After the long winter and even longer intermission the theatre industry has endured, you’re ready to come back strong with an unforgettable spring show. Audiences are craving the connection and excitement of live events, and you really want to deliver. Theatre is entertainment, afterall, and so here are a few innovative ways to wow your audience for your spring show.
It may sound simple, but thank you posts can go a long way on social media and email. Show gifs, special offers for first-time patrons to come back, and targeted social posts can be very effective tools of engagement as explained in this article. And if you’re looking to ensure you’ll have a lot of people to thank, we know a few tactics for rebuilding and re-engaging your audience.
Theatre is, among other things, a sensory experience, so why not engage more of those senses to surprise and delight your audience? An emerging element in theatre is immersive aromas or scent design. Often used in food-themed shows like Waitress and others, you can incorporate scents of all kinds into your productions to add to the realism or the fun of a show. There are even machines created for this.
Surprise your audience with a show-stopping effect like making Peter Pan fly. If you’re thinking, “I’d love to do that, but we don’t have the funds.” Having a wish list with a line item like “Help us make Peter Pan fly” would be a great goal for a fundraising campaign that also serves the dual purpose of generating buzz for a future production. Audiences love to contribute when they know where they’re money is going, and you could do it for next spring’s show.
Or their seats, to be more specific. Sit in all sections of your house each night at rehearsal, so you can get the view of your show from all angles to make sure the show is great from every seat in the house. And don’t forget, the audience experience starts well before the curtain rises. What can you do to delight and wow your audience from the moment they buy a ticket, to when they arrive at your theatre, during the intermission, and after the show that they’ll be sure to come back next time with ten friends? Extra hospitality and better crowd management during intermission are two ideas to enhance your patrons’ experience that we’ve previously discussed here. And if you’re producing a hybrid show, consider your theatre’s accessibility and experience from a digital perspective.
Are you ready to take your patron experience to the next level? On The Stage has digital solutions to keep your fans engaged before, during, and after every production. Our software enables and empowers you to build excitement for your next show, keep your patrons connected year-round, build your theatre’s brand, and so much more. Book a demo today, and let us show you how our easy-to-use tools can wow your audience.