Tour Theme

Customise your tour's visual appearance with a custom main colour, header image with padding controls, sparkle effects, and background images. Themes apply to customer-facing dialogs, modals, and emails. Tour themes automatically apply to all associated events following hierarchy: event theme → tour theme → organisation theme. Preview shows how your theme appears to customers.

Overview

The Tour Theme section lets you establish a unified visual identity for your entire tour. When customers book any event within the tour, they see consistent branding that reinforces the production's identity.

At its simplest, the tour theme answers one question: How should my production look to customers across all tour dates?

Who uses this: Organisers and administrators who manage multi-date productions or touring shows.

Key capabilities:

Set a production-specific colour that appears in booking modals and confirmation emails
Upload tour artwork or show logo that identifies the production
Add optional visual effects like sparkles for festive productions
Create automatic brand consistency across all tour events without configuring each individually

How It Works

At a glance: You enable a tour theme, choose your production's colour and artwork, then all events in the tour automatically inherit that branding.

1. Enable and Configure

You access the Theme section in the Tour Editor and enable custom theming. The preview shows your changes in real-time as you adjust settings.

2. Set Your Visual Identity

You choose a colour that represents your production and upload artwork (typically your show logo). These elements appear in booking modals and customer emails for every tour event.

3. Automatic Application

Once saved, the tour theme applies to all events within the tour. Events inherit this branding unless they have their own event-specific theme override.

4. Ongoing Management

You can update the tour theme at any time, and changes propagate to all tour events immediately.

Think of it this way:

Organisation theme represents your venue's permanent brand identity

Tour theme represents a specific production's visual identity

Event theme handles unique occasions that need individual branding

Each level can override the one above, giving you flexibility without repetitive configuration

Theme Hierarchy

Seaty uses a layered theme system that determines which branding appears on each event:

Priority	Theme Level	When It Applies
Highest	Event Theme	Overrides everything for that specific event
Middle	Tour Theme	Applies to all tour events without their own theme
Lower	Organisation Theme	Fallback for events outside tours
Lowest	Default Theme	Professional blue when no custom theme exists

Why this hierarchy? It lets you set branding once at the appropriate level and have it cascade down, whilst still allowing overrides for special occasions.

When Tour Themes Apply

Event has its own theme? The event theme takes priority
Event has no theme? The tour theme applies automatically
Tour has no theme? The organisation theme applies instead

When to Use Tour Themes

Tour themes work best for:

Touring productions visiting multiple venues with consistent branding
Multi-date runs requiring unified identity across performances
Seasonal series like Christmas pantomimes or summer festivals
Distinct event categories needing different visual identity from your standard programming

Example: A touring production of "The Wizard of Oz" visits eight venues. The organisation's standard branding applies to regular shows. The tour theme uses emerald green with yellow brick road imagery, applying automatically to all eight dates. The final gala receives an event-specific gold theme, overriding the tour theme for that one occasion.

Key Features

Main Colour Selection

The tour colour establishes the visual identity for all events in your tour:

Where It Applies:

Modal headers - Top banner of all booking dialogs for tour events
Background gradients - Subtle radial gradient effect behind content
Button styling - Confirmation and action buttons throughout purchase journey
Email headers - Consistent tour branding in all confirmation emails

Choosing Your Tour Colour:

Use the colour picker to select a colour that represents your tour's character:

Production-specific - Match key artwork or thematic elements (emerald green for Wizard of Oz, red velvet for drama)
Genre-appropriate - Consider colour psychology for your production type
Accessibility - Ensure sufficient contrast against white text for readability
Consistency - Use colours from your tour's promotional materials and posters

Tour Colour Strategy:

Unlike organisation themes (which represent your venue's permanent brand), tour themes can be more creative and production-specific. Choose colours that enhance the tour's identity rather than maintaining strict corporate standards.

Header Image Management

Tour header images appear at the top of modals and emails for all events within the tour, establishing immediate production recognition.

Recommended Specifications

Width: 500 pixels (optimised for modal display)
Height: Under 400 pixels (maintains compact dialogs)
Format: PNG with transparent background (professional appearance)
File size: Under 200KB (ensures fast loading)
Content: Tour logo, production artwork, or show branding (not venue/organisation logo)

Tour-Specific Header Considerations

What Works Well:

Production logos - Show title treatment from your poster design
Key artwork - Recognisable imagery from promotional materials
Tour branding - Unified visual identity across all tour dates
Show typography - Distinctive fonts and styling that identify the production

What to Avoid:

Venue-specific branding - Tour themes should represent the show, not individual venues
Date-specific information - The header appears on all tour events, so avoid references to single dates
Complex photographic images - Simple, bold graphics work better at small sizes

Adding a Tour Header Image

Prepare your tour artwork at 500px width
Click Add Image in the toolbar
Browse and select your image file
The image uploads and appears in the preview
Adjust padding controls to fine-tune positioning

Adjusting Header Padding

Control the spacing around your tour imagery:

Padding X - Horizontal spacing (left and right)
Padding Y - Vertical spacing (top and bottom)
Increment: 5 pixels per click
Starting value: 0px (no padding when first uploaded)
Recommended range: 10-30 pixels works well for most tour artwork

Best Practice: Header images start with 0px padding when first uploaded. Tour artwork often has built-in spacing as part of the design, but most look best with 10-20px padding added using the padding controls. Increase if the image feels cramped against the edges.

Removing a Header Image

Click Clear header in the toolbar
The system removes the image and resets padding to default
Your tour colour remains applied

Background Images (Advanced)

Background images are an advanced feature that can enhance tour branding when used carefully. They display as repeating patterns behind modal content for all tour events.

Important Considerations:

Background images repeat seamlessly across entire modals
Keep file sizes very small (under 50KB) for performance
Use subtle, low-contrast patterns that enhance rather than overwhelm
Test thoroughly to ensure text remains clearly legible

Effective Tour Background Use Cases:

Thematic textures - Subtle star patterns for space-themed productions
Seasonal atmosphere - Light snowflakes for Christmas shows
Genre enhancement - Aged paper texture for period dramas
Abstract patterns - Geometric designs that complement production aesthetics

When to Avoid:

Busy patterns that compete with content
High-contrast images that reduce text legibility
Large file sizes that slow loading times
Most standard touring productions (solid colours look more professional)

Sparkle Effect

The sparkle effect adds animated sparkle particles to tour event modals, creating a magical, celebratory atmosphere across all tour dates.

When to Enable Sparkles for Tours

Ideal Tour Types:

Pantomimes - Christmas pantos and family entertainments
Children's shows - Productions specifically targeting young audiences
Festive tours - Christmas concerts, holiday shows
Musical celebrations - Upbeat, high-energy touring musicals

When to Avoid Sparkles

Not Suitable For:

Serious drama - Plays and productions with dramatic or emotional content
Classical performances - Opera, orchestral concerts, traditional theatre
Corporate tours - Business events or professional conferences
Adult-oriented productions - Most standard touring theatre

Tour-Wide Impact: Remember that enabling sparkles affects every event in the tour. Only enable if the sparkle effect enhances the experience for the majority of tour dates.

Configuring Your Tour Theme

Enabling and Choosing Colours

Open your tour in the Tour Editor and select Theme from the side menu. Click Enable to activate custom theming, then select a colour that represents your production.

Why production-specific colours matter: Unlike organisation themes (which represent your permanent venue brand), tour themes can be more creative. Choose colours that match your show's poster, set design, or costume palette.

Colour suggestions by genre:

Genre	Suggested Approach
Musicals	Bright, energetic colours (red, purple, gold)
Drama	Sophisticated, muted tones (deep blue, burgundy)
Children's shows	Primary colours, bright and welcoming
Classical	Elegant, traditional colours (navy, maroon, emerald)

Adding Tour Artwork

Upload your production logo or show artwork (500px wide, PNG with transparency recommended). Use imagery customers will recognise from your promotional materials.

Why consistent artwork matters: When customers see the same branding in booking modals and confirmation emails as they saw on posters, it reinforces trust and helps them identify the production.

After uploading, adjust padding using the controls:

Padding X controls horizontal spacing
Padding Y controls vertical spacing
Each click adjusts by 5 pixels
Most artwork looks best with 10-20px padding

Note: Header images start with 0px padding when first uploaded. Add padding if your artwork feels cramped against the edges.

Choosing Visual Effects

The sparkle effect adds animated particles for a festive atmosphere. Enable it for pantomimes, Christmas shows, and children's entertainment. Most other tours should use the standard option.

Why be selective with sparkles? Sparkles affect all events in the tour. They enhance festive productions but can feel inappropriate for drama, classical performances, or adult-oriented theatre.

Reviewing and Saving

The preview updates in real-time. Before saving, verify:

Text is readable against your chosen colour
Artwork looks professional and recognisable
The close button doesn't overlap important elements
The overall presentation matches your promotional materials

Click Save to apply the theme to all tour events.

Tour Theme vs Organisation Theme

Understanding the Distinction

Organisation Theme:

Represents your permanent venue or company brand
Conservative, professional colours and standard logo
Applied to regular programming and standard events
Rarely changes except during rebranding

Tour Theme:

Represents a specific production or event series
Creative, production-specific colours and show artwork
Applied only to events within that tour
Changes with each new tour or production

Strategic Use of Both

Example Scenario: Regional Theatre

The Riverside Theatre operates year-round programming:

Organisation Theme:

Deep blue colour representing their established brand
Riverside Theatre logo (their permanent identity)
Applied to: One-night events, workshops, community programming, standard repertory

Christmas Pantomime Tour Theme:

Festive red and gold colours
"Jack and the Beanstalk" production logo
Sparkle effect enabled
Applied to: 40 performances across December and January

Summer Shakespeare Tour Theme:

Forest green and cream colours
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" typography
Elegant, classical presentation
Applied to: 12 outdoor performances in June and July

Spring Musical Tour Theme:

Vibrant purple and yellow
"Grease" lightning bolt logo
Energetic, youthful styling
Applied to: 20 performances in March and April

Result: Consistent venue branding for regular events, with distinctive, production-appropriate branding for major touring productions and seasonal series.

When to Use Each

Use Organisation Theme When:

Events are one-offs without thematic connection
Standard programming that represents your venue's regular offering
You want simple, consistent branding without production-specific customisation
Events span diverse genres and don't benefit from unified theming

Use Tour Theme When:

Multiple events share a common production identity
The show has distinctive branding that should appear consistently
You're touring a production to multiple venues
Creating a seasonal series with thematic unity (Christmas series, summer festivals)

Managing Multiple Tours

Creating Distinct Tour Identities

When you manage multiple concurrent or overlapping tours, tour themes help customers distinguish between different productions:

Best Practices for Multiple Tours:

Colour Differentiation - Choose distinctly different colours for each tour
Clear Artwork - Use recognisable show logos that immediately identify the production
Consistent Application - Ensure all events in each tour use their respective tour theme
Marketing Alignment - Match tour themes to promotional materials for each production

Tour Categories and Sub-Branding

Consider creating tours for different categories of events, each with appropriate theming:

Example Tour Structure:

"Classical Concert Series" - Elegant navy and gold theme
"Family Shows" - Bright, welcoming colours with sparkles enabled
"Late Night Comedy" - Bold, contemporary colours
"Educational Workshops" - Professional, accessible branding

Each tour's theme automatically applies to its events, creating instant category recognition whilst maintaining your organisation's overall brand through the organisation theme for non-tour events.

Updating Tour Themes

When to Update

During Tour Planning:

Set tour theme before creating individual event dates
This ensures all events inherit the theme from creation

Mid-Tour Updates:

Changes to tour themes apply to all existing tour events immediately
Update if you refresh branding partway through a run
Consider impact on customers who've already received emails with previous branding

Impact of Changes

When you modify a tour theme:

Immediately Updated:

All events within the tour using the tour theme
Future bookings will show new branding
Tour landing page displays updated theme

Not Updated:

Events with event-specific theme overrides
Previously sent emails (customers retain original confirmation emails)
Archived marketing materials

Versioning Strategy

For long-running tours or tours with multiple years:

Major updates - Change tour theme at natural breaks (new year, new season)
Minor tweaks - Make small adjustments (padding, colour refinement) at any time
Consistency - Avoid frequent changes that confuse brand recognition
Communication - If making significant changes, ensure promotional materials align

Testing Your Tour Theme

Comprehensive Testing Process

Before finalising your tour theme, test thoroughly across the complete customer journey:

Desktop Browser Testing

Navigate to one of your tour event pages
Click Buy Tickets to open the date selection modal
Verify tour theme appears correctly in the modal header
Proceed through seat selection (if applicable)
Complete test checkout process
Check confirmation email displays tour branding correctly

Mobile Device Testing

View a tour event on a smartphone
Test the complete booking journey on mobile
Verify tour header image scales appropriately
Check that padding looks correct on small screens
Ensure colours appear accurately on mobile displays

Multiple Event Verification

Test 2-3 different events within the same tour
Verify all show identical tour branding
Check consistency across different venues (if applicable)
Ensure theme works equally well for all tour dates

Email Client Testing

Complete a test purchase for a tour event
Check confirmation email in multiple clients:
- Gmail (most common)
- Outlook
- Apple Mail
- Mobile email apps
Verify tour header image displays correctly
Confirm colours render accurately across all email clients

Cross-Browser Testing

Test in multiple browsers to ensure consistent appearance:

Chrome (majority of users)
Safari (iOS and Mac users)
Firefox
Edge

Tour Landing Page

Visit your tour's dedicated landing page (Seaty.co.uk/Tour/[TourTag])
Verify the tour theme appears correctly on the page
Check that the theme enhances rather than overwhelms tour information
Test responsiveness across different screen sizes

Best Practices

Brand Consistency Across Tour Dates

Maintain Production Identity:

Your tour theme creates the visual thread connecting all events in a multi-date or multi-venue production. Consistency is crucial:

Use the same theme for all events within the tour
Avoid event overrides unless genuinely necessary for a special performance
Align with marketing - Match tour theme colours and imagery to posters, flyers, and social media
Create recognition - Customers should immediately identify the production from the theme

When to Override for Individual Events:

Reserve event-specific theme overrides for genuinely unique occasions:

Opening night gala - Special premium presentation
Charity performance - Co-branding with charity partner
Final performance - Celebratory farewell presentation
Special venue - Prestigious venue requiring adapted branding

For standard performances, maintain tour theme consistency.

Colour Selection for Tours

Production-Specific Colour Strategy:

Unlike organisation themes (which must work for all events), tour themes can be more adventurous and production-specific:

Genre-Appropriate Colours:

Musicals - Bold, energetic colours (red, purple, yellow, hot pink)
Classical drama - Sophisticated tones (deep burgundy, navy, forest green)
Comedy - Bright, approachable colours (orange, teal, warm yellow)
Thriller/mystery - Dramatic, intense colours (black with red accents, deep purple)
Period pieces - Heritage colours appropriate to era (Victorian burgundy, Art Deco gold)
Contemporary drama - Modern, urban colours (charcoal, slate blue, concrete grey)

Colour Psychology for Tours:

Consider the emotional impact of your colour choice:

Red - Energy, passion, excitement (musicals, high-energy shows)
Blue - Trust, calm, professionalism (classical, traditional)
Purple - Creativity, luxury, imagination (fantasy, artistic productions)
Green - Growth, nature, harmony (outdoor shows, environmental themes)
Gold/yellow - Celebration, warmth, optimism (festive, family shows)

Test Against Promotional Materials:

Place your tour theme preview next to your poster design. Do they complement each other? Customers should see visual harmony between your marketing and their booking experience.

Image Optimisation for Tours

Preparing Tour Artwork:

Tour header images serve a different purpose than organisation logos:

Tour Headers Should:

Identify the production - Customers should recognise the show immediately
Match promotional materials - Use the same logo/artwork as posters and flyers
Work at small sizes - Must remain legible and recognisable when displayed in compact modals
Have transparent backgrounds - Blend seamlessly with your chosen theme colour

Optimisation Steps:

Start with your highest quality poster artwork
Extract the show logo or key visual element
Resize to 500px width maintaining aspect ratio
Remove background, creating transparent PNG
Compress the image (target under 200KB)
Test at various sizes to ensure legibility

Common Tour Header Mistakes:

Using full posters - Too much detail, too tall, includes text that's illegible at small size
Photographic backgrounds - Don't remove cleanly to transparent, look unprofessional
Overly complex designs - Lose impact when scaled down to header size
Date-specific information - Tour themes apply to all dates, so avoid "Opening Night!" text

Professional Polish for Touring Productions

Creating Premium Tour Experiences:

Your tour represents significant investment in production, marketing, and logistics. The tour theme should reflect this professionalism:

Visual Quality Standards:

High-resolution artwork - Never use low-quality or pixelated images
Professional colour choices - Avoid garish or unprofessional colour combinations
Balanced composition - Ensure header padding creates harmonious presentation
Consistent application - Theme should appear identical across all tour dates

Brand Alignment:

Marketing consistency - Tour theme must match promotional campaigns
Venue partnerships - Theme should complement (not conflict with) venue branding
Production values - Theme sophistication should reflect show quality
Target audience - Presentation should appeal to your ideal customer demographic

Regular Review:

Review tour theme appearance monthly during long runs
Check for any display issues across venues
Update if promotional materials evolve
Gather feedback from customers and venue partners

Common Questions

Theme Behaviour

Should all events in my tour use the tour theme?

Yes, in most cases. Consistent theming helps customers recognise the production and builds trust that they're booking the same show regardless of date or venue. Reserve event-specific overrides for genuinely unique occasions like opening night galas or charity performances.

Can I change my tour theme after events have started?

Yes. Changes apply immediately to all tour events. Minor adjustments (padding, colour refinement) can happen anytime. For significant changes, consider timing them at natural breaks and ensuring printed materials still align.

What happens to event-specific themes when I add an event to a tour?

Events with existing event-specific themes retain those themes. To use the tour theme instead, open the event in the Event Editor, go to the Theme section, and disable the event-specific theme.

Multi-Venue Tours

What if my tour visits venues with different branding requirements?

Tour themes apply to the ticketing experience (modals, emails), not venue websites or promotional materials. If a specific venue has strict co-branding requirements, you can create an event-specific theme override for performances at that venue.

Can I have multiple tours running simultaneously with different themes?

Yes. Each tour has its own theme. Create separate tours (e.g., "Christmas Panto", "Spring Musical") and configure unique themes for each. Events inherit their tour's branding automatically.

Configuration Choices

How is a tour theme different from setting the same event theme on multiple events?

Tour themes let you configure branding once and have it apply everywhere. If you need to update branding, you change it in one place. Individual event themes require manual updates to each event and risk inconsistency.

Can I use my organisation logo as the tour theme header?

You can, but it defeats the purpose. Tour themes should identify the specific production, not the venue. Use your organisation logo in the organisation theme, and use production artwork in tour themes.

Should I use sparkles for my tour?

Most tours should not. Sparkles work well for pantomimes, Christmas shows, and children's entertainment. For drama, classical performances, and most standard theatre, the standard option looks more professional.

Previewing and Verification

Can I preview how the tour theme looks without saving?

Yes. The preview updates in real-time as you make changes. You see exactly how the theme will appear to customers before committing.

How do I know if my tour events are using the tour theme?

Open any event in the Event Editor and check the Theme section. The system indicates whether the event is inheriting from the tour or using its own theme.

Accessibility Considerations

Colour Contrast

Tour themes can be creative, but accessibility remains essential. Choose colours that provide sufficient contrast against white text.

Why contrast matters: Tours target broad audiences including older patrons with reduced vision, customers viewing on mobile devices in bright sunlight, and people with colour vision differences.

Safe approach: Choose deeper, more saturated versions of your desired colour. Verify readability in the preview before saving. If your ideal colour makes text hard to read, find a close alternative that works better.

Animation Considerations

The sparkle animation creates moving particles. Whilst this enhances festive productions, some audience members may find continuous animation distracting, and individuals with vestibular disorders may experience discomfort from motion.

Why be selective: Enable sparkles only when the production genuinely benefits and your target audience is primarily families and children. For most theatre, drama, and classical performances, the standard option is more appropriate.

Text Legibility

Tour header images often use bold designs. Ensure header elements don't interfere with white text elsewhere in modals, and verify the close button remains visible against your artwork.

Your tour theme colour and imagery don't affect keyboard navigation or screen reader compatibility.

Next Steps

Once your tour theme is configured, continue setting up your tour:

Tour Details - Complete tour name, description, and tour tag
Tour Image - Add main tour poster image for the tour landing page
Events - Add and manage all event dates within your tour
Marketing - Configure Facebook Pixel and promotional settings

Tour landing page: Your tour now has a dedicated page at Seaty.co.uk/Tour/[YourTourTag] where customers can view all tour dates with your custom theme applied.

Need help? Visit our FAQ or contact support for assistance with tour theme configuration.