The advancing process is essential for gathering preparing an successful show.
You want to gather practical information from external parties, such as tour managers or artists. Instead of finding yourself in endless email chains, Stager allows you to collect technical requirements, hospitality needs, and travel details in one structured place.
How do I start a new advancing form?
You can create an advancing form in two ways:
Navigate to Events - Advancing and click the yellow + New advancing form button.
Start directly within an event by clicking on the Program tab and work in a Program Item. There you will find a button that says: Create new advancing form or you attach an existing advancing form to the program item.
When creating the form, you give it a name, set a Due date, and link it to a Program item. Linking ensures that any information received is automatically synced to your internal event planning.
How can I use advance templates to save time?
If you frequently ask the same questions (e.g., technical riders or dietary requirements), you can create pre-filled advancing forms. Go to Settings - Events - Advance templates to build your standard forms. For each topic in a template, you can add:
Text: Provide instructions or info to the external party.
Question: Ask questions for them to answer.
File: Attach documents for them to download.
Request file: Create an upload field for them to submit riders or documents.
What do the different topic statuses mean?
Similar to a program item, you have topics to cover in an advancing form. An advancing form also includes statuses to help you track progress, each topic within a form has a status:
To do: The topic is added, but the organizer needs to add questions or info.
In progress: The organizer has started adding info but hasn't published yet.
Waiting for response: The form is live, but the external party hasn't replied.
Response received: The external party has submitted their answers.
Completed: The organizer has confirmed the info. The external party can no longer change their answers.
How do I share the advancing link with external parties?
Once your form is ready, click Publish to generate a unique public link. You can send this link via email to your contact person.
Retract publication: Use this if you need to temporarily hide the form to make edits; the link remains the same when you republish.
Archiving: Once the due date passes, the form is automatically moved to the Archive tab to keep your dashboard clean, though the data remains accessible.
You can make the form unavailable at any time by clicking Retract publication. The form will no longer be accessible via the link, but remains visible to you. You can continue editing and Republish it using the same link.
How do I process and sync incoming information?
All completed information appears on the right side of the advancing form. If the form is linked to a Program item, the answers automatically appear under the relevant topic in that item’s Program tab.
This seamless sync ensures that your production team always sees the most up-to-date data. Once the details are finalized, you can use this information to create an Itinerary to share back with the external party.
How to Build the Perfect Advancing Form
A smart, customized advancing form is an event planner's secret weapon. It saves your team from digging through endless email threads and ensures the catering staff, sound engineers, and marketing team have exactly what they need, when they need it.
The goal is to create a seamless digital intake for your artists. Here is a comprehensive guide to structuring your advancing form, complete with best-practice examples to inspire your own setup.
1. General Information
First impressions matter. Start your form with welcoming your act.
Say hello: Welcome the act, list the date of the show, and express your excitement.
Set the clock: Clearly state the deadline for submitting the form so your team can lock in rentals and staffing.
Lay down the house rules: Use this space for important venue policies. For example, if you are a plastic-free venue that provides filtered backstage water, tell them to bring reusable bottles.
Provide an out: Give them a direct email to your Production Manager for any urgent questions that the form does not cover.
2. Schedule
Do not wait until the week of the show to realize their soundcheck overlaps with your staff dinner. Get a baseline itinerary approved early.
Propose the flow: Present a list of proposed timings and ask the artist to confirm them.
The essentials: Propose or ask for their expected arrival, soundcheck, dinner time, show time, set length, and curfew.
Next steps: Remind them that the final, locked schedule will be sent via their Stager Itinerary closer to the event date.
3. Contacts
When load-in gets chaotic, you do not want to be calling a booking agent who is three time zones away.
Your team: List your venue's key players. Include your in-house booker for contract questions , your production lead for logistics , your marketing lead for press , and your technical lead.
Their team: Request the mobile numbers and emails of their core traveling party. Specifically, ask for the Tour Manager and FOH engineer.
The failsafe: Always ask for an emergency contact in case the tour manager is not answering.
4. Technical Specs
Help your engineers help the band. Be upfront about your venue's technical realities and gather their requirements in one neat package.
Set boundaries: Inform them of any audio limits, like operating at a maximum of 105 dBA.
Gather the files: Provide an upload field and ask for their current Tech rider, Stage Plot, Input List, and Lighting Patch.
5. Hospitality
A well-fed crew is a happy crew. Streamline your backstage catering by gathering precise dietary info.
Dinner plans: State when you typically serve food, such as a hot meal 2 hours before the program starts.
Dietary needs: Explicitly ask them to list all allergies (Vegan, GF, Nut-free) and note that you take cross-contamination seriously.
The rider: Give them an upload field for their hospitality rider. Ask them to highlight any absolute "deal-breaker" items you should prioritize.
6. Travel & Accommodation
If your venue is in a busy urban area, parking is likely a puzzle. So it's good to prepare your act for what they might run into.
The convoy: Ask for the total number of vehicles (e.g., 1x Nightliner, 2x Sprinters).
The footprint: Request the license plates and exact dimensions (length/height) to reserve the right bay space.
Power & Permits: Ask if they require shore power (16A or 32A CEE) and if any vehicles will remain overnight, which might require local council permits.
The hotel: If you are booking their stay, ask for a rooming list with the exact number of single and twin rooms needed. Clearly communicate the standard check-in and check-out times.
The headcount: Get a total headcount broken down by Band, Crew, Management, and Drivers for backstage access control.
7. Finance, Promo & Merch
Wrap up the admin work so everyone can focus on the music.
The contract: Lay out the performance fee and tax treatment. Provide the Performance Contract for them to download, sign, and upload back to you.
The hype: Ask for a link to their EPK, high-res photos, and vertical video assets. Check if they are open to a Day-of-Show IG Story takeover.
The merch desk: Let them know your standard merch footprint (e.g., 3m x 1m) and ask them to specify if they need custom placement.
The guest list: Let them know how many guest list spots are reserved for their party (e.g., 10 spots) and explain that they can manage these names directly via their Stager Itinerary.