For fundraisers, what are people's opinions about structuring the shows? Do you do a hour or more straight without an intermission or do you do an intermission? Does it help BOR to have an intermission? Opinions please? thank you.

Jim

I think intermissions help BOR sales.

Intermission certainly helps your sponsor for snack sales. Even more so the younger the audience.

Blair

Yea it can help sales and concessions, but it is becoming a thing of the past anyhow.

My goal is to help my client (the school) make as much money as possible because that's one of the main ways they will gauge the success of the event and of me.
But, Danny, so in your experience intermissions are going away?

Jim

An hour or shorter, I never did intermissions. That is a lot of magic.

Well look at life arround you. Remember how long movies used to be vs what they run now? Life is moving faster all arround us. I am sure some of the Las Vegas shows use an intermission but I am hard pressed to think of one.

In Branson they still have them because older people need them AND BOR.

An hour or less an intermission is pointless. The larger problem is just when you get them on your side rolling along, bamo you have to let them go and hope to catch them again.

I simply don't like them. They are old hat in many ways. That is an opinion. If people want to buy, they will do so after the show.

If you're selling, an intermission will often serve to increase your sales, especially if you do a pitch for your product shortly before, or as you go into intermission. And, If your client is selling concessions, the intermission will sometimes - at least in my experience - as much as double or even TRIPLE the concession sales.

Another quick bit of advice - if you've got a 35-45 minute first act, give them a 20-30 minute second act. Make it shorter. People get fidgety more quickly in the second act. Paradoxically, you have a space in the second act where they are now comfortable with you, and will sit through a longer piece. But, look at the second act as a whole new show - big punch to start, a logical middle, and a big finish. In whatever that means to you - big in size, big in impact, a big emotional punch - a POWERFUL ending. If you're doing a two act structure (or a street show), you can even stage it as an encore. And pitch your client (and your stuff) right before you hit them hard, then say goodbye.

Best of luck!