negative test within 72 hours for all working staff?
- Sanitizing wipes in shared use areas?
- A team to check vaccination cards, enforce mask mandates, verify negative tests?
Communicate expectations with these teams
Just like you advance the show with the artist team, it’s important to outline health and safety guidelines with all teams involved so they can adequately prepare their staff and processes – before your event. Make sure you have an event lead who can check in with each team to ensure they’re following the guidelines that have been set.
- Security and Police
- Production
- Backline
- Hospitality and Catering
- Event and Volunteer Staff
- Local Openers
- Photographers
Ultimately, we want your shows and every stop on the tour to be a success. It benefits the entire industry if we can stay safe and keep the shows going!
Jake Ostrow
Jake worked as a middle buyer for How To Concerts from 2018 to 2023, helping organizations with their concerts, comedians, and speakers.
Want to know how How To Concerts can help you with your next event? Call us at 920.764.1200 or set up a free consultation today!
Jake Ostrow
Jake worked as a middle buyer for How To Concerts from 2018 to 2023, helping organizations with their concerts, comedians, and speakers.
Want to know how How To Concerts can help you with your next event? Call us at 920.764.1200 or set up a free consultation today!
