A tour manager's responsibilities begin long before the touring act even hits the road. Generally, a tour manager will receive the talent's itinerary before travel begins. Depending on the size and budget of the tour, a tour manager's duties can range from chauffeur to babysitter and can include all sorts of minute and time-consuming jobs. Once a tour manager receives an approved budget, he must plan how the band will use and account for the money. The tour manager will report expenses incurred to either the record label or someone in an accounting position on behalf of the label. A tour manager is also responsible for calculating the costs for crew wages, per diems (amount given to traveling artists on a "per day" basis for incidentals and personal use), accommodation, transport, sound, lighting and video equipment, visas and work permits, rehearsal times and spaces.
Travel plays a big role in touring. Depending on the popularity and budget of the talent, the modes of transportation can range from broken-down old vans and rented trailers to luxurious tour buses and, in some instances, glamorous private jets. A tour manager is responsible for planning the most efficient routes for driving and is sometimes called upon to share in the actual driving in the absence of a professional driver. The tour manager will calculate time and distance (along with factors such as fuel consumption) while keeping to the talent's itinerary and making sure the act not only reaches the venue but does so in a timely fashion. The tour manager oversees many aspects of the talent's traveling schedule: booking adequate hotels, ensuring timely departures, paying accommodation bills, setting hospitality and technical arrangements (this can include a number of tasks such as checking that the venue's sound and lighting systems meet the talent's specifications, as well as meeting the artist's personal requests), settling performance fees with venue promoter and having those fees paid, overseeing the setting up of merchandising booths and many other small details.
A tour manager also coordinates promotional aspects of a tour. The manager receives notice of any promotional appearances for which the talent is booked between, before and after shows and ensures that the act arrives at these events on time. These events include "meet and greets" with fans, press conferences, interviews, local radio and television appearances, in-store appearances, contests and giveaways. The tour manager will work with the promoters to set up these events to promote the shows and help drive ticket sales.
A tour manager must be ready for all possibilities while out on the road. While a lot of the job involves preparation, problems may arise while touring; a good tour manager relies on her ability to react, adapt and, in many cases, improvise in the event of unforeseen problems. These problems include dealing with lost or damaged gear and luggage; mediating artists' disagreements; occasionally working as a fill-in roadie, sound engineer or lighting coordinator; replacing broken or damaged instruments; and acting as caterer or general babysitter.