Optimising Tour Management with Vectorworks Spotlight

Tour management has evolved significantly, according to industry veteran Steve Lemon. When Lemon started his career, the fusion of design, management, and technology seemed futuristic. Now, it's standard practice. Discover how Vectorworks Spotlight can simplify tour management.

Managing Cost, Schedule, & Space on Tour

Steve Lemon, who has worked with Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Jay-Z, Prince, and U2, first used Vectorworks Spotlight back in the day during the Woodstock 1994 festival. Many of his colleagues were using design software, which made Lemon realise its potential to enhance his work and professionalism.

"Seeing other companies' presentations made me realise I had to step up my game," Lemon said. Since then, it's become essential to his workflow. A crucial part of Lemon's approach is reducing friction in tour management, focusing on three main areas: cost, schedule, and space.

Let's examine these areas and see how Vectorworks Spotlight can assist in your tour management efforts.

Cost

Budgeting is a critical concern for any tour manager. It's your responsibility to ensure the tour remains within budget. Proper tracking of your tour's equipment, for instance, can prevent gear from being left behind. Vectorworks' Equipment Lists offer a unified tracking process, eliminating the errors of manual inventory management. Equipment tracking includes everything from motors and trusses to lights and cables. It covers subparts like safety elements for lighting fixtures and independent items like gaffer tape. Equipment Lists also enable the creation of detailed reports for clients and vendors.

Schedule

Managing time and resources is another major aspect. This involves travel logistics, crew work hours, equipment schedules, and efficient set-up and tear-down. Using Record Formats and the Create Report command in Vectorworks Spotlight helps address these scheduling challenges.

Creating a Record Format for your AV equipment, for example, helps your crew track serial numbers, locations, and costs, saving time at each venue. To create a Record Format, go to your Resource Manager, select New Resource, choose Record Format, and click New Record Format. Name your record, define parameters, and you're set. The Create Report feature allows you to select objects from a drawing, like multiple speakers, and generate a worksheet based on their data. This process aids in effectively communicating project details to your crew and venue staff.

Space

Space management includes ensuring the stage fits the venue, estimating sellable seats, and planning truck loading. Creating a template file for your show can help you adjust for each venue without altering the original file.

Data visualization is also useful for truck loading. It allows you to illustrate object data without redrawing attributes. This helps your crew quickly understand and communicate information about your packs, such as weight, spec number, or packing order. It can also help determine the number of trucks needed.Reducing friction in cost, schedule, and space planning can make your tour run smoothly. Efficiently managing truck loading, venue logistics, and crew tasks can cut down set-up times, potentially adding more tour dates and increasing profits.

"There was a time when bands had to meet designers in person, look at physical models, and wait for revisions. Now, we do real-time 3D edits over the internet. It's faster, with less travel and fewer resources. The combination of art and commerce makes it a fun business," Lemon said with a smile.

For those eager to optimise their tour management experience, check out Vectorworks Spotlight now

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