What Does a Tour Manager do.

Touring provides an invaluable revenue stream for performance artists and crucial to putting a good tour together is the tour manager. The tour manager is usually someone contracted by the artist’s management team and could be an independent freelancer or a professional touring agency. What are the key elements required for a good tour manager.

Essentially a project manager the tour manager should be the backbone of the touring artist’s operation. They are responsible for ensuring that a tour runs smoothly and efficiently allowing an artist to focus on their performance with all the behind-the-scenes details being handled by the tour manager. 

Planning and Scheduling. 
The tour manager works closely with the artist’s management teams to produce a workable itinerary based on the agreed dates and venues that may include a mix of concert halls and festivals. Once the dates and venues have been agreed the tour manger can start planning the travel arrangements and contracting crew members like sound and light technicians and security staff. Close communication with venue staff is essential to ensure that technical backline specs and riders are sent in a timely manner. 

Budgeting. 
The artist’s management team will usually specify a budget allowance for a tour, and it is the tour manager's job to keep within this budget. Costs can easily get out of hand if not closely monitored and will usually include travel and accommodation, meals, equipment rental and crew wages. In some cases, the tour manager may also be responsible for managing revenue streams like merchandise and ticket sales. 

Day to Day Logistics.
Accurate booking of travel and accommodation is essential to ensure that everyone and everything arrives at the right place at the right time. The tour manager will often have to deal with unexpected hiccups so there will always be an element of dynamic problem solving required to find satisfactory solutions. 

Communication.
The success of a touring manager is based on meticulous communication with the numerous parties involved with the tour. Their primary responsibility is likely to include the artists and crew ensuring that needs and preferences are being catered for. Communication with venues is key to ensure that all backline equipment meets the needs of the artists and that sound checks are completed on time without any issues. The tour manager must also keep up a regular dialogue with the artist’s management team and any promoters to keep them appraised of how the tour is progressing along with identifying any issues, alterations or media opportunities. 

Promotional Activity. 
The tour manager may be responsible for various promotional activity whilst on tour and this could include facilitation for local media interviews to maximise media buzz around a tour. The tour manager may also have to liaise between the artists and VIPs who have paid for a personalised meet and greet after a performance. This can require a certain amount of diplomacy as artists may be too tired to be cordial. 

For festival and event organisers planning their events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering. 

Image by StockSnap via Pixabay

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