If you are thinking about booking a so-called "unusual venue", to lower costs or increase event awareness, there is a lot you can learn from the fashion industry. Famous for transforming warehouses, banks and even airplane hangars into palaces of posh, the fashion industry makes masterful use of unusual venues frequently. Once you have followed the example set by the fashionistas choosing the ticketing software for unusual venues will be easy!
This week marks the start of Paris Fashion Week in France when all eyes are on the exquisite clothes, beautiful models and the glamorous after-parties. What gets less attention are the venues at which the various fashion shows take place. Paris Fashion Week makes use of all the "normal" locales one would expect, but it also makes masterful use of non-traditional venues too. From abandoned warehouses, to banks, and even airplane hangers, no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of finding a unique setting to present next season’s trends.
Chanel presented its new line at the historic Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées (video above) which was adorned with gigantic solar panels and towering wind turbines. The scope and scale of the event made even veteran Fashion Week attendees gasp.
Chanel is not the only company making use of an unusual venue during Paris Fashion Week. A preview of other venues used by the fashion industry was published by Euro News. The sneak peek makes an important point about why unusual venues are chosen:
The venues where the Autumn/ Winter 2013-2014 shows will be held are already being transformed to showcase the new pieces created by the world's fashion giants. As well as being a week about fashion, this week is also very much about Parisian culture. It's time to discover Fashion Week in another way. Whether these venues are used as they are or are completely transformed for the event, they become ideal spots for designer pieces to be seen in all their glory.
Designers and fashion houses make it very clear: light and dimensions are key when it comes to choosing a venue. However, the venue's history, which is often linked to some form of cachet within the fashion world elite, is also very important.
VOGUE Magazine has curated a short list of venues (which they call “hot spots”).
As noted by Euro News, choosing an unusual venue for an event is a task driven by hegemony, that is to say, the venue itself should make a statement that matches the nature of the event taking place. The grandiose opulence of the Grand Palais matches the opulence of Chanel’s clothing. Other Fashion Week events follow this same pattern and an event organizer would do well to keep these examples in-mind as they search for an unusual venue of their own.
Once an unusual venue has been found, the next step would be to get a price quote. The very nature of unusual venues means that accepted practices for booking likely do not apply. A cautionary tale was recently told by Michael Aldridge in Event Magazine. Aldridge, a 30 year veteran of booking unusual venues, says there are certain issues to watch out for when getting a price quote.
The quote will have all integral items; venue hire, red carpet, security, furniture, drinks package of premium wines, food package (unless specified), hostess team, furniture, lighting, sound system and screens for branding. In fact our quote includes what you need to host a party.
Some venues do not even quote what’s required to make the event happen i.e the cost to hire a star cloth that is required to divide areas and then charging the client to take it away again. Really? It seems to me a lost opportunity, for we end up with clients being on guard as they feel we are not being upfront with them about what the party will actually cost. I know new clients to the industry are overwhelmed with organizing an event so why do we make the whole process even more complicated?
Assuming you have heeded Aldridge’s advice, and you have secured a fabulous venue, the next thing to do is start selling tickets! :D
Since Fashion Week is for industry professionals and the press, tickets are distributed much in the same way conference tickets are sold - a very different ticket sale dynamic than that of a live music concert.
The unusual venue you have booked should match the event type you are selling tickets for. For example, a venue that has dozens and dozens of ground floor entrances should probably have just one ticket type (general admission). Conversely, an event at a parking garage can have tickets with tiered pricing (Access by floor level, general admission on the bottom floors, more expensive VIP tickets for the roof).
ThunderTix offers you the tools to sell tickets as general admission only or in multiple tiers of ever increasing profitability. Your unusual venue may not have a traditional box office window to sell tickets in-person, making our virtual box office a perfect choice. Plus, having an event at an unusual venue can save you money and so can we because we never charge you per-ticket fees.
