How To Sell Out A Show: Five Thousand Easy Steps

The last few minutes of a sold out show

PORT CLINTON, OH - Earlier tonight I met a man who worked in the music business for many, many years as a songwriter and a jingle writer . We talked about how he cut his teeth in the smoky Honky Tonks of Nashville in the late 70s into the 80s and I shared with him stories of growing up in shadow of the neon soaked Las Vegas Strip.

The lines of his face told a tale. Ruddy features that reinforced the narrative of shady club owners, groupies, green room hijinks, throwaway songs that were hits, and magnum opus songs that never made it out of a songwriting session. Odd how a twenty-five year gap between us, a generation...if not two....and as much as the world turns, burns and changes...some things will always be.

I told him about how my run at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History was received: well-wishers at every meet and greet, social media traffic spikes, meeting super VIP's, and certainly...selling out 11 out of 12 shows. This gentleman shared how he sold out shows in his time running the boards in Nashville and he asked how I did it. It was interesting when I gave him my reply.

I told him it wasn't solely me who sold out the newly remodeled Shafran Planetarium. It was the box office team, the museum staff, the marketing team and certainly the shot callers that brought me in. I also told him about the promotion I provided to the museum to send out: trailers for lobby monitors, trailers for the planetarium weeks in advance, another trailer for the marketing team's email list, eye-catching digital assets, and clear and concise program descriptions.

He laughed as he stubbed the last cigarette of the evening and looked toward the dark shore of Lake Erie across from our hotel, "It sounds like you really enjoy what you do...both on and offstage." My eyes were looking out to the navy-black hue of Erie's waters, "Nothing else I would rather do." He put his hand on my shoulder and, turning to shuffle back inside, he said, "Funny how that works. When you have that sort of passion for something....you will do whatever it takes. That sort of passion is rare. With that passion....every night can sell out."

The wind blew cold off Erie as I turtled into my coat a little deeper and thought about what he said.

John Allen

Port Clinton, OH