PLANT-POWERED TOURING 4: Put It In Your Rider
by Emerald Rae
Welcome to the future of sustainable travel! Going veggie is easier than ever and is an effective way to drastically cut down your carbon footprint and keep your energy up on the road. I have been touring-as-vegan for 4 years and wrote this guide to answer some common questions I encounter in my travels.
Here I’ll share some pro tips on how to communicate your needs to the presenter. Feel free to ask me questions at emerald@emeraldrae.com. Photo above: Green room food in Prince Edward Island.
Put It Into Your Hospitality Rider.
Put your dietary restrictions in your contract to avoid confusion on the day, especially if you are vegan or gluten-free. You can check in ahead of time, make sure they got the memo, and answer any questions they may have.
Sample:
Please provide [number] vegetarian/vegan meals. We like to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, grains. Salads and/or hot meals are great. If you have questions, please email foodcontact@ourband.com.
In some cases, you can even request or send an exact recipe. Not always, though.
Ordering By Phone Through A Local Restaurant:
If their menu is limited and not workable, ask if you can hop on the phone when they order and talk to the restaurant yourself. It’s quicker, and easier to request off-the-menu items. If it’s definitely not workable, you can ask for a restaurant change.
Green Room Requests:
-Fruit, nuts, vegetable platter with hummus, popcorn, pretzels, and other healthy items.
-Pitchers of water, no plastic bottles.
-Alcohol is veggie-friendly too! Whoop whoop!
That should do it! Here’s a few things to carry with you...
Cold-Fighting First Aid:
Don’t go to a conference or festival without these!
-Hot Sauce (no joke, I got hot sauce in my bag)
-Green Tea / Throat-soothing tea
-Honey
-Vitamin C from food/juice is better than taking a packet of powder or a pill.
The moral of the story is — you can ask for what you want! Be clear with your expectations and needs up front. Venues and presenters will appreciate your professionalism.
Next Up: Gratitude