Christmas Performer Workshops

Brainstorming August 2016

Santa Brainstorming Session – FORBES Inland Empire, 8/13/2016

(Courtesy of Santa True and Christmas Performer Workshops) – Cat Ellen presents the summary report from the Santa Brainstorming sessions at the FORBES Inland Empire meeting, August 13, 2016. There were five tables with one topic each and all the meeting participants spent ten minutes at each of three tables. Then all the discussion notes were collected and summarized and presented to the group.

(1) I Have a Question…

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  • Behavior
    • Answer door in suit at Halloween?
    • Suit or Attitude?
    • Bleach out of season?
    • Emotions after season?
  • Business
    • Contract issues? Negotiating? Questions & consulting on contracts?
    • Deposits? Retainers? Refunds? Catastrophes?
    • Membership – FORBES, IBRBS, both? differences?
    • Insurance, Background checks, networking
    • Fees? Charity / Pro Bono? Balance?
    • Scheduling & Time Tracking?
  • At the Gig / Event
    • Handling child hecklers, children you know in real life
    • Using Helpers & Assistants
    • Arrange & Announce Breaks
    • How to for Performance Skills
    • Getting workshops, classes, mentors

(2) Things You Should Know (that I learned… the hard way)

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  • Hair Care
    • Use a pro
    • Try the “Santa Seattle Method”
  • Advertising
    • Referrals
  • Be Prepared
    • Common questions
  • Use Time Wisely
  • Health & Preparation
    • Pop top on water bottle
    • Stay hydrated
    • Vitamins
    • Flu shot
    • Zycam
    • Centrum liquid
  • Planned Hydration with Restroom Breaks
  • Business Issues
    • Proper $ to charge (don’t sell yourself short)
    • Balance Pro Bono / Charity with Private
  • Training
    • “Behind the Red Suit” (Tim Connaghan)
  • Clothing
    • interviews in Santa Business
    • Hawaiian shirts
      • JP Maxwell
      • Balboa Island
    • Harlequin Costumes
    • Cool vests and inserts
  • Working With…
    • Kids
      • Listening to names
      • Ask again
    • Special Needs Kids
    • Gloves
      • Can be scary
      • Let kids touch the gloves
  • Resources
    • Clausnet.com
    • Gig Salad
    • Gig Masters
    • Lead Generators
  • Time for Self
    • Don’t take every gig
    • Plan for drive time
    • Time for your family
    • Your own Christmas shopping done early
  • HAVE FUN

(3) The Best Look: Hare Care, Costuming, and Make Up

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  • Beards & Hair
    • Whitening – Lift thru tronics 50, Prism Lite Blue, Shimmer Lotion
    • Softening – Argon Oil while wet
    • Accessories – hair ties
    • Emergency – using peanut butter for bubble gum, chocolate, an adult to wash hands
    • Control – “got 2b glued” for beard / moustache
    • Bleach Issues – home lightening, roots only
  • Costuming
    • Heat / Sweat – glaciertek, coolvest.com
    • Baby Issues – puddle pads
    • Glasses – zennioptical.com
    • Gloves – “vendor for gloves” $78/dozen
  • Make up and Skin care
  • Other Tips
    • Attention Grabbing – blowing bubbles

(4) Mentoring

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  • First time someone called you “Santa”
    • in stores
    • in restaurants
  • Most influential / helpful person for your start
    • Other Santa
    • Other Mrs. Claus
    • Other Santa at local meeting
    • Tim’s School
    • Gordon’s School
    • Get new Santas into a local group
    • Close family and friends – spouse, neighbor, coworker
    • met a Santa
  • Things learned through Mentors
    • Using Gig Masters
    • Searching Google for Santas in your area
    • trying the role of Santa at work
    • filling in for a sick Santa
  • When is it time to stop / retire?
    • Switch to free events
    • Share work, pass to another Santa
    • When mobility is affecting the magic
    • Shift to being a helper

(5) Marketing

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  • Business Cards and Like Promo Materials
    • Places to put cards
      • Hair Salons
      • Laundrymats
      • Free Meal Drawing Jars
      • Coffee Shops
      • Car Washes
      • Car Dealerships
    • Post Cards, Card Services, Sending Flyers
      • Previous clients
      • Day care
      • Schools
      • Libraries
    • Niche locations
      • Animal hospitals
      • Vets
      • Pet adoption agencies
    • Website address on your car
    • Placing cold calls?
  • Websites – Your Own and Other Resources
    • Domain names, Hosting, Software for updates
    • Self designed (DIY), friends, referrals, consultants, hired professionals
    • Classes on this topic
    • costs that are typical versus too much
    • Social Media (and those issues)
      • Twitter, Instagram, Facebook — how to use these, not be overwhelmed, hashtags, website tie-ins
      • How many leads come from various internet resources?
      • Gig Salad, Gig Masters, Lead Generators, Cragslist, LinkedIn – Costs, Problems, Issues, Pros & Cons
  • Contracts and Agents
    • When clients send you a contract, questions, help, how to read, how to negotiate
    • having your own contract template, sending it, negotiating with it
    • how to find agents? which kind? more than one? continue to freelance?
    • getting what you want, getting things in writing
    • events versus commericals, auditions, TV, central casting
  • Changing / Expanding Your Niche
    • Mrs. Claus as a solo act, what Mrs. Claus adds to a joint event, Tea Parties with Mrs. Claus
    • Niche that you love – such as pets (vets, animal hospitals)
    • Events out of season: Christmas in July (clothing in summer?), Leads, Roles that are not Santa but keep beard?
    • One-on-one training for new Santas or new skills
    • Changing from mall Santa to private events