First Dates Revisited - LAST CHANCE

[elgatodeldiablo]

Hello BAPST Companies!

So far I’ve only received one reply, so I’m resending this information
about the First Dates pilot program in the hopes that we can actually
get it on its feet.

In BAPST meetings, we discussed our common problem of getting people
into our shows on the first weekend or our runs. A marketing ploy that
we came up with as a group to address this problem is the “First
Dates.”

Once a quarter, companies opening shows during that quarter would band
together, agreeing to sell tickets to the first week of our run at the
same price. We realize everyone’s tickets are priced differently, but
this is only a marketing ploy and it only applies to the “First Dates”
of your run. Why don’t we agree on $10 this first time and see how it
goes?

Those companies would then chip in to design and print a brochure
listing all their “First Date” shows. Those fliers would then get
distributed in the programs at all those shows, thus cross-pollenating
our audiences. Those brochures would also get distributed initially
through the TBA drop. If the program picks up, we could explore other
avenues for distribution.

A good printing price we found was at psprint. An 8.5x11 brochure,
color on one side and b&w on the other, folded in half seemed like the
simplest option. The only way to calculate a cost is to assume a
number of participants. Assuming 10 companies decide to participate:

10,000 brochures would cost $688.47, or split 10 ways is $68.84, plus
the cost of shipping and the TBA drop, so let's say $100 per company.
Each company gets 930 brochures and the remainder goes to the TBA
drop. I don’t know about you, but I’d be lucky to get 930 people into
the entire run of one of my shows.

Bottom line is: The more companies participate, the cheaper the thing
gets.

We would like to pilot this program starting this fall. Companies
interested in participating in this first round of First Dates should
get back to me as soon as possible. This applies to shows playing in
October-November-December of 2008. The deadline to have everything
printed and sent to TBA is September 1. Every company gets a short
blurb about their show and a small photo to go with it.

We’re also going to need some volunteers to step up if we’re going to
make this work. I will be the point person, wrangling companies and
collecting all their information. We need a graphic designer to create
the brochure pro bono. We need someone to be the treasurer to collect
the money and place the order.

Please RSVP to me by August 1 at sh...@elgatotheatre.org if you a)
have a show playing in October-November-December, b) are willing to
sell your tickets for your first weekend for $10, and c) wish to
participate in First Dates.

Many thanks!

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

I will be out of the office until Sunday, July 27 and will have no access to my email inbox. If this is an urgent Killing My Lobster matter, please call the Lobster main line at (415) 558-7721 and leave a message. Someone will respond to you as soon as possible.

I will reply to your email upon my return.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Kim Olofsen
Managing Director, Killing My Lobster

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

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[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[Dan Wilson]

It looks like Cassandra's Call Productions will be doing a late night
improv comedy show called "Soak the Vote" in late October-early
November. So count me in.
I'll send you our dates and details later today, directly.

Dan Wilson
510.318-2112
http://www.danwilsonshow.com
http://www.cassandrascall.com


"Even moments of grace pass."

-Peter Hedges

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[Laura Lundy-Paine]

Hi, Shawn,

Great info about First Dates, thank you. I believe Virago is the company
you have listed as participating. Please let me know what further info
you need. And we can supply some design help, perhaps pulling from our
images on our just completed season brochure.

cheers, Laura Lundy-Paine
Virago Theatre Company

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[Cheshire]

Hey, Shawn --

Impact would be interested in participating. I'm not sure I can offer
my services as graphic designer, though -- I'm really overloaded. But
I'm not saying no -- hopefully someone else can step up, but if no one
else does, then I'd probably say yes. It would just have to be pretty
straightforward, something I can knock out in a couple of hours.

BTW, PS Print is a decent way to go -- I use them for Impact's
postcards.

Thanks,
Cheshire


Cheshire Dave Isaacs
Managing Director
Impact Theatre

Now Impact is a man: the 2008-09 Bar Mitzvah Season starts in September!
Ching Chong Chinaman, Tallgrass Gothic, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and
Impact Briefs: Puberty
Don't miss a minute of our finest season yet: http://impacttheatre.com

[Kate Willett]

Hi,

 

Magnetic Theatre Company is interested!

 

Kate

 

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[Laura Lundy-Paine]

Hi, I just remembered that Rob Dario, local actor, blogger, did AMAZING drawings of the entire cast when we did Richard III. His style is very fresh and hip and I'll bet he'd be willing to work on the design for this. I'll email him.

Laura LP
Virago Theatre Co.

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[k...@killingmylobster.com]

[Kimberly Olofsen]

Hi Shawn,

I just returned from vacation and caught this note.  You mention that the latest you can print and deliver the brochures to TBA is September 1.  Do you know what your deadline will be for getting all the fall info to you/the designer will be?  We are in the process of finalizing our fall show schedule and I'm just trying to figure out if we'll have enough info for you to participate.

Thanks so much for taking the lead on this.  I think it's a fantastic idea!

All the best,

Kim Olofsen

Kimberly Olofsen

Managing Director

Killing My Lobster

PO BOX 170309

San Francisco, CA  94110

415.558.7721

www.killingmylobster.com

[elgatodeldiablo]

Hi Kim,

I'm so stoked that you're interested. I would need the final
information by August 15th at the very very latest. Let me know this
week though if I can definitely count you in. Thanks!

Shawn








On Jul 28, 11:37 am, Kimberly Olofsen <k...@killingmylobster.com>
wrote:

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