Just about every organization desires to develop long-term patron commitment. But what does long-term patron commitment actually require? What are the implications regarding traditional organizational structure? Is it possible to engage artistic leadership in the process without compromising artistic goals? What are the implications regarding community engagement strategies and sponsorships? Is there such a thing as Patron Progression? What are the essentials of a comprehensive Audience Engagement plan? Is the traditional arts business model still applicable? Are usual benchmarks for success misguiding? This presentation addresses the above issues with recent examples from the industry that have resulted in inspired success.

MORNING INTENSIVE: Changing the Paradigm Through Next-Generation Collaboration Strategies Presented by Patron Technology

In today’s highly saturated market, communicating with your core audience can make the difference between lost opportunities and maximizing revenue to achieve organizational success. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology has become the new norm in managing communication and aggregating patron data. This session will explore the power and value of CRM technology, social media, e-marketing and mobile technology, and will address best practices in managing customer information to build a more vibrant, loyal, successful and powerful brand for your market.

As marketing resources are becoming more and more limited due to new economic realities, marketers must find innovative and creative ways to reach target audiences to grow brand impact in the market. Creating alliances with businesses who hold parallel values and have a strong interest in reaching an arts audience opens the door to the development of strategic partnerships in the community. This session, led by Andrew Flatt, Sr. Vice President of Marketing for Disney Theatrical, will explore Disney Theatrical’s recent experience in promotional partnerships and discuss how partnership marketing can be highly scalable and play a strategic role in building organizational brand success.

Is your audience "graying?" Are you constantly looking for ways to attract younger patrons? The answer might be sitting in your office right now. The next-generation of arts marketers is ready to take charge, and they're waiting to be given the chance. This session is for everyone: long-time veterans trying to improve ticket sales, mid-career managers trying to figure out how to work with a bunch of new entry-level kids and, of course, the "millennial," perhaps trying to shed the label and prove themselves. We'll talk about specific ideas for reaching a younger audience, how to adapt your marketing approach to appeal to a wider range of patrons, and how to make room for emerging leaders to be heard.

Hear from luminaries at top arts organizations as they discuss the keys to keeping and upgrading audiences and donors, followed by Q&A and an exchange of ideas and best practices. Following the panel discussion, mingle with the stars in person at the Welcome Reception.

Have you ever wondered why movie trailers are so effective at generating a powerful audience response? Why are some even more entertaining than the movies that they advertise? Learn how to apply some of the same principles used in movie marketing while producing video promos for the performing arts.

Through a series of case studies with promos for Center Theatre Group, New York City Center, Paper Mill Playhouse, Goodspeed Musicals, national tours and more you will learn the secrets behind making promos that inspire audiences - even when you have no elements to work with and nothing to shoot.

During this session, you will have an opportunity to brainstorm and share ideas while finding creative solutions to video marketing objectives.

As the venerable New York Public Library entered their Centennial Year, Susan Halligan, then Director of Marketing, and Clint White, President of WiT Media, their advertising agency partner, started to conceptualize a multi-platform campaign that would best raise awareness, create demand, and position the Library in a way that would prepare them for the next 100 years. At once simple and ultra complex , the experience provided Halligan and White, along with their teams, a multitude of learnings that they will discuss with conference delegates in this case study format that will offer takeaways applicable to organizations of all shapes and sizes, especially in the areas of social media leverage, online and mobile marketing, promotion development, media partnerships, and content integration.

There are a myriad of marketing programs and initiatives that can be deployed to promote a season of performing arts and entertainment events to audiences in any community. Many arts organizations may lack the internal resources and expertise necessary to navigate this landscape and ensure that its direct marketing initiatives are effectively addressing the mission of the operation and supporting the financial objectives of the required sales effort. This session will provide a step-by-step overview on how to create an effective marketing plan for your operation and how to fluidly adjust that plan when market conditions force a change in your organization’s overall financial operation.

Patron engagement is the goal of every arts organization – and a blog makes frequent and solid engagement possible! Did you know that 70% of companies that publish articles 2-3 times per week have acquired a new customer through their blog? And that the new rules for search optimization (SEO) look for constantly changing content and interaction on your site?

If your organization’s Blog needs to get off the ground or get out of a boring rut, this session is for you. Most of us delve into blogging with good intentions and set up the site, expecting that it would evolve on its own. But without targeted help and a plan, it can all go stagnant.

We’ll do case studies, look at how to create fresh content without overwhelming you or your staff, and provide many ideas that you may be missing. You have a lot to say – stories, photos, ever-changing events – find out how to use your uniqueness as an organization to better engage with your community and patrons. Get simple tools that will help any size organization take it to the next level with this resource-driven session.

Learning Objectives:

• Setting up or refreshing your blog site – design tips
• How to get fresh content without exhausting your staff
• Creating or improving your organization’s blog and getting people to read it
• Engage your fans and followers through multiple formats
• Optimizing your blog for search results

No matter what your resources are, this seminar will ground you in the basics for developing and implementing an effective digital strategy during a period of rapid change in technology and consumer behavior. You will learn how to plan and prioritize digital projects and how to begin developing your own working 2-3 year roadmap, guiding you to develop robust and successful initiatives.

Participants will discuss how to integrate a digital media plan into your institutions; who the key players are in developing a digital strategy and how to address various perspectives about digital initiatives in your organization; some of the common internal hurdles and misperceptions about digital initiatives; and strategies for implementation around staffing, accountability and metrics.

The Internet is driving consumer choice and has put patrons in control. They experience your brand on their own terms and are driven more by convenience and choice than loyalty. To compete for their attention and ultimately their dollars, arts organizations must create engaging, conversion-oriented experiences that turn visitors into buyers and produce measurable results. In this session, learn a simple step-by-step plan to

• Create and implement a comprehensive digital marketing strategy
• Transform your website into a marketing and conversion tool
• Integrate and optimize your digital channels such as email, social media, mobile, search, and offline
• Track, measure, and improve results

All arts organizations struggle with the same ongoing challenge: How do we cultivate loyal patrons and develop future audiences? As technology like mobile and social continue to become more integrated into daily life, a multitude of new channels for patron engagement are introduced. In the wake of so many engagement options, it’s easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees.

With so many choices, it’s critical for arts organizations to begin by clearly defining their organizational vision. What is the ideal patron experience we strive to deliver? How can we stay true to this vision at each touch point with patrons and potential patrons? From your staff, to your website and social media presence, to your live events and your reputation in your local community, consistency and excellence are key. In this talk, we’ll discuss key considerations for defining and executing on your vision for delivering an exceptional patron experience -- from first engagement, to your event, and beyond.

Telemarketing is an essential channel for sales and gifts at arts organizations. But it is also one of the most expensive marketing tools. If you are not currently running a campaign here are the nuts and bolts of how to do it; and do it well. If you are already running an in-house program, learn how to maximize your results. Telemarketing is the only channel that actively interacts with your patrons. Done correctly and efficiently, it can provide a steady and significant revenue stream, a great deal of information on patron activity and preferences and – actually – generate good will.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is common jargon in the web world. First, we’ll review analytics and track what those numbers mean. Then, we’ll select examples to explain what it takes to impact site traffic – and how you can make it work for your organization. We’ll talk about key words, links, social bookmarking and things you need to know and can do tomorrow.

Arts organizations of all sizes constantly battle to stay top-of-mind, feel fresh, and be in-demand, despite limited resources in a fiercely competitive marketplace and challenging fundraising climate. Suzette Sherman, Director of External Affairs and Member Relations at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, in Washington DC, and Clint White, President of WiT Media, their advertising and marketing partner, faced this in tandem as they prepared for the museum’s 25th anniversary in 2012.

Together they conceptualized and executed an integrated, multi-platform campaign that they will share with the audience, while drawing parallels to other marketing challenges which everyone faces. The end result of their campaign was increased public awareness, attendance and institutional traction. Integrating marketing messages with those in the museum’s national membership and fundraising program further lifted revenue.

This case study session will provide insights and take-aways on how to seize an institutional opportunity, blend it with exhibition or programmatic communication and fundraising efforts to maximize marketing success.

You have a mobile presence on the web – that is no longer a question. The questions are how does that mobile presence reflect your brand…and how does it function for your visitors? In this session, we’ll start with the basics of mobile interfaces and terminology. Then we’ll discuss responsive vs. case responsive designs, wrappers and how these choices impact functionality, impression and your visitor experience. If you have questions about your mobile interface, please email lamae@dreamwarrior.com and we will address your situation in the presentation.

Corporations can be significant partners for non-profit organizations, the benefits of which range from increased fundraising to audience development. In today’s market where budgets are tight, and corporations are re-defining philanthropy and their marketing goals, how do the arts stay active and relevant?

In this workshop we’ll discuss the latest ways to create successful, long-term corporate relationships and sponsorships that are mutually beneficial and targeted for a competitive sponsorship marketplace. Topics will include the different streams of corporate engagement in the arts, the best practices for a robust corporate philanthropy/marketing program, and engaging corporations as arts patrons.

Strengthen your efforts to build a more inclusive organization by attending this session. What are the goals, methods and measuring tools of a successful program? Building more multicultural and multigenerational audiences by making personal connections, using the media in innovative ways, and partnering with diverse organizations are just some of the topics that will be covered.

Donna Walker-Kuhne, will share case studies on the application of marketing tools to build diverse audiences. The presentation will include strategic marketing for theaters, museums, opera and dance companies.

Increasingly, patrons are buying tickets later and later and as a result, savvy marketers know they have to continue to market right up until the show starts. How best to deal with this “last minute world”? Two marketing veterans who are addressing this at a top New England theater will discuss challenges that include how to best deploy limited resources: what are the top ways to market to “lookalikes” using multi-platforms with evolving degrees of effectiveness and that range from print to digital and from street marketing to social media. Get ready for a highly interactive presentation/conversation on this important topic!

Whether you are working at a theatre or another type of arts organization, you can take advantage of Theatre Communications Group’s Audience (R)evolution initiative. In partnership with the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, it’s designed to explore the range of successful strategies theatres are deploying to build audiences and engage diverse communities in their work. The program includes a comprehensive research component of the field to find unique case studies and an audience survey to gauge the public’s reaction to audience engagement techniques. Culminating in a grant program for new and innovative ideas from theatres and a widely disseminated assembly of case studies, Audience (R)evolution aims to educate and inform the field on new and exciting ideas to energize arts communities nationwide.

TCG Managing Director, Kevin E. Moore and other TCG staff will be on hand to discuss the program, what we’ve learned so far and how you can reap the benefits of the information TCG is collecting.

Venues today are saturated in data collected from a multitude of sources – both internal and external. Bringing all of this data together quickly and easily to solve sales, marketing and finance problems can transform your organization’s total effectiveness and efficiency, bringing your costs down and revenue up.

This session will look at the emerging world of “Theatre Business Intelligence (BI)” by reviewing some of the tools and capabilities available in the marketplace today. Market segmentation, demand-based pricing or scaling, forecasting, promotion measurement and more are being supported through next-generation data aggregation and “Theatre BI” systems. Duncan Webb will review options for maximizing sales, marketing and operational efficiency through the adoption of a data-driven decision-making culture.

In the arts and culture field, transitions to new leadership happen often. They can be exciting times of hope, anticipation, and organizational renewal. Or they can be stressful times of indecision, negative inward focus, and stagnation. Too often, nonprofit arts and culture organizations fail to plan for transitions and thus can find they are ill-prepared when their Executive Director announces that he/she has taken a new position or when their Artistic Director informs the Board that he/she will retire after next season.

How can your organization be prepared to leverage important opportunities, address major challenges, and maximize earned and contributed revenues while minimizing costs during a major leadership transition? Whether you are planning for an imminent change in leadership or not, this is the session that will get you ready for one when the time comes. You will learn from a panel of colleagues about the strategies, tools, and resources they used in order to successfully steer and grow their organizations during a challenging leadership transition.

Is your organization’s pricing strategy focused only on the cost of admission? Developed in just one department? This 90-minute workshop is designed to show your leadership team how much more there is to consider and to gain. High-impact pricing generates positive perception, improved patron loyalty, and greater revenue for every admission or seat sold.

Jill Robinson, President of TRG Arts, the consulting firm that pioneered dynamic pricing and demand management in the arts, will open the session with a short quiz. You’ll evaluate your organization’s pricing approach. Then, hear from Jill how best pricing practices can earn double-digit revenue increases when your management and staff play the right roles. Take home new ideas for effective pricing leadership, decision-making, and staff team participation.

Arts organizations typically respond to threats to funding by citing myriad studies about the economic benefits of the arts, and we defend arts education because it helps students perform better in other subjects. But are these the only accepted arguments for support of the arts or just the only ones we offer? Too often, we leave by the wayside the arts’ unique ability to bring pleasure, create empathy and social bonds, and other benefits that are intrinsic to the arts. This session will help you determine the best arguments to use in making the case for support of your arts organization.

Discount ticket services are plentiful; each one has its own secret sauce. This session will help you know what to look for when considering your options. We’ll explore such questions as: What patron information does the service provide to the venue? What type of customer is apt to buy from the service? Does the service build loyalty through special offers? How does the service work with the venue to support sales? What are the service’s customers looking for? and much more.

Every arts and cultural organization needs to raise more money. Recurring funds are most often secured through peer-to-peer efforts, but it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract board members who can fully commit to helping in this endeavor. These days, building a board that is engaged in fundraising is often viewed as important yet impractical. So the staff retrenches and with the help of one or two board members, works to grow the Annual Fund. Is the era of "board leadership in fundraising" obsolete? Absolutely not. In this session, we’ll outline a fresh approach and the practical action steps that your organization can take to build a board and organization that is focused and committed to raising contributed revenue. See firsthand the steps that, over time, will transform your board into becoming highly active in a "relationship-based" fundraising program that not only strengthens the bottom-line but also benefits every part of your organization."

More Breakouts and Panels will be added soon...stay tuned!