Procedures
Front of House Staff
Please arrive at the venue one hour before performance time. Check in with the Production Coordinator to receive final instructions. Dress code is black on black. Clothes should be clean and tidy, dress clothes if possible. If given an article to identify you as a volunteer, please wear it appropriately.
Patrons should always be greeted warmly with a smile.
1. Usher
Having friendly volunteers to assist or direct patrons to their seats is really helpful. When we have enough volunteers, specific individuals will be assigned to usher.
Ushers need to be familiar with the layout of the concert hall and how the seats are numbered. See Appendix A.
For wheelchair patrons, ushers should always ensure that there are comfortable chairs for the patrons accompanying them.
Ushers need to be proactive about offering help to audience members who may not know how to find their seat.
Elderly patrons often appreciate being offered an art to steady them while they walk down the aisle or manoeuvre stairs.
Once the house doors are closed and the performance begins, ushers should position themselves close to the door and be readily available to help patrons who need assistance leaving the hall during a performance.
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2. Ticket Taker
Taking tickets is a vital part of our concert process. The perforated stubs from the top of each ticket need to be torn off and saved in the box provided by the House Manager.
After tearing the stubs and turning the box over to the House Manager, the ticket taker’s work is done. The job may seem trivial, but it is very important. After the concert, the office staff counts all of the stubs and enters the numbers of actual attendees to a spreadsheet that calculates the statistics for the season. These stats are used to create the numbers for grant applications through the following year. Ticket stubs may translate into future funding for the PGSO.
3. Programme Distributor
Distributing the programmes to patrons is not a difficult task, but important. After the patrons have had their ticket stubs taken, offer them a programme.
Often patrons only require one per family, but if they want more it is fine to give them extras.
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4. Ticket Sales
Working the ticket sales table can be a challenging task. Lines at the ticket table are often a hindrance to starting the concert on time. Often three people are essential at the ticket table to accomplish the following list of tasks:
Locating the correct "will call" envelope for formerly purchased tickets
Locating the correct complimentary ticket envelope
Assisting ticket purchasers in seat selection and crossing the seat off on the concert hall map (reserved seating concerts only)
Pulling the sold tickets from the stack of unsold tickets
Marking and removing the bottom stub from the sold tickets
Depositing the stubs in the bag
Making change for sold tickets
Processing credit card payments
The volunteers at the ticket sales table need to be quick and efficient. This can be a stressful task if an individual is not accustomed to handling money or thinking swiftly.
The will-call volunteer is responsible for distributing pre-paid and complimentary tickets.
The ticket distributor helps patrons choose their seat and hands out the appropriate tickets. Ticket distributors are provided with the seating chart and should become familiar with the chart. As seats are sold they must be marked off the chart.
Cashiers receive payment and identify the type of ticket sold. A list of prices including GST for the different categories of tickets is always provided for the ticket sales table. Also on this sheet are instructions for specially priced tickets, such as student vouchers. A calculator is provided as well.
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5. Poster Distribution
Two to three weeks before each concert, posters need to be delivered to local businesses and other areas. Volunteers with a vehicle who can donate an hour or two of their time are required for this task.
The office staff will provide a checklist of businesses where PGSO posters are accepted, as well as tape to hang the posters. Politeness to the business owners is an important part of this task. We never assume that they want our posters or where to hang them. One should always ask first and thank them when departing.
Leftover posters need to be returned to the PGSO office.
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6. Stage Setup/Takedown
The PGSO stage wizards make stage set-ups appear and disappear for every rehearsal and concert. This task requires some physical strength.
Before each rehearsal and concert, the music stands and chairs need to be placed on the stage according to the stage map. Then afterward, they need to be put away.
Performance on Vanier stage usually requires a sound shell that must be assembled. Percussion equipment must also be placed on stage.
Sometimes equipment must be transported from one venue to another. The PGSO does not own a transport vehicle and also must rely on volunteers to haul equipment in their trucks or vans.
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7. Light Housekeeping
If anyone would like to help the PGSO by stopping by the office once a week or so to change garbage, vacuum the office and take in the recycling, it would be very helpful for the busy office staff.
8. Concession
Concession sales at concerts provide a service to our patrons and provide the PGSO with extra revenue.
Volunteers setup the concession before the concert, operate the concession during the intermission, and take it down after the concert, returning the equipment to the PGSO office.
There are also coffee urns that need to be picked up from the Two Rivers Gallery, delivered to Second Cup or wherever the coffee is being donated from and brought to the concert hall.
Swiftness and organization are important, since the patrons need to be accommodated as quickly as possible so that they can have their snacks and beverages and return to the hall for the concert to resume.
The House Manager provides a cash float for making change. We keep the prices simple. A price list is provided. Prices include GST.
PGSO coffee mugs are also sold at the concession table and the first coffee fill is free with a mug purchase.
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9. Special Sales
Occasionally, volunteers are needed to sell CDs or other products during intermission or before and after concerts.
10. Special Events
There may be other opportunities to assist with special activities such as receptions, silent auctions, and other fundraising activities.
Book Sale Setup/Takedown
The annual Book Sale fundraiser is such a success that the staff has decided to make it a biannual event. The fundraisers will be in September and March.
The most difficult part of this fundraiser is hauling all of the books out of the shed and sorting them into categories.
We need three or four strong people to haul and three or four smart people to sort books. Hauling books takes approximately two hours. Sorting is a one-day task.
Volunteers may commit to the day or a specific period of time within the day.
