StageSwift Tour management

What Was Needed?

A touring company needs on-point logistics and communication to ensure that performers and members of the backstage crew are in the right place at the right time. As well as being crucial for show dates, it’s also essential for rehearsals and stage management. This involves details of theatre access, accommodation, travel arrangements and rehearsal/show times plus associated publicity events.

Some or all of the cast and team are involved with each stage. Their availability needed to be accessed by members of the Vamos Theatre team responsible for scheduling dates and coordinating resources, (people and equipment).

A tool to facilitate this complex organisational requirement with accuracy and efficiency as needed.

What Happened?

StageSwift has been developed as a scheduling and contacts management system which manages all aspects of a theatre, music, speaking or any other type of "tour" which has to be scheduled and managed.

StageSwift lets you create calendar events such as performances, workshops, travel, accommodation, photo shoot, press conference - in fact any type of event that makes sense to your organisation. It groups events into projects for easy management and also allows you to overlay events from different projects on to the calendar to give you the full picture of what your organisation is doing.

It has built-in contacts management, staff and financials (including invoicing).

A second, smaller, application is used by the Vamos staff to see their own personal calendar. The online system has removed the need to print and circulate diaries and itineraries. It also enables immediate changes. Performance dates are made available on the website without any additional editing. This includes dates, times, venue address, box office numbers, social media tags and a map with pins indicating the location of each performance.

The applications were written using the React framework which means they function like an "app" within a web browser. The back end of the system is managed by Climbing Turn's Merlin Data Engine which is responsible for data security, data API and all data management on the server.

The Outcome

The new systems offer greater efficiency for organisations managing tours and events, specifically involving:

• Project Management - the ability to set up a project and assign personnel to it.
• Scheduling - a calendar system to book events, accommodation, travel, equipment and other events for each project. 
• Finances can be managed - including the issuing of invoices.
• Contact Management - includes a database of venues, accommodation, people, local authorities - in fact anyone they need to deal with.
• Personnel Management - including assigning team members to events and personal calendars.
• Performance Listings - the website is updated instantly as show dates are entered to the calendar system.
• Arts Council - provides reports in the required format for Arts Council funding submissions.

As well as saving time for the team, information is more easily accessed by everyone involved with touring productions, outreach programmes and corporate events.

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