At Showpass, we have been talking to event organizers across North America, and there is always one constant in our conversations: the bills for an event start piling up long before the ticket revenue does.
Artist deposits, performance rights, venue holds, marketing and production costs can all come due months before opening night. That gap can force organizers to delay plans, pass on opportunities or rely on expensive financing just to keep a show moving.
That’s why we created Showire. Showire gives eligible event organizers access to upfront capital for approved event expenses, with repayment coming from ticket sales as revenue flows in.
For Dwayne Jackson, President and Co-Executive Producer of Wichita Theatre in Wichita Falls, Texas, that timing matters.
“Cash flow is king in this business.”
Wichita Theatre has produced Broadway-style musicals, concerts and family entertainment for more than 30 years. Its restored 118-year-old theatre and Stage 2 Dinner Theatre welcome approximately 27,000 guests each year. But every production begins spending money well before the first guest walks through the door. Royalties may be due three to six months in advance, sets need to be built, costumes need to be prepared and marketing needs enough time to find the right audience.
“There is a lot of cash that has to go out before the next show opens,” Dwayne says. Even when a production is projected to perform well, organizers still need the cash to get it on stage.
But, event organizers often can't just walk into the bank and ask for the money they need. Traditional lenders often want collateral, years of consistent financials and predictable recurring revenue. Event organizers rarely fit that model. Ticket sales are seasonal, physical assets can be difficult to point to and approval timelines rarely match the deadline for an artist deposit or performance rights payment.
Traditional financing can also add thousands of dollars to an already tight production budget. Showire gives approved organizers another option: access the capital when royalties and production bills come due, then repay it as the show begins generating ticket revenue.
For Wichita Theatre, that flexibility means securing performance rights earlier, building a stronger production schedule and giving the creative team more time to prepare. It also gives marketing a longer runway to reach potential guests before opening night.
Showpass also worked with Wichita Theatre to create a monthly marketing budget designed around its sales cycle.
“Showire combined with the spending account literally saved us in a very rough time,” Dwayne says. “It helped me figure out how to balance cash flow.”
The goal is not simply to cover a bill. It is to give organizers more freedom to pursue the events they believe in without waiting for ticket revenue that has not arrived yet. Sometimes the right artist is available now. The performance rights need to be secured now. The marketing campaign needs to begin now.
Showire helps eligible organizers move when the opportunity strikes.
Explore Showire financing and find out how upfront capital could help you secure your next show.
