When an emergency or unforeseen circumstance arises, sometimes the reality is that the show can’t go on. So, how do you pivot to cancel an event or execute a plan B?
In this guide, we’ll take some of the load off and give you actionable steps to take, whether you’re currently dealing with an emergency or making a plan for the future.
And if you are currently in the midst of an emergency, please know, from all of us at Spektrix, that we’re wishing you well and you have our support. If you’re a Spektrix client, contact our support team if you need anything and we are ready to help.
After weeks, months, or even years of planning, deciding to cancel an event or show can feel heartbreaking and maybe even impossible. But, sometimes it is the best thing to do, and you may find yourself with little or no choice.
Here are some questions to ask as you weigh the decision:
Ultimately, any decision you make with care is the right one. Your community is in it with you, and with the right operational and communications practices, they will understand.
Communication is one of the most critical parts of thinking through how to cancel a show. Once you’ve made the decision whether to cancel or reschedule – or to go on as planned – the next step is to communicate the plan to attendees, staff, performers, and your wider community.
If you are canceling on short notice, you may want to prioritize communicating the cancelation before you work out the details around ticket refunds or the rescheduled date. You can simply let customers know that the event has been canceled and that you’ll be in touch soon with more details about next steps.
This is likely the easiest and most direct way of contacting the people you need to. Use your CRM to send a targeted blast to people who have bought tickets to this event and make sure they have the information they need.
This is one of the best ways to reach customers quickly, directly, and with little interruption to them. However, your organization will need to have set up additional SMS messaging software beforehand.
Write out a phone script for anyone who is answering calls, or record a message to your box office’s voicemail. Depending on the size of your event, the capacity of your staff, and the timing, you may consider making phone calls to attendees as a way to add a personal touch. You can choose to call only VIP guests or major donors and use the tags in your CRM to build out the right list.
Once you’ve emailed attendees, you can post the same message to these channels to amplify the message, if needed.
Don’t forget to mark the event as canceled in your ticketing software to prevent new ticket sales. Post your cancelation message to the listing page as well.
The more clear and direct you can be with your customers, the better. Here’s a simple formula for crafting your message:
Here’s an easy event cancelation email template you can start with:
Subject: Canceled - [Name of Show and Date/time]
Dear [First Name],
Due to the [name of situation or “inclement weather”], tonight’s event [name of event] has been canceled. We hope you are safe and our thoughts are with the members of our community who have been impacted.
We apologize for any inconvenience. Here are your options for next steps:
A) Receive a full refund for your tickets.
B) Exchange your tickets for a future show
C) Receive a credit that can be applied to future shows.
D) Donate the cost of your ticket as a way to support our organization’s programming, support, and community outreach [include details about anything your organization does in the community or a specific relief fund]Please let us know which you prefer by [date of deadline] by replying to this email [or filling out this form].
Thank you in advance for your understanding, and we hope that we’ll be able to see you soon.
With care,
[Your name and venue information]
Naturally, one of the biggest questions customers have will be about recouping the money from their ticket. You will need to create a clear policy for this situation that makes it easy for your customers and your staff to understand what the options are.
Canceling an event doesn’t always mean losing out on all the ticket sales revenue from it. Within your policy, you can bake in ways for customers to continue supporting your organization.
So, as you craft your policy, consider:
Once you know what your refund policy is and you’ve communicated it to your audience, it’s time to start processing refunds.
Every ticketing software will have a different process for how to process refunds. At the basic level, you’ll want to:
Take everything one step at a time, and work with your creative team and your promoters to support your customers, your staff, and your community. When you’re ready, you can run a report in your CRM to fully understand what the financial loss of the cancelation was.
If you use Spektrix as your CRM, we’ve put together a list of resources with detailed guidance on how to cancel events, communicate with customers, and more using your system.
We advise that arts and live events organizations create an action plan for emergencies to have on hand. Shortly after you’ve dealt with a situation, it can help to jot down some notes on what you might need for next time and iterate from there.
As you build out your emergency plan, ask your team:
We’ve designed Spektrix to help arts and events leaders confidently make decisions as circumstances change. If your marketing, fundraising, or ticketing software is coming up as a blocker in your emergency plan, get in touch with us.
And finally, here’s a word of encouragement, as any situation in which you may have to cancel an event is stressful. It’s okay to not have all the answers right away or to get something wrong. Take deep breaths. You’ve got this.