The document summarizes information presented at an Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society roadshow about participating in the Fringe festival. It provides details on registering a show, venue options, important deadlines, marketing, and advice from panelists on financing a show, building a team, using Fringe Society resources, and networking.

1. Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Society Roadshow
11 February 2012
Venue 150 @ EICC

2. Welcome by Barry Church-Woods

3. Panelist Introductions

4. Christabel Anderson

5. Kath Mainland

6. Laura Eaton-Lewis

7. Richard Wetherington

8. Sam Gough

9. Barry Church-Woods

10. Edinburgh Festival Fringe
• Largest arts festival in the world
• Entirely open access
• Began in 1947
• Artist led
• 2542 events registered in 2011
• Ranges across all art forms

11. Fringe Programme

12. Festival Fringe and the Festival Fringe Society
http://www.edfringe.com/about-us

13. Journey from A to B – Summary
• Research and sign up to the mailing list on edfringe.com
• Find a venue and negotiate your performance slot
including dates, times and ticket prices. Visit
www.edfringe.com/participants/venue-search
• Register your show with the Fringe Society
• Visit www.edfringe.com/participants/show-registration

14. Fringe Fees
• Registration fees are dependent on the length of the run
• 1 to 2 shows £96.00 including VAT
• 3 to 5 shows £204 including VAT
• 6 or more shows £295.20 including VAT if you register by
21 March
• 6 or more shows £393.60 including VAT to register by
11 April, the printed programme deadline

15. Deadlines
• 11 April 2012 for the printed programme
• Most performers and companies submit their information
for the printed programme
• 97% of our audience have seen the printed programme
• Registration after 11 April for web-only listings is open
until the end of the festival

16. Preparing for the Fringe
• Book accommodation
• Rehearse your show bearing in mind the technical and
time constraints of the Fringe
• Maintain contact with your venue
• Plan your Media and Marketing campaign

17. Making the Most of the Fringe
• See other shows
• Come into Fringe Central, our participants’ centre,
for networking and development events

18. Motivation to Participate in Fringe
• Do a show you believe in and meet the punters half way
• Can be a launch pad for future touring

19. Presenting work in Edinburgh
• Motivation can be to make
piece of work and meet
other artists
• Formative experience
• Remember to print flyers!

20. Reasons to come to the Fringe
• Opportunity to perform with
your peers and to
producers and promoters
• Opportunity to be part of
the largest arts festival in
the world
• An addictive experience!

21. Why Are You Coming to the Fringe
and What Should You Bring?
• Understand why you want to
do the Fringe
• Then pair what you bring
with what you want to get
out of it
• No right answer to what will
do well
• Believe in your work, bring
your best work

22. Sam Gough
• Most venues will offer box
office splits
• Usually venues will require
a guaranteed minimum
payment

23. The Fringe Guide to Choosing a Venue
• Visit www.edfringe.com/uploads/docs/participants/
Fringe_guide_to_choosing_a_venue_2012.pdf
• Speak to venue managers
and ask questions
• Find out how the financial
deals work, what is and
what isn’t included
• What works for you?

24. Research Venues and Locations
• Do lots of research
• What other work has been presented in that space?
• Where will your show fit in?
• Use last year’s programme as a guide, visit:
www.edfringe.com/whats-on/programme

25. Venue Financial Models
• Free model – venue is free and you don't charge for tickets
‣ Works as a collective
• Straight hire fee – venue fee is fixed in advance and you
keep all your ticket sales
‣ Works well if you need to know your costs up front
• Box office split with guarantee – you and your venue split
ticket income
‣ Often 60/40 in the company’s favour but subject to
minimum guaranteed payment to the venue

26. Edinburgh is not Conventional
• Shows go on all day and all night throughout the festival
• Constant turnover of work
• Time of day you perform is important
• No right or wrong slot but conventions that exist elsewhere
might not apply
‣ Children's shows often in the morning
‣ Theatre in the afternoon, and
‣ Comedy in the evening – you can follow trends or not

27. When to Perform
• Remember other festivals are taking place in Edinburgh
• Think about who your audience is
• What are you in competition with?
• Ask your venue manager for advice and use last year’s
programme

28. Negotiating Venue Agreement
• Trust in the Venue Manager is important
• Maintain a good relationship
• Location and venue buzz is important
• Contact more than one venue, have a number of options
• Don’t play venues off against each other
• Speak to other companies and artists who have
performed at venues
• Find your niche

29. Venue Technical Support
• Facilities vary widely
‣ Most will have lights, sound and seating – it could be basic or quite
advanced
• Communication is key – know what the venue is providing, what you
have to bring and who is paying for what
• Limited set up time as you are sharing the space with other companies
• It’s amazing what you can achieve in limited turnarounds if you are
prepared
• Think about storage, shared dressing rooms and valuables – know
where everything is going
• Most venues are temporary so don’t assume anything and keep in
contact with the Venue Manager

30. How do You Get the Money?
• Scottish based artists can
apply to Made in Scotland by
November the year before
• Crowdsourcing e.g.
www.wefund.com
• No one answer, talk to other
companies
• Everything from bake sales
to public money

31. The Fringe Guide to Selling a Show
Visit www.edfringe.com/uploads/docs/participants/Fringe_guide_to_selling_a_show_2012.pdf

32. The Fringe Programme
• Use your programme entry as the
cornerstone of your marketing
campaign
• You have 40 words to sell your
show
• Show your entry to people who
don’t know your show to get their
feedback
• Image is important
• Use your image and text
consistently throughout your
campaign

33. Value of a Public Relation Specialist
• Not everyone needs a PR specialist, it depends why you are
coming to the Fringe
• You should have one person to co-ordinate media and
marketing
• An outside eye is useful in working out how to communicate
your message
• Find the PR who is right for you, build a personal relationship
• If you are looking for reviews and future touring, it’s good to
have one person, who knows the Fringe concentrating on
your PR

34. Flyers
• Flyers are vital to selling your show
• Flyering can be soul destroying!
• If you are in a one-person show, ask any other people who are
involved to flyer or make pals with other solo performers and flyer for
each other
• Some shows are suited to flyering in big visual costumes on the
Royal Mile, some aren’t
• Find similar shows in the Fringe Programme and exit flyer
• Engage the audience, get to know people and what they what to see

35. Fringe Society Resources
• Use the Fringe Guide to Selling A Show which
includes case studies
• Contact the Media team on media@edfringe.com
• http://www.edfringe.com/uploads/docs/participants/
Fringe_guide_to_selling_a_show_2012.pdf

36. Networking Opportunities
• Networking is just talking to people, the Fringe is very friendly
• Be open to talking to everyone
• Be friendly and get to know people properly – you may meet
your future collaborators
• Be business ready – have flyers and business cards ready
• Know what to say about your show and what questions to ask
• Come to Fringe Central for events and discussions as an
easy way to start your networking
• Use the Participant Development service – visit
www.edfringe.com/participants/participant-development

37. Sam's Advice
• Understand how to finance
your show
• Rehearse a 10 to 15
second pitch which you
can give to anyone at
anytime – you never know

38. Richard's Advice
• Do something you really
believe in and love

39. Laura's Advice
• Get together the best team
you can
• Build a relationship with
your venue and PR team

40. Kath's Advice
• Be open to all of the
fantastic things happening
around you

41. Christabel's Advice
• Use the resources of the
Fringe Society – we’re here
to help, so get in touch
• www.edfringe.com/
participants
• participants@edfringe.com
• 0131 226 0026
• And in August come and see
us at Fringe Central!

42. Barry's Advice
• Look after yourself –
eat some vegetables!

43. Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
Roadshow 11 February 2012
For more information on participating in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe,
visit www.edfringe.com/participants
Produced by Inner Ear (www.innerear.co.uk)