MAKING GOOD USE OF TIME

As a production or tour manager, efficient use of your downtime is important. The very nature of our role is to prepare and get ahead, but some things just can’t be done very far in advance. However, as soon as we agree to a tour the preparation process should begin. The final weeks prior to a tour are inevitably extremely busy, so it’s important to use the slow period leading up to a tour to get ahead by doing the things we are able to do in advance.
We can’t source lighting and video until we know what the production will look like. We can’t order an audio package because we may not know how many inputs we’ll have, or what microphones we’ll need. It’s the calm before the storm, but that doesn’t mean we sit around doing nothing, anxiously waiting to get started.
While less than glamorous it’s still important and very necessary to do things like clerical work early on while you have the time. Once you get busy it doesn’t slow down, so prepare early and get ready for the storm.
Everyone has a different approach to prepping for a tour. For me personally, it starts with creating spreadsheets. The amount of information we receive over the course of a tour is significant, and I don’t exactly have a steel trap memory, so I use a spreadsheet to keep track of my advance process. Who I’ve been in communication with along the way, what information I’ve sent them, (including what version I’ve sent), and what I’ve received from them are all details I’ll include in an advance sheet. Creating this spreadsheet involves a lot of data input; dates, venue, location, and advance contact info are all important details that you can source early and document as part of your preparation process.
It’s a good idea to draft an advance email at this time as well. You may not know exactly what details you’ll need to advance, but you’ll save yourself from being overwhelmed later on if you draft an email when you’re slow and update it moving forward as you get more details.
Whatever your process for documentation and advancing, it’s best to get as much done in the weeks and months leading up to a tour. That way you’re efficient when things get busy.