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January 24, 2018 2:55 PM   Subscribe

When would you announce that a performance or exhibition is being extended?

I have a PR client whose exhibition is being extended by a couple weeks, and we're trying to decide on when to make the announcement. Their original plan was to wait until the week it was supposed to close, but my feeling is the sooner it's announced, the better. From the perspective of a consumer of the arts, when would you want to know?
posted by me3dia to Media & Arts (8 answers total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Earlier. If a person looks at a schedule and sees a show is closing on June 15, and knows they can't make it before then, they're not likely to look again to see if it was extended.
posted by praemunire at 2:59 PM on January 24, 2018 [2 favorites]


Best answer: As a person who largely knows which days she's busy a year in advance, please tell me as early as possible!
posted by phunniemee at 3:02 PM on January 24, 2018 [2 favorites]


Best answer: As early as possible, so that I can make appropriate plans and make sure I've got money to buy my ticket if a ticket needs to be purchased.
posted by palomar at 3:07 PM on January 24, 2018


Best answer: More notice will mean that more people have the chance to hear about the extension.
posted by aniola at 3:07 PM on January 24, 2018


Best answer: You can also send out a reminder about the extension as the original exhibition comes to a close.
posted by aniola at 3:14 PM on January 24, 2018


Best answer: My wife is an actress, and it is normal for a theater contract to include an option for at least one extension. A show will open with a scheduled run (say, three weeks) but will often extend, first to the date built into the contract (say, two more weeks), and then after that as sales warrant and realities of space and casting allow. I like to give her a hard time about this practice, because that first extension is often publicized within the first week of the run, and the theaters are all contracting actors with the first extension in mind. If a show gets terrible reviews and doesn't sell, it will close without even the first extension.

But if there was a good review? Announce early, to capitalize on it.

BTW: after the contracted extension, there's usually a new negotiation for at least the next extension (with rates determined by Equity rules) and if a show has multiple extensions it becomes likely that an original cast member will have another contract and they'll have to be replaced for the remainder of the run. My wife in a show that ran for 14 weeks, across multiple extensions, with one role recast twice. Every new extension was publicized, early and often.
posted by fedward at 4:33 PM on January 24, 2018 [2 favorites]


Yeah, the extension itself is good publicity - regardless of the specifics it will seem like it is being extended due to success.
posted by stray at 7:50 PM on January 24, 2018


I once worked with a PR person who told me that people need to see something advertised 7 times for the message to stick.

No doubt this is a fluffy piece of marketing advice, not a universal truth, but I've taken it to heart: I always advertise early and often, especially in today's attention economy.
posted by toastedcheese at 6:50 AM on January 25, 2018


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