ADVANCING: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A VENUE REPRESENTATIVE

PART 2 OF A 2-PART SERIES ON ADVANCING
*READ PART 1 HERE

In part one of this blog series, I discussed what information a tour’s representatives will exchange with a venue or promoter during the advance process. For part two I’ll discuss what the venue representative will provide to tour and production managers during the advance process.
Similar to the information provided by a tour’s representatives, the production manager for a venue will provide the touring personnel with all pertinent information before their arrival.
Although it may seem trivial, parking information is a very important piece of the puzzle. In theory, it’s simple enough to park a van and trailer. And in many locations, it is indeed very straight forward. But things get difficult (and very expensive) quick in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, where space is at a premium. No one wants to walk a mile at night to retrieve the van when it’s time to load out, and for bands using the bus as their green room for the day, the need to have it close is more than a matter of convenience. In some cases, such as TLA in Philadelphia or the House of Blues in San Diego, parking at the venue isn’t an option. Both of these venues will provide you with off-site parking options, but it is important to know this information in advance so the band and crew can prepare accordingly, and the drivers are aware that they'll be going off-site for the day.
The need for a detailed, pre-determined parking plan is magnified for tours with multiple busses and semi-trucks. To stay on schedule, the parking situation must allow trucks to move efficiently during load-in and out.
Regardless of the type of vehicle you're touring in, it should be parked in a location that ensures it doesn’t get blocked in at any point. Parking in an empty parking lot can be deceiving, and without the proper precautions in place, you may end up waiting for the lot to clear out before the bus or truck can be moved, or trailer doors can even be opened.
Once the venue rep is aware of the tour’s vehicle situation, they’ll circle back with parking details. The best-case scenario is always a map for a visual portrayal of each vehicle’s parking spot, and where the load in will take place. Some venues will take it a step further, providing directions to the venue from the nearest interstate or major thoroughfare. This can be very helpful information for bus and truck drivers, especially in cities like Philadelphia where streets can be very narrow and tough to navigate. Or New York, which requires large vehicles to use specific tunnels and bridges for entry.

In addition to parking and arrival details, the venue will also provide information about the venue itself. These details are typically distributed in the form of a venue tech pack. The details covered in a tech pack vary greatly and is a discussion worthy of a separate blog. But some details you can expect to see would be:

-A description of the load in
-Stage and venue dimensions
-Any rigging capability the venue may have
-Audio and lighting specs
-Back of house information: how many green rooms, showers, and bathrooms available for band and crew.

If the venue is a union house, they will also include labor rules and requirements. Every local union has its own set of operating procedures and guidelines, and you must understand them before show day. If not careful, you can quickly blow the labor budget due to oversight or misunderstanding, deeming this part of the advance worthy of some extra time and perhaps a phone call with the venue’s production manager or union steward. Once you have a clear understanding of the local union rules, you may need to adjust your schedule and labor calls accordingly.
The venue will often ask if the tour is carrying credentials, and request a pass sheet to distribute to security personnel on show day. Occasionally a venue will require that the tour use house credentials for the day. Important to know this in advance so the touring party is aware before they attempt to enter the venue for the first time that day.
The venue rep will also want to know how many people in the touring party, including band, crew, and drivers, which will help when ordering lunch and dinner when required.
If the tour’s production or tour manager sent over an advance form to fill out, the venue rep should also complete and return this during the advance as well. If they feel their tech pack covers all information being requested in the advance sheet, they’ll sometimes opt out of completing the advance sheet to avoid redundantly covering the same information twice. As someone who prefers efficiency, I generally don’t have a problem with this. But if your advance sheet provides information for them along with your questions, you want to confirm that they’ve received and read this information.
As I mentioned in part one of this blog series, there is a large amount of information being exchanged during the advance process. Clear, efficient communication and attention to detail are crucial to ensure nothing goes unnoticed or forgotten. Come show day a thorough advance can have a major impact on everyone. Similar to sound and lighting, if it’s done well most won’t notice. But when done poorly every one is quick to complain.