In the past, many of our organizations defined their value proposition by exploiting excellence and scarcity. That era is dying and, to thrive now, we must embrace very different values – the abundance of creativity in our communities and the intimacy so many potential patrons are seeking in shared artistic discovery. To seize these opportunities for new forms of participation, organizations are adapting through innovation, not just extending business-as-usual.

Innovation involves making new connections – within our organizations, between our organizations and, most important, with our patrons and communities. Richard Evans will explore these connections from his experience running innovation programs in the arts nationally. He will focus on new approaches to organizational structure and programming, with examples of how organizations have implemented effective change to strengthen patron relationships.

Hear from luminaries at top companies as they discuss the keys to keeping and upgrading patrons.

Jill Robinson, President of TRG Arts, moderates this panel discussion, followed by an exchange of ideas and best practices. Share what’s working at your company and learn what others across the country are doing. Then, following the panel discussion, mingle with the stars in person at the Welcome Reception!

Moderator: Jill Robinson, President, TRG Arts

Panelists:
Chad Bauman, Director of Communications, Arena Stage
Suzette Sherman, Director of External Affairs and Member Relations, National Museum of Women in the Arts
David Snead, Vice President of Marketing, New York Philharmonic
Karen Girty, Marketing Director, New York City Ballet

Every institution needs a major gift program, whether it be for $1,000 or $100,000 donations. This session will focus on creating a major gift program, techniques for upgrading donors to your major gift level, creating bonds between the institution and the donor, the donation continuum that leads to Board candidacy, and how to turn these major givers into prospective donors to capital and endowment campaigns.

This informative, illustrative case study looks at how the venerable American Symphony Orchestra, in collaboration with its marketing partner WiT Media and artist Jito Lee, has dramatically transformed its image in the face of the multivalent challenges facing arts organizations in the 21st Century. A thorough examination of the strategic considerations, creative process, cautionary tales and specific results will be provided to participants, as well as practical, contemporary tips that can be applied to their specific organizations.

In today’s highly competitive and saturated marketplace, communicating with your core audience in a highly personal manner can make the difference between missed opportunities and maximizing revenue to powerfully achieve your organization’s goals. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology has become the new norm in managing communications and aggregating patron data, while providing a holistic view of a patron’s relationship with your operation. This session will explore the power and value of CRM technology, social media and mobile technology, and address best practices in managing customer data to build a vibrant, loyal and successful brand for your market.

Mobile platforms add a whole new dimension to connecting with your patrons. From the patron’s constant ability to be online to your ability to move your box office to wherever your customer happens to be, performing arts organizations can now drive revenue in more ways than ever. Learn what technologies are now available to sell tickets to your customers with mobile phones, how mobile helps improve tracking of marketing campaigns and how your box office can now easily go to your customer.

This session will cover 1. who are "the blind" (an underserved market); 2. how to offer Audio Description in a live arts setting, with video/film, and on the web; 3. recent legislative and Department of Justice actions regarding arts access.  Audio Description makes the visual images of media, performing arts, and museums accessible for people who are blind or have low vision—the visual is made verbal. Using words that are succinct and vivid, describers convey the visual image that isn't accessible to a significant segment of the public (over 25 million Americans are blind or have trouble seeing even with correction).

For communities to sustain their cultural vibrancy, they cannot afford to ignore any portion of the resources available within the community. Too often, people with disabilities--especially people who are blind or have low vision--are not welcome in a community's cultural institutions simply because programs for them are not accessible meaningfully. Thus, these people are not attending and left culturally disadvantaged. Some form of description (generally in theaters or in museums) is minimally available in about 30 states. Recent legislation mandates description for broadcast television and the Department of Justice actively seeks to ensure access in all public venues. The session will use DVD clips, interactive powerpoint and group discussion to demonstrate how audio description can make performing arts, museums and media accessible; people who are blind or have low vision can then become an integral part of your "sustainable community."

Is Your Video Worth Watching? Does it hold as much entertainment value as the live experience that it's selling? Does it simply announce an event or does it emotionally move the viewer into action?

If not, you're missing what on-screen media can really do for you and your audience. Learn the secrets to creating truly effective marketing video through a series of case studies from New York City Center, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Center Theatre Group, La Jolla Playhouse, Disney Theatricals and many others.

If you feel that you have limited resources with which to create video content, then this session is for you. Learn how you can produce awe-inspiring promos even when you have no images, video or other assets to work with. During this workshop, you will have an opportunity to share ideas and take part in creative brain storming sessions while learning the process of creating the most powerful on-screen content available.

This session will provide you a basic overview of the web terms related to sites and marketing; after the session you should be able to be a more discerning web customer and understand your vendor invoices.

It's no longer workable to develop a web strategy or an email marketing strategy independent of other elements such as print campaigns, direct mail, or telemarketing. The web and digital marketing should be an integral part in the development of your strategies rather than an add-on.

We'll talk about some ways your web strategy can be leveraged to coordinate with organizational and marketing strategies.

The Project Audience initiative is focused on developing technologies to help community-wide arts service organizations improve participation in arts and culture events. Project Audience aims to build awareness and demand and -- at the community level -- increase participation in the arts.

Beginning in 2009 with a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and now in the 4th Phase of its development cycle, Project Audience will begin beta testing a national portal for arts and culture information, exploration, learning and audience engagement. This direct engagement of consumers will facilitate other community and audience development goals as well. The opportunity, along with the overall competitive advantage that Project Audience presents, is to connect and leverage the real power of the arts and culture community, the Internet and new technologies -- thereby creating the de facto online destination for consumers of arts and cultural experiences.

We will discuss what it will be, what it won't be, and how it might impact your audience development aspirations.

Today, with the advent of Groupon, Living Social, Google Deals, Travelzoo, etc. everyone expects a DEAL, even on luxury purchases -- and no one is making any money on them.  Civic Partnerships and Private Offers  provide alternatives that allow arts organizations to keep more of the revenue while behaving as a responsible member of the community and attracting loads of new customers.  Civic Partnerships and Private Offers are service marks of Engaged Audiences LLC.

In the context of today's rapidly shifting media environment, learn current best practices in targeting both existing and prospective new patrons where they gather online, plus how to deliver compelling campaigns that build engagement and result in transactions.

The session will cover a wide spectrum of information from current media consumption statistics and delivery mechanisms to targeting specific audience profiles, integration and tracking results with ticketing platforms to leveraging social media and search engine optimization (SEO).

Learn how to broaden your target audience reach and achieve trackable conversions by integrating display banner advertising, Ad Words campaigns utilizing Google Grants and targeting social platform followers across the internet.

Many of our arts organizations are facing persistent challenges reaching audiences, responding to new technologies, and engaging patrons in deeper relationships to their organizations - all in relative isolation. Until now, there has been no field-wide platform for arts leaders who are finding some success with new strategies to share their experience and insights with colleagues, funders, policy makers and other key stakeholders.

ArtsFwd.org is a new online platform that serves the sector by enabling this kind of true peer-to-peer exchange about how innovative patron development strategies can take root. The site emphasizes the importance of rethinking deep underlying assumptions about your audiences as opposed to making technical fixes. Karina Mangu-Ward, Director of Activating Innovation at EmcArts, will demonstrate the site, which features short documentaries, a monthly podcast with adaptive leaders, and a blog that stimulates field-wide discussion about pressing issues. She will share two ArtsFwd case studies about patron engagement and review best practices in turning your organization's patron strategies into powerful stories to share with the field on ArtsFwd.org

Get insights into how to plan, execute, and assess results of significant institutional anniversaries. In 2011, Washington, D.C.¹s Phillips Collection celebrated its 90th anniversary as one of America¹s first museums of modern art. Many special exhibits and programs were planned, and expectations for visibility were high. The marketing staff, led by Ann Greer, and the museum¹s advertising agency, WiT Media, devised a comprehensive plan to meet and exceed goals. The campaign included contextualizing and capitalizing on the occasion, leveraging an ongoing campaign, and interweaving messages to reach and further penetrate target audiences via PR, advertising, promotions, and other tactics. In this fascinating case study, participants will hear strategies on how to manage expectations, avoid pitfalls, and make best institutional use of such an occasion.