Some people, some couples, some families really know how to celebrate anniversaries whether they be wedding, work or household milestones. But when you are a major venue or event celebrating a historic year and you have ticketing and live event professionals involved in the planning and execution, the creativity can be off the charts!
Next month, for instance, the hit Broadway musical “Wicked” will be commemorating its 20th year at the Gershwin Theatre in New York City with a two-day, three-performance themed celebration. Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. will feature the so-called Pink Performance. Later that night at 7 p.m. will showcase the Green Performance. Tickets to each will include a performance-themed gift bag, photo ops, cast member appearances, collectible buttons, special-edition Playbills and other giveaways. For the evening performance on Monday, Oct. 30, all tickets will include a gift bag, anniversary photo ops throughout the theatre, a collectible anniversary Playbill and additional goodies.
Stuart Levy, Director of Ticketing and Insights for “Wicked,” promises that each of the three performances “will be special. Some fans have even bought tickets to all three! I think what distinguishes 'Wicked' from other long-running shows is how many people come back and see the show multiple times, whenever there is a new Elphaba and/or Glinda. People will debate online who was in either role and will also go to see it in multiple venues. Many who see it on the road come to New York to see the Broadway production. I certainly have my favorite Elphaba, although I won’t say who!”
On the West Coast, the Outside Lands music celebration is in its 15th anniversary year. Remarkably, Liz Baqir and three other colleagues have worked in the ticketing office for all 15 of those years. Baqir, who is also Ticket Services Manager for Cal Performances, says, “Outside Lands has come a long way in 15 years in terms of ticketing. We've gone from hard tickets to wristbands to RFID. I remember the early days when we had boxes and boxes and boxes of will call and how excited we would get when we could consolidate down to a few less boxes. Now with RFID, it's much more efficient for us and the guests.”
It’s one thing to celebrate the longevity of a show or festival. It’s another to tout the anniversary of an actual venue. Virginia Tech University’s Moss Arts Center recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a free event for locals and longtime patrons. Jonathan Boulter, Director of Ticketing and Patron Services, says, “For our 10th anniversary celebration, we held a community event day that we called, ‘Experience Arts: 10th Anniversary Open House.’ We really put the focus on the community and celebrated with hands-on activities for all ages, including performances from members of the community, music making, activities for kids, learning opportunities, giveaways [and] food trucks.”
There were also appearances from the Virginia Tech Marching Virginians. The evening ended with an outdoor performance by the Lost Bayou Ramblers.
A decade in operation? The University of Colorado’s Folsom Field says, “Hold my beer.” It is celebrating its 100th year as the home football field of the Buffaloes! Throughout the season, the university will be celebrating Folsom Field and its iconic place in not just university, but state history.
Among the ticketing and events pros who will be playing a key role is Lindsay Lew, Assistant Athletic Director, Digital and Database Marketing. “As one of the oldest and most beautiful venues in the country, Folsom Field is a special place and is as jaw-dropping in your 50th visit as it is on your first,” she says. “This year, we’re recognizing its history as well as celebrating the moments of magic that Folsom Field has played host to throughout the years. We have a special website and are sharing weekly content and highlights on social media from past big games and other events. We also did commemorative boxes and gifts for our premium seat holders and are using our 100th Season logo on giveaways, on the playing field and more.”
Also currently enjoying a centennial in the same state is the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Nick Dobreff, Communications and Creative Director for the Colorado Symphony Association, says, “This is going to be an incredible season for us as we'll welcome back a number of our former music directors to the podium, including Marin Alsop, Jeffrey Kahane and Andrew Litton. The schedule is also packed with incredible names like Renée Fleming, Audra McDonald and Yo-Yo Ma. It's a season we think lives up to the grand nature of a centennial celebration, and we're thrilled to be presenting it.”
Each of the ticketing and venue professionals interviewed for this feature article had advice for those reading this who will be planning anniversary celebrations for their venues and events in 2024 and beyond. Dobreff was analytical in advising: “Obviously, programming is important. You want to do something that's going to make a splash and excite your patrons, something that measures up to the magnitude of the anniversary.”
Nick Dobreff
Lew was all about enthusiasm: “Embrace it! A centennial celebration only happens once in a lifetime and is a chance for operators and staff to learn and celebrate the unique history of a venue. These classic venues become almost a part of the family for generations.”
Virginia Tech’s Boulter concurs, adding, “I think it’s important to really take time to reflect on how you got to where you are and who you want to celebrate in these special moments. We spent a lot of time reflecting on what made our 10 years successful, which is why we really focused on our community. We wanted to show our appreciation to the people who have attended, performed and made us who we have become. We also took the time to offer up a celebration to all our current and former staff, who were with us at some point in the journey.”
Baqir indeed says not to forget those long-time staffers who have aged with the venue or event. They are some of your most valuable resources. “If you can reward long-term staff, even if it's something small like a pin or a cupcake, do it,” she says. “I can't tell you how grateful I am to have staff who have been working Outside Lands for 15 years. When my institutional memory gets fuzzy — wait, how did we do that six years ago? — I have backup. And, of course, it's also incredibly helpful with new staff to have veterans working. So, take care of those folks!”
Finally, Levy urges, “Plan early! It’s never too early, as there are so many working parts to planning a celebration. We are lucky that we have a Director of Marketing as well as a Director of Ticketing in house in addition to the agencies we use. Some things we are not doing this year are being saved for the 25th anniversary!”
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