Agile Ticketing Solutions

Social Distance Seating

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Agile Ticketing Solutions New Feature: Social Distance Seating

You are one step closer to reopening with the Agile Ticketing Solutions Social Distance Seating feature. This feature, announced in our latest software update on July 21st allows theaters to follow CDC recommendations of social distancing. The social distance seating feature allows you to sell tickets with peace of mind knowing you’re keeping staff and patrons safe. Once a ticket is sold, the Agile Ticketing Solutions Software will automatically block off the surrounding seats.

How does it work?

With this new feature, when customers or sales agents select seats for purchase the system will automatically place the surrounding seats in a defined hold group. This makes sure there is adequate space around all groups of customers so that they can follow social distancing guidelines.This feature works with manually picked seats and auto-assignment.

How do we use this new feature?

Now, we know what you are wondering: this is a great tool, but how do we set up in the Agile Ticketing Solutions Software?

First, you will need to build out your reserved seating chart and create your templates. To learn how to build a reserved seating chart, click HERE to access the tutorial in our knowledge base. Once you have built your seating chart, you will need to determine what the spacing between seats needs to be to ensure proper social distancing. Once you have determined what your social distancing requirements are, you will need to add these rules to your reserved seating chart.  Click HERE to access the instructions on how to set up your social distancing rules.

Once set up, this feature will give customers and box office staff a clear indication of which seats already have people sitting in them and which are unavailable. This will also allow your customers to see how far apart people are sitting in the venue. 

For more information on the social distancing buffer feature and other updates in the Agile Ticketing Solutions Software, please refer to https://bit.ly/3feZokG. 

We are here for you!

Utilize this feature to get your organization one step closer to reopening. We have created a resource blog on our website that can act as a centralized space for your organization to reference when taking the steps to reopen. You can view that blog here: https://bit.ly/2CQaCiE. For more information on setting up the social distancing seating feature or about reopening, please contact us at support@agiletix.com. Agile Ticketing Solutions stands together with your organization and we are honored to be your ticketing solution.  

Virtual Fundraising

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Virtual Fundraising: Fundraising in the Age of COVID-19

As you may know, fundraising is a huge part of the performing arts world. We understand how important this is for the health of your organization, so we wanted to help by sharing some ideas on how to fundraise during the current pandemic. Although times have changed and we cannot be together directly, there are still many ways for us to come together virtually.

Has your organization thought of hosting a virtual fundraising event? With our new feature AgileLINK, we made it easy for you and your patrons to come together while still adhering to CDC recommendations of social distancing. It’s time to get creative. Here are a few ways you can fundraise from a respectful distance.

All you have to do is ask.

Asking for donations is the first step. Agile Ticketing Solutions has a great Donor Management tool that allows you to pull reports of who has donated to your organization. This is a great place to start. Your organization can personally reach out to each person who has previously donated. You can explain to them how the current climate of COVID-19 and the CDC recommendations of social distancing have unfortunately had a negative impact on your organization. Kindly ask your patrons to donate again and track the results of your efforts. If you choose to use an email management platform such as MailChimp or Emma, these will allow you to track your donation request efforts.

As we have mentioned earlier, this is a great place to start but there is more than one way to increase donations. Get creative. Sometimes just asking for a donation isn’t going to help you reach your fundraising goals. Don’t forget to utilize the tools around you. One of these tools being your community, you can ask local businesses to donate an auction item for you to sell during a virtual fundraising event, or you can team up with a local business for a giveaway to help grow your social media following. Here are a few different events you can hold virtually to help your organization bring in a large amount of donations.

 1. Host a virtual fundraising event utilizing the AgileLINK platform.

During your virtual fundraising event you can set up virtual auction and sell highly desired items via the AgileLINK platform. Creating a “bidding war” between patrons will allow you to easily sell items past market value. Below are some recommendations of auction items that you could add to your checklist.

a. Stage and sell a romantic evening

b. Floral arrangements

c. Food baskets

d. Housecleaning services

e. Handyman services

f. Trips from a local travel agency

g. Dinners for two from local restaurants

h. Desserts or goodies from a local bakery

2. Host an educational webinar for kids.

Right now, a lot of children are out of school, leaving their parents with the responsibility to teach them. You can set up a virtual learning center within your organization and ask the parents for donations in exchange for their child attending your educational webinar. This could be a standard price you set or a “pay what you can” price. Below are a few educational webinars your organization can offer.

a. Your work within your organization

b. History behind your theater

c. History behind cinemas and how they have changed over the years

3. Host a social media fundraising event via Facebook or Instagram Live.

We recommend utilizing your social media channels if you have a large audience. An example of a social media live event is, tour of your facility and talk about the history of your organization. Set up a donation website where people can watch your live stream and donate at the same time!

In summary, there are endless ways your organization can get creative in the current world and we are here to help! Fundraising is a huge part of our industry and it’s important to utilize the tools in your community. People want to be able to help in any way they can, so don’t be afraid to ask. If you have any questions on how to get started you can reach us at support@agiletix.com.

GrantFunding

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20 Grant Programs That Can Help Your Organization Get Ahead

Right now is the perfect time to check out what grant programs are available for organizations affected by the recent pandemic. Fortunately, there are a plethora of options, from private corporate programs to government funding. We have put together this brief list of twenty grants and corporate funding programs to check out when researching grants for your organization.

3M Foundation Grant

3M strives to maximize social impact within our communities and support a culture of service among our people. To do this, 3M Foundation partners with leading organizations that are aligned to our global footprint and have proven track records for making a difference. For more information please visit 3m.com

The American Theater Wing

National Rapid Relief – 2020

With regional theaters going dark in communities all across the nation, the American Theatre Wing is committed to supporting as many of these institutions as possible during their time of need. Through the newly formed National Rapid Relief Fund, The Wing will be making immediate gifts, in the amount of $1,000, to each of the 82 prior recipients of the National Theatre Company Grants. These companies, large and small, play very important cultural and economic roles in their communities, and their survival is fundamental to the nation’s wider recovery effort. For more information please visit: AmericanTheaterWing.org

American Express Theater Grant

American Express invests in theaters and theater organizations across the United States, but prioritizes giving to six U.S. locations. To be eligible for this grant you must be a nonprofit. For more information please visit: AmericanExpress.com

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to supporting activities that reflect the dynamic, diverse, and evolving nature of the media arts field. Applicants may apply in this Grants for Arts Projects category for media arts projects that support creation, exhibition, education, and distribution of historic and contemporary artworks in all genres and forms that use electronic media, film, and technology (analog & digital; old and new) as an artistic medium or a medium to broaden arts appreciation and awareness (of any discipline). All genres are welcome to apply; all phases of project support are eligible. To learn more please visit: Arts.gov

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

The Foundation seeks to be responsive to community issues and needs. Our process is highly competitive and is open to new projects and new organizations. The following summary, Examples of our Grant-Making, is offered to help guide applicants. While this is not intended to be an exhaustive description and may, as appropriate, change over time, we hope that the following will suggest the kind of meaningful work in which the Foundation is seeking to invest. For more information please visit: CafritzFoundation.org

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA)

Expeditions funds the development and presentation of cross-disciplinary touring projects for New England communities. Grants are made to New England-based nonprofit organizations to support planning or touring of projects with performing, literary, and/or visual arts components.

New England States Touring (NEST) provides support to New England-based nonprofit organizations for performances, readings, and related community activities by artists on the New England States Touring roster.

Presenter Travel Fund provides monetary assistance to arts programmers or curatorial staff in New England so that they may investigate new or unfamiliar work outside of their home community. Applicants may apply for funding to help cover the expense of attending festivals, showcases, conferences, or other cultural events.

NEFA funds other grants programs; see their website below for more details of available opportunities. https://www.nefa.org/

The Joyce Foundation

The Culture Program supports the efforts of cultural institutions, primarily in Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, to serve and represent the city’s diverse populations. The Program is interested in projects that bring diverse audiences together to share common cultural experiences and encourage more people to see the arts as integral to their lives. For more information please visit: joycefdn.org

The Trust for Mutual Understanding

The Trust for Mutual Understanding awards grants to American nonprofit organizations to support the international travel component of cultural and environmental exchanges conducted in partnership with institutions and individuals in Russia and Central and Eastern Europe. Priority consideration is given to projects that involve direct, in-depth professional interaction, with the potential for sustained collaboration; that show evidence of professional accomplishment and innovation; and/or that respond to social contexts and engage local communities.
The trust’s cultural program encompasses the visual and performing arts, traditional as well as contemporary. For more information please visit: TMUNY.org

Fleishhacker Foundation

Small Arts Grants: these are between $1,000 and $10,000; grants are made to support a range of artistic efforts within the following disciplines: dance, film/video and media arts, interdisciplinary arts, music, theater; and visual arts. Grants may be for: artists’ fees for creative time, production costs for performances or films, exhibition/installation costs for visual, media, or interdisciplinary arts, and projects which aid the organization’s overall artistic development.

Special Arts Grants: these are generally around $10,000 and do not exceed $25,000; grants are for larger mid-sized arts organizations to support special artistic projects or initiatives, artistic collaborations or commissions involving local artists, and upgrading facilities to benefit artists and audiences. San Francisco Bay Area only.

For more information please visit: www.fleishhackerfoundation.org

Arts Midwest

Grants primarily fund presenting organizations, and those must be in the Midwest. But funding can also benefit outside groups that present in the region. Theater is a major focus. For more information please visit: https://www.artsmidwest.org/

Iowa Culture

Each year, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs invests grant funding into projects, organizations and communities that enhance quality of life in Iowa through arts, history and culture. For more information please visit: https://iowaculture.gov/arts/grants

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation

Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation (MAAF) was established in 1979 to promote and support multi-state arts programming in a region that includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and West Virginia. It is one of six regional arts organizations in the United States, and works in close partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and its member state and jurisdictional arts agencies. MAAF distinguishes itself through its work in international cultural exchange, model programs in performing arts touring, its knowledge and presence in the jazz field, and its support of Folk and Traditional Arts. For more information please visit: midatlanticarts.org

The Foundation Center

The Foundation Center is a leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. and, increasingly, global grant makers and their grants. For more information please visit foundationcenter.org

National Endowment for the Humanities

NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. For more information please visit: neh.gov

Foundation for Contemporary Arts

 Its mission is to encourage, sponsor and promote innovative work in the arts. Through a nomination process, individual artists and organizations working in dance, music/sound, theater/performance art, poetry, and the visual arts are awarded unrestricted grants for projects of their own choosing. For more information please visit: foundationforcontemporaryarts.org

Sundance Institute Foundation

Foundation Giving enables Sundance Institute to support the vital work of independent storytellers. We work closely with each foundation to connect it to Institute activities that reflect shared values and priorities. Through these efforts, we have built a community of donors who share our commitment to cultivating original voices in film, television, theatre and digital media. Foundation grants provide stability for existing Programs and seed the launch of new initiatives. These activities empower artists to create high-quality stories that inspire audiences by speaking to the issues that shape our world. Foundations also help us achieve excellence as an organization and foster a culture of learning, mentorship, and accountability. For more information please visit: sundance.org

The Shubert Foundation

The Shubert Foundation is dedicated to sustaining and advancing the live performing arts in the United States, with a particular emphasis on theatre and a secondary focus on dance. For more information please visit: https://www.shubertfoundation.org/all-programs

Embery Family Foundation

The Embrey Family Foundation invests in theater productions and organizations across the United States. For more information please visit: https://embreyfdn.org/

The David Rockefeller Fund

The David Rockefeller Fund supports visual and performing arts organizations around the United States. For more information please visit: http://www.drfund.org/

Macy’s Grant for Theaters

Macy’s makes substantial and widespread contributions in the area of arts and culture, and theater is at the forefront of this giving. National theater programming is funded by the foundation. For more information please visit: https://macyfoundation.org/our-grantees/apply

Resource Guide for Reopening

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Tips and Guidelines on Reopening Your Organization to the Public

Novel Coronavirus has made a huge impact on many organizations across the United States, especially in the theater industry forcing many theaters to close. Agile Ticketing Solutions’ marketing team is here for your organization every step of the way including during closures and the very anticipated reopening. Keep reading for tips and guidelines on reopening your organization to the public.  

When reopening your organization, one important action that your theater may want to consider is limiting the number of tickets sold per showing, to allow space between each party. Many theaters are looking at selling around 50-percent of their total capacity. Not only will this make the experience safer for your patrons, but there will likely be government restrictions in place that will make this mandatory. If possible, your theater may allow families the option to sit together, while giving and give others the opportunity to choose to distance from other people. Between each movie playing, you will want to enforce a strict cleaning policy. It is also not a bad idea to have hand sanitizer stations installed around your theater in convenient locations and make hourly sanitation required by staff. If you need hand sanitizer, MedTech Wristbands started making some themselves—to order, click the “sanitizer” link in the resources below.

Another way to keep both your agents and patrons safe and happy is to require staff to wear masks and gloves and install plexiglass. Think about getting remote credit card swipes to add to the POS systems so your staff doesn’t have to handle credit cards. Consider allowing online purchases for tickets and even concessions, to encourage contactless purchases. Adapt things such as contactless payment options via Apple Pay or Virtual Wallet. 

While the theater experience may have altered slightly due to the health crisis, this doesn’t mean that you can’t celebrate your organization’s reopening. Send out an email blast to all your patrons, members, and supporters. Post your reopen date all over social media. Just as you would for a grand opening, create hype over the celebration of reopening and don’t be afraid to share that excitement with your patrons.  

Since many new releases are being pushed back, some even into fall, now is the time for your theater to offer older movies that will draw people into your theater. Host a poll on Instagram asking patrons what their favorite movies are. Play a this-or-that themed game to get a better understanding of what your patrons are interested in. Post a reopening photo on your feed and encourage patrons to comment below their favorite movies. Throw a special themed event for classic movies such as Star Wars or Harry Potter and encourage patrons to dress up as their favorite characters and serve movie themed styled concessions ( Butterbeer is always a great idea for a Harry-Potter-themed event). All these ideas are great to incorporate to your reopening strategy.  

Helpful Resources

PSA: This is an evolving document and we will continue to update and add resources as we come across them.