What is a Hire Out?

A hire out is an event at a venue that is organised, marketed and run by an external client renting the space, while the venue provides the room, building operations and agreed services. Hire outs range from promoter-led gigs to conferences, weddings, galas and community events.

How a hire out works

A typical hire out moves through these steps:

  1. Enquiry: the client asks about a date and space, and the venue places a date hold.
  2. Contract: a hire agreement sets the hours, rooms, fees and whether it's a dry hire or wet hire.
  3. Advancing: the venue collects the client's schedule, suppliers, risk assessment and technical needs.
  4. Event day: the client runs the event while the venue's duty manager, technicians and security look after the building and safety.
  5. Close-out: after load-out, the venue checks the space and invoices any extra charges.

Venues taking many hire enquiries need them all in one place, which is why many collect hire requests through forms in Crescat.

Hire out vs in-house promotion

In a hire out, the external client books the content, sells the tickets and carries the financial risk. In in-house promotion, the venue books, funds and markets the event itself, taking the risk and the profit. Many venues run a mix of both.

What a hire agreement usually covers

  • Access times, including get-in, event and load-out
  • Rooms and facilities included
  • Hire fee, deposit and payment terms
  • Staff and equipment included, or charged as extras
  • Bar arrangements, such as a minimum spend
  • Insurance, licensing conditions and house rules

Frequently asked questions

How do venues make money from hire outs?

Through a flat hire fee, a share of ticket sales, bar income or a minimum bar spend, and recharges for extra staff and equipment. The mix depends on the venue and the type of event.

Who is responsible for ticketing on a hire out?

Usually the client. Some venues insist that tickets are sold through their own box office, taking a fee per ticket, while others let the client use any ticketing platform.

What is a promoter hire?

A promoter hire is a hire out where an external promoter rents the venue to put on a show or club night. The promoter books the act and sells the tickets, and the venue provides the room and staff.

Related terms