The idea of the guest list has taken on a life of its own in popular culture.
It’s easy to imagine the scene of someone dressed to the nines, approaching a velvet rope flanked by heavy-duty security guards with earpieces, and blurting out “I’m on the list!”
This scenario might be slightly embellished, but what happens next will either be effortless or painfully embarrassing for the guest.
Behind the scenes, a tour manager and the artist’s team have been working tirelessly to compile the all-important list, stuffing envelopes with tickets, and pouring over seating charts.
Will these guests, in fact, be on the list?
What is a Guest List?
A guest list in the context of a concert tour is a document listing the names of persons who should receive complimentary tickets.
In addition to these tickets, people on the guest list will oftentimes receive some type of credential. Not always, but sometimes.
This credential will allow them to access certain areas of the venue they otherwise would not have access to.
This could be a satin sticky to access a VIP area or an aftershow wristband that will allow them to stay in the venue after the show.
How Many People Can I Add to the Guest List?
The number of guest list spots that a tour receives depends on a variety of factors.
Some of these include venue capacity, ticket price, and what’s been agreed to between the promoter and agent.
Keep in mind that this quantity of tickets is shared across all departments of an artist’s team, including any supporting artists.
If you anticipate you are going to exceed the given allotment, you can coordinate a ticket buy before the tickets go on sale to the public.
A ticket buy is commonly coordinated in major markets by the record label, booking agency, or artist management.
These purchased tickets essentially increase the guest list allotment, at a cost.
What Does Plus One Mean?
A plus one is slang for an additional ticket.
For example, someone named Distant Relative might magically re-enter your life the day of the show, requesting tickets.
“Hey, buddy! Saw you’re in town. Could I get a plus one for tonight’s show?”
They are requesting a ticket for themselves, along with an additional ticket to bring a guest. Two tickets in total.
Who Do You Give the Guest List to?
When the guest list is ready to be submitted, it is typically given to your day-of-show contact.
This could be the venue manager, promoter rep, or dropped off directly with the box office.
It’s a good idea to have the guest list ready prior to the security meeting.
This will allow you to cover the number of credentials that will be in circulation.
Additionally, make sure to give the box office any credentials they will need to hand off when guests check-in.
Make sure to exchange contact information with the box office.
Include your name and phone number on the hard copy.
Having a direct line with the box office will help to resolve any issues quickly.
This could be a late guestlist addition or someone who isn’t on the list that should be.
Setting Expectations
Prior to the tour ever getting out the door, it’s a good idea to set guest list expectations with the artist’s team, supporting artists, and the band and crew.
This will help to avoid foreseeable scenarios and biting into a giant self-inflicted stress burger. Been there, done that!
Below are some common questions that are helpful to outline in advance.
- How many guest list spots do we have in each city?
- How will guest spots be allocated to the team?
- How many tickets will support receive?
- What is the best way to submit a guest name?
- Are there any no-guest request cities on the itinerary?
- Is there a will-buy list for any of the cities?
Artist Team Coordination
There are often a few different moving parts to an artist’s team that will want or need access to the guest list.
Typically these are from a marketing or PR arm that will be doing outreach to different partners or press outlets.
Have a conversation and decide how you want to collaborate to successfully create a guest list.
How to Collect Guest Names
Guest list submissions are often coming at a tour manager from all different angles.
This could be via text, email, phone, or while crossing in the hall, you name it.
Training people to submit guests in a certain way is a learned skill in and of itself.
The ultimate goal is to create a system that is efficient, organized, and reduces data entry.
There are more and more tour management software solutions available that help to do exactly that.
Instead of collecting and transposing names, now it’s simply a matter of approving or denying requests.
What Parameters Need to Be Included?
When submitting a name for a guest list you need to include a few different fields.
The bare minimum is:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Number of tickets
Depending on the software you are using can determine if you include an email or phone number to deliver tickets or pickup instructions.
If a guest should require a credential of some kind, the request needs to be submitted when the original guest ask is made.
Common credentialing tiers include:
- AAA (Access All Areas)
- VIP (Very Important Person)
- Photo
- Aftershow
- Working
Some other fields to include that are useful internally include:
- Who requested the guest
- When it was requested
- Any additional notes
- How will the ticket be delivered? IE: Box office, backstage, handoff, etc.
This is often helpful with troubleshooting if things don’t go as planned at the box office.
Seated Shows
A guest list for a seated show requires a slightly different approach when compared to a general admission show.
You will need to review the seating chart and see the location of the tour ticket holds.
A dash of premeditated serendipity can seat certain guests next to each other that you want to introduce to each other.
Another consideration is releasing tickets that the tour isn’t going to use.
Often, you might be in a city where the show has sold well, but you don’t have a full guestlist.
If you don’t release the tickets, or reseat patrons, you can end up with a giant hole in the middle of the audience.
This looks dumb in crowd photos and is distracting to the performers on stage.
Bad, tour manager! *spray bottle*
Submitting the Guestlist
Make sure to alphabetize the guest list.
This helps both the tour manager and the box office.
Include your name and phone number on the hard copy you submit.
Print a duplicate copy of what you submit.
This will remain in the production office as a quick reference should you need it.
Releasing Guest List Tickets
As mentioned above, it’s a good idea to release any tickets you know you aren’t going to use.
This becomes especially important on sold-out shows.
Every ticket you don’t release is a ticket you can’t sell.
Over the course of a month-long sold-out tour, this can be thousands of dollars in lost revenue to a tour.
The earlier you can release tickets, the better.
You are more likely to sell the tickets.
With that said, it’s a good idea to always hold some emergency tickets for those folks who come out of the woodwork.
Finding the balance is key.
Late Submissions
Without fail, someone in your touring party will come along and submit a guest request after doors.
This could be the artist, management, or someone on the tour.
Obviously, if necessary to accommodate the guest, a tour manager will figure it out.
It’s annoying, but it’s part of the gig.
Try your best to get everyone in the habit of not doing this.
Major Markets
Major music industry hubs are always a bit more difficult when it comes to the guest list.
Within the United States, this normally includes New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville.
This could also include an artist’s hometown.
Everyone and their brother needs something, and plus ones continuously roll in.
It’s a good idea to pump the breaks in these markets and make sure guest list expectations are clear with the band and crew.
Often, ticket buys will be coordinated before on-sales to avoid the issue of not being able to accommodate everyone.
A 100+ person guest list for a club-level tour is not uncommon in these markets.
Festival Guestlists
Festival guestlists operate entirely independently from a tour guestlist and have their own sets of requirements and considerations.
Different festivals will handle guest submissions differently.
Be sure to review the artist welcome letter and make note of any ticketing deadlines.
Many festivals have started to utilize dynamic guestlist portals for general admission tickets.
This saves so much time and headache when names change.
As always, make sure to communicate all pertinent information to guests to make for easy ticket pickup and a pleasant festival experience.
Guestlist Etiquette
If you request tickets to a show, and someone pulls a favor for you, make sure to use the tickets.
If for some reason you are unable to attend, be sure to communicate and allow the tickets to be released.
They can either be used by someone else, or they can be sold to the general public.
Additionally, if you are given some type of backstage credential do not hand it off to someone else when you’re leaving.
Guestlist Auditing
At the end of the night, you should request the guestlist back from the box office to find out who attended.
This is especially useful in industry hubs and allows the powers that be to follow up either way.
This is usually part of the settlement process.
Label Printing
When preparing credentials for the guest list, make sure you have some label paper ready to help when stuffing envelopes with tickets and tour credentials.
This is another part of being an efficient tour manager.
Handwriting names on envelopes? Not a problem on a 10-person guest list, but not the way to do it for a 100-person list.
Create good systems when you’re doing small clubs, and scale up those habits when you’re selling out stadiums.
How Do I Get Backstage Passes?
Ah, yes. The elusive backstage pass.
Unfortunately, being added to the guest list does not necessarily mean you will receive any type of backstage pass.
If you’re a fan and have somehow landed on this page, check to see if the artist is selling any VIP upgrades.
These can sometimes be elevated fan experiences that include a tour of famous backstages. IE: Red Rocks
If you’re a photographer or press outlet trying to cover a show, your best bet is to reach out to a local publication and ask to cover the show for them.
Another angle is to ask the artist’s publicist or management directly.
You probably won’t get a backstage pass, but you might be able to photograph the show if you have a solid portfolio.
Conclusion
As you can see, creating a guest list can become quite an endeavor at scale.
Creating a system to help manage guest requests can help to reduce the amount of backend administrative redundancy.
There are people coming at you from a multitude of directions, and everyone always wants something.
A good tour manager will use discretion when issuing backstage passes.
The guest list is a part of the tour’s security plan because it often grants access to restricted areas.
Remember to put yourself in the shoes of the people actually picking up the tickets, answer those questions, and proceed accordingly.
“Uhh, could you check the list again?” *gulp*