PROGRAM

GENERAL SESSION

Signaling Change

With the goal of increased participation and ever greater revenue, this discussion will focus on The Broad Stage's external communications strategy to expand audiences and donor base by leveraging incremental brand and design updates to invite new audiences while signaling change and deepening connection for stalwart stakeholders.

We’ll also look at the demands that our approach places on organizational infrastructure and capacity -- most especially consolidating marketing and development departments into an integrated model to support the growth effort. This will be a real-time example of work very recently done and work ongoing -- hear about our experiment and share your experiences!

Rob Bailis
Artistic and Executive Director The Broad Stage

KEYNOTE

Do We Need a New Vision for the Arts?

Audiences have changed. New markets are different. Decline in subscriptions is increasing. Single ticket sales are up. It is harder to plan or predict. We cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results. Do we need a new vision for the arts? A vision that acknowledges how we access the arts has changed, that audiences have changed and that art itself has widened its focus to be increasingly inclusive, experimental, enticing and very fast-changing in its definition and execution? If so, where do we start? If "vision" is how we imagine we can enhance, enrich, change and lead our communities as arts organizations, where is it we want to go? An interactive opening plenary led by veteran nonprofit consultant Kay Sprinkel Grace will help stretch your thinking as we launch the Arts Reach gathering.

Creating Contemporary Relevance to Mission

With its vast collections and growing audience, it is important that the Art Gallery of Ontario remain relevant both to its visitors and donors. Stephan Jost will talk about great works of art and how to link them to mission-centered fundraising.

Stephan Jost
Director and CEO Art Gallery of Ontario

Can 100% Digital Marketing Work for Your Organization?

The Phoenix Symphony is allocating 100% of their single ticket advertising budget to digital for the 2017-2018 season. In this session, you’ll learn about the company’s digital evolution, and see how the Symphony used data and experimentation to arrive at this progressive budget. Discover how this real live case study is playing out with $4,000,000 in annual ticket sales on the line—hint: record breaking results.

After this session, you’ll be able to:

Implement an iterative and strategic approach to increasing your digital advertising
Evaluate how to set, measure and implement key KPI’s to prove, justify and communicate your progress
Double down what marketing efforts are working and discontinue or cut back efforts that are not
Prove or disprove paradigms in your industry using data (e.g. older audiences don’t use social media)

Taking Out the Guesswork: Using Research to Build Arts Audiences

Cultivating new audiences and strengthening bonds with current attendees is a top priority for most arts organizations. Yet even though audience research can help achieve those goals, many arts organizations shy away from it, often citing lack of money, time or skills to carry out the endeavor. This talk will outline key recommendations from a new guide published by The Wallace Foundation on how market research can help arts organizations: learn about potential audiences to understand barriers preventing their attendance and potential points of engagement; develop more effective promotional materials; and assess progress toward audience-building goals. The talk will also cover how to carry out the research effectively for each of those purposes (in both low-cost and more elaborate ways) and how to bring together an organizational team to manage the work.

Moderator: Jennifer Nelson
3-D Theatricals Box Office & Sales Manager/Volunteer Services

David Ciano
Account Executive Spektrix

Ethan Joseph
Account Manager Spektrix

Moderator: Kim Glann
Director of Communications & Marketing Ford Theatres

Moderator: Genevieve Macias
Director of Development & Communications Long Beach Symphony Association

Moderator: Bill Watson
Director of Media & Marketing WordTheatre

Mark McMaster
Head of US Online Sales Snap Chat

Courtney Moore
Senior Venue Advisor Goldstar Events

Sue Edworthy
Consutant Sue Edworthy Arts Planning

April Moon
Associate Director of Audience Services Canadian Stage

Nicole Dunn
CEO Dunn Pellier Media, Inc.

Brissa Sotelo-Vargas
Director of Community Relations and Government Affairs Valero Energy

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

Rachel Marks
Relaxed Performance Consultant

Tom Loveman
Producer/Writer/Editor/Marketing Specialist

Bonnie Goodman
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications The Music Center

Ryan Choura
CEO Choura Events

Marlinda Menashe
Director, Institutional Giving and Government Relations LA Opera

Liz Linares
Co-Founder RousseauLinares

Pamela Gabriel
VP, Community Relations Manager Bank of America, N.A.

Aaron McFarlane
Director of Education & Community Engagement Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Natacha Rousseau
Public Relations Consultant RousseauLinares

Mariluz Gonzalez
Founder/Owner Vesper Public Relations

Are Your Surveys Designed for Past Behavior or Taking a Pulse NOW?

Constantly collecting survey data is essential and becomes more valuable when it is combined with past surveys or data from ticket sales and donation software. In this session, we’ll talk about setting up surveys for collecting fresh data you can use right now: to forecast ticket sales early in a run, in time to increase or decrease digital advertising, or quickly change tactics in social media when you have a hit or severe controversy, or capture useful comments to help make strategic decisions. Getting audiences to chat about their experience tonight is paramount for fueling tomorrow’s social media.

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

So Now What? How Will You Reach Audiences in The Post-Social Media World?

Coverage of the arts is all but gone in your local newspaper. Digital ads are less and less effective on the web. But as long as we have social media, we're still reaching audiences, right? Maybe not. In the past year, 42 percent of Facebook users have taken a break from the site, and for the first time the platform lost users. Pew reports that only 9 percent of teens say Facebook is their preferred social media. So Snapchat? After a couple of years of spectacular growth it lost users in the second quarter of 2018, and its stock price cratered in mid-September. Instagram? It's still adding users, but there are signs of slowing. Amidst privacy concerns, fake news, a growing tech backlash, and more and more studies documenting the numbing effect of social media, the bloom is off the social media rose.

So now what? How will you reach audiences in a post-social media world? This session will show you how big media companies are pivoting, and explore strategies for what comes next in a post-social media world.

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Transformation or Bust: When Hustling Ticket Sales and Contributions is Just Not Cutting It Anymore

Diane Ragsdale will give a keynote exploring concerns over lack of engagement with the arts, which she relates to a growing market ethos in the arts and culture sector that treats communities like markets, citizens like consumers, and culture as an exploitable product. She argues that a market ethos is particularly troubling in the arts and culture sector because, on the most basic level, art is a mechanism through which we share with one another what it means to be human. Through inspirational ideas, practical actions, and industry examples, she challenges arts organizations to resist the ethos of the market and uphold their role as purveyors of a different value system.

Surale Phillips
Brand Research DRMTM

Diane Ragsdale
Lecturer Erasmus University Rotterdam

Kenneth Foster
Account Executive Spektrix

THE BOLD BRAND LAB

Purpose and Capacity for New Ways Forward

The biggest mistake arts organizations can make right now? Dismissing their brand when it comes to strategizing the way ahead. DRMTM’s Bold Brand Lab reveals the power a strong brand holds in paving the way forward — one informed by community, designed to your higher purpose, and lived out in your culture. Session exercises, before/after case studies and self-assessments show you how to build the vital capacity and connections that keep your mission alive and thriving. Leave the Bold Brand Lab with a more authentic, compelling and purposeful brand to shape your future ahead.

Surale Phillips
Brand Research DRMTM

Laura Bessinger-Morse
Brand Messaging DRMTM

Cheryl Baldwin
Brand Design DRMTM

PLENARY

Run It Like a Business

If you hate that phrase, you’re not alone. But the arts are a business, a sector worth billions whose institutions serve almost every region in the country. Today, arts organizations are trying to rebuild audiences, reclaim relevance, and confront centuries of systemic discrimination.

The solutions are right before our eyes though. Volumes of data, research, and case studies from the for-profit sector demonstrate how to achieve success across customer engagement, the user experience, company culture, the subscription economy, digital content, new revenue streams, and brand relevance.

Just because arts organizations are non-profits doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make money; it means the money we make goes back to fund the mission. And it means a sustainable model is still necessary. Running it like a business isn’t unwitting board speak; it’s essential to revitalize this critical, massive economic engine and ultimately better serve the art and its consumers in the new normal ahead.

Aubrey’s book, Run It Like a Business, will be available for sale.

Aubrey Bergauer
Chief Executive Officer Changing the Narrative

Marketing & Ticketing: Make It a Love Story

How often we have used words, statements and siloed perspectives to create chaos. We have gone awry with the most important internal customer relationship of all: marketing and ticketing. It is a relationship that is often fraught with frustration and contention. It is a love hate relationship that is one of the most missed opportunities in our industry. Let’s talk about how we turn this opportunity into a partnership that ignites success, that drives service, communication and revenues; that is mutually respectful, beneficial and fulfilling. Let’s stop being angry with each other and work together by changing our words to change the culture and opening the door to potential and possibility.

Maureen Andersen
President & CEO International Ticketing Association (INTIX)

Who Are You and Why Should We Pay Any Attention?

Chatter is your best advertising; are you participating in the conversation? If social media perks up or deflates attendance, what’s being said that really matters and what are you doing to support or change it? When people talk honestly about an experience, are you listening? In this session, you’ll learn how to frame internal discussions that resonate when you create external messaging and advertising, to keep imagery fresh and relevant with every program, project or production, and to connect visuals with keywords that set up and excite audience expectations.

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

The Intersection of Marketing Strategies and Diversity

In an ideal world, people from diverse racial, income, and education backgrounds socially interact in public settings in search of cultural exchange and understanding. But what role can and should marketing play in promoting these interactions at arts institutions? New research from SMU DataArts, which studies household transaction data and marketing strategies at cultural institutions, shows the links between marketing strategies and the socio-economic and racial diversity of audiences. Conference attendees will learn how strategic marketing choices enhance or inhibit opportunities for cultural exchange and understanding among the full spectrum of a community’s diverse populations.

Learning objectives
During this Session, Attendees will:
1. Engage with new research on how marketing strategies affect the diversity of audiences.
2. Gain quantitative insights on the current state of audience diversity at arts organizations.
3. Discuss strategies for shifting marketing and communications approaches to increase diversity of audiences.

Dr. Zannie Voss
Director SMU DataArts

Customer Experience: The Next Step Beyond Customer Service

What is the difference between customer service and customer experience? What does it mean to put customers at the heart of organizational decision making and how do you do it? How does paying attention to the customer experience improve the bottom line or does it? What are some practical things my organization can do right now to improve the customer experience?

In this plenary session, Charlie Wade, Sr. VP for Marketing and Business Operations at the Seattle Symphony, will take you through both a philosophical and practical guide to understanding the value of focusing on the customer experience at your organization. This session is guaranteed to help you think differently about your organization and your customers, and will include a diagnostic exercise.

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Moderator: Meghan Villanueva
Grants Manager Spectrum Dance Theater

Adam Matheson
Director of Marketing & Development Factory Theatre

Tera Beach
Executive Director Seattle Art Museum

Priya Frank
Associate Dir of Community Programs Seattle Art Museum

Robb Hunt
Executive Producer Village Theatre

Charlie Wade
Senior Vice President for Marketing and Business Operations Seattle Symphony

Dominica Myers
Associate Director of Administration Seattle Opera

Kathy Hsieh
Cultural Partnerships and Grants Manager Seattle Office of Arts and Culture

Go Outside Your Toolbox to Reach and Keep Diverse Audiences

As demographics shift, arts organizations know they need to attract new, more diverse audiences. Achieving this critical goal requires more than a savvy marketing campaign. How do you go beyond marketing techniques to build trust and overcome barriers with diverse communities? For this lively panel, come ready for a robust and honest discussion about authentic engagement practices.

Moderator: Kim Glann
Director of Communications & Marketing Ford Theatres

Bonnie Goodman
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications The Music Center

Marlinda Menashe
Director, Institutional Giving and Government Relations LA Opera

Mariluz Gonzalez
Founder/Owner Vesper Public Relations

Their Journey, Your Story: The Digital Path to Ticket Purchase

In the United States, 93% of people report that entertainment is vital to their happiness, but 56% of people reported that they are rarely entertained. These casual fans, overwhelmed by all the options, find themselves spending more time choosing how to be entertained than actually engaging with the art forms that give them joy.

In Google's new Ticketing Path to Purchase Research, we understand that performing arts fans spend a lot of time online considering their entertainment options, but not buying live event tickets to the same degree that they are researching. How can we move them to take action? In this session, learn which digital touch points along the path to ticket purchase are most meaningful for performing arts patrons and how we can unlock the innate stories we have as arts organizations and cultural institutions to connect with these patrons in a meaningful way.

Mike Lorenc
Head of Industry - Ticketing, Sports & Live Events Google

Embracing Diversity: A Refreshed Approach to Audience Engagement

The performing arts are in a time of flux. The traditional patron base is eroding, consumer trends and expectations are shifting and Canadian demographics are ever evolving. How do performing arts organizations adapt their offering, and approach, to ensure new audiences not only feel welcomed, but feel embraced? In this session, Kondwani and Shannon will share the NAC’s approach to expanding and diversifying the NAC’s visitors, often in the context of limited resources. They will also share a few specific examples of how the NAC has embraced the Black and Indigenous communities over the past few years.

Kondwani Mwase
Executive Director of Audience Engagement National Arts Centre

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

Equity in the Arts: National Town Hall Meeting On Equity Within Arts Organizations in Today's World

This esteemed panel will address such issues as "What does equity look like in today's non-profit arts organizations? How does this effect programming, fundraising, grants? What are ways in which the arts can lead to create a more just and inclusive environment?” Bring your questions, experiences and hopes to this rich, critical dialogue. What does equity mean to you and your organization?

Moderator: Meghan Villanueva
Grants Manager Spectrum Dance Theater

Tera Beach
Executive Director Seattle Art Museum

Priya Frank
Associate Dir of Community Programs Seattle Art Museum

Robb Hunt
Executive Producer Village Theatre

Dominica Myers
Associate Director of Administration Seattle Opera

Kathy Hsieh
Cultural Partnerships and Grants Manager Seattle Office of Arts and Culture

Imagining a New Future for the Arts: Relevance and Resurgence

Let’s face it: we all may have to imagine a new future for our work. In the face of general societal disruption and economic uncertainty, how can the arts reach out to audiences and donors and engage them in such a way that they see how vital we are to the future of our communities? What will it take for us to have a marketing, audience development and philanthropic resurgence? How can we do it?

Kay Sprinkel Grace, whose work and board service are currently focused on the importance of imagining new models for organizational renewal and greater stability, will open our Arts Reach San Francisco Conference in July with a challenge to us to use our crisis as an opportunity to construct a more dynamic future through collaborative projects, innovative outreach, distinctive programming and messages that convey the substantial impact and purpose of arts in our society. Kay’s workshop, “Reimagining Our Model,” will provide a hands-on opportunity to do some planning for the future.

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Imagining a New Future for the Arts: Relevance and Resurgence

If we believe the arts are essential to the wholeness of ourselves and our communities, that they are more than simply entertainment, we must imagine a new future for our work. How can the arts recapture audiences and donors and energize the idea that they are vital in the next decades? How can we engage our communities more deeply in the relevance and importance of the arts? What will it take for us to have a marketing and philanthropic resurgence? How can we do it?

Kay Sprinkel Grace will open our Arts Reach San Francisco Conference in July with a challenge to us to take a hard look at what is possible as we construct a more dynamic future through collaborative projects, innovative outreach, distinctive programming and messages that convey the substantial impact and purpose of arts in our society. Kay’s follow-up workshop, “Reimagining Our Work,” will provide a hands-on opportunity to do vital planning for the future.

Imagining a New Future for the Arts: Relevancy and Resurgence

Kay Sprinkel Grace, whose work and board service are currently focused on the importance of imagining new models for organizational renewal and greater stability, will open our Arts Reach New York Conference in August with a challenge to us to use our crisis as an opportunity to construct a more dynamic future through collaborative projects, innovative outreach, distinctive programming and messages that convey the substantial impact and purpose of arts in our society. Kay’s workshop, “Reimagining Our Model,” will provide a hands-on opportunity to do some planning for the future.

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Politics, Funding and Technology: A Roadmap Through Epochal Change

Change is a given. Systemic collapse is change on a whole different level. The systems, structures and institutions that have supported the making and consumption of culture and that we have all depended on for generations are undergoing historic attack and wrenching transformation. The Trump government's menacing threats to Canada call for consideration of emphatic cultural response to America. The digital revolution of 20 years ago taught us that those who insist on fighting the battles of the past get crushed in the maw of new technologies driving new systems and rules that we all ultimately have to play by.

How do we survive and adapt to precarious political turmoil, collapse of funding infrastructure, and rising costs that are making sustainability ever more difficult? Artificial intelligence, potentially a game-changer for how arts institutions are run, how art is made, and how we connect with audiences, is certainly part of the answer. This session will give an overview of where technology (particularly AI) is right now from artistic, business, and policy perspectives. We’ll look at how you can capitalize on a technology landscape that is rapidly evolving from platform-based social media into something quite new. And we’ll outline strategies for determining how technologies like AI can work best for your organization.

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Workshop: Reimagining Our Work

To imagine a new future for the arts, we will need to reimagine the organizational model we have used for decades. Only then, can we create a new future. Reimagining is not daydreaming. It is the hard work of taking your vision and translating it into action. And giving up old ideas that hold you back. How does it affect staffing? Messaging? Marketing? Fundraising? Stewardship? Kay Sprinkel Grace’s workshop will help you evaluate current practices for their capacity to “reinvent the future” and set you on a course to make changes that can elevate your organization, your community’s perception of it and their desire to support and advance its programming, mission and goals.

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

NO! We need to be MORE like Airlines!

We often hear that "we are not selling airline tickets" - especially when talking about pricing strategy. What could we learn from the airlines though? Which of their practices would work the best? In this Dragon's Den style session, Andrew will argue the case for three ideas, then be grilled by the audience on their flaws.

Andrew Thomas
Director Ynys Consulting Ltd

Are the Performing Arts Imploding Before Our Eyes?

The Toronto Star recently pronounced that “Toronto’s Art Organizations Are In Decline,” citing potential crises that are looming at the Fringe Festival, Just For Laughs, Harbourfront Centre, Luminato, the Shaw Festival, and many other organizations that include challenges with artists, audiences, finances, programming, sponsorships, and staff. There is a popular formulation that a crisis is the intersection of danger and opportunity. Colleagues working in academia, practice, and public funding will share their perspectives on what combination of crisis, danger, and opportunity currently confronts the performing arts in Toronto and across Canada.

Moderator: Jamie Bennett
Thought Leader Lord Cultural Resources

Kevin A. Ormsby
Artistc Director KasheDance

Nasim Niknafs
Associate Dean, Research, Associate Professor: Music Education, Coordi University of Toronto

Kelly Langgard
Director & CEO Toronto Arts Council

Owais Lightwala
Assistant Professor Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University

AI: What is Real in 2024 and What Could It Be Going Forward?

Since the arrival of ChatGPT in the fall of 2022, the hype machine deluged us with both utopian and dystopian stories about the future impact of AI.

Let us get real!

At this session, we will explore: Where are we with AI technology? What does this technology offer us in 2024? How to start using this new tool? And look at what AI could do and mean for us going forward.

Patrick Courtin
Consultant

Digital Ads for Arts Organizations

Keith will demonstrate techniques, for both ad creative and placement, that have successfully driven ticket sales. Takeaways include increasing conversion rates of prospective ticket buyers on the Google and Meta ad networks.

Keith Tomasek
Director of Marketing & Digital Strategies Blyth Festival

The 1% You Should Love: The Nonprofit Superpower of Marginal Gains

In "The 1% You Should Love: The Nonprofit Superpower of Marginal Gains," Todd Vigil, a leading nonprofit marketing strategist, adapts James Clear's revolutionary concept of marginal gains to the nonprofit world. This talk will explore how small, sustained improvements can lead to substantial organizational growth and impact. Designed specifically for leaders of resource-strapped nonprofits, Todd will illustrate the profound effect of 1% improvements across various facets of nonprofit operations. Through engaging case studies and actionable strategies, attendees will discover the extraordinary power of incremental changes in driving their missions forward. Todd's dynamic presentation not only pays homage to Clear's foundational principles but also adapts them to the unique challenges and opportunities within the nonprofit sector. Attendees will leave empowered, with a clear roadmap for applying marginal gains to achieve their organizational goals.

Todd Vigil
Founder & CEO EleeHub | Pathfinder Search Ads

The State of DEI Initiatives

What is the state of DEI initiatives in arts organizations today? In the midst of political polarization, "culture wars" and a changed post-pandemic landscape, are these inclusion efforts experiencing retrenchment, or are they here to stay?

Moderator: Alisa Martin
Vice President, Education Operations and Engagement Tenement Museum

Dr. Durell Cooper
Founder and CEO Cultural Innovation Group

Sarah J. Hom
Director of Audience Services ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY

Stephanie Ybarra
Program Officer Mellon Foundation

DANCING WITH THE STARS

Ouija Boards, Magic 8 Balls & More Ways to Tell if Your Marketing Is Working

“Ask again later” ... is that what you get when trying to figure out if your latest marketing campaign boosted ticket sales? How about a new method, one that gets you a definitive “yes”? We’re taking a look at the real ways to track your marketing efforts to determine what’s working and what’s not. No more asking the spirits if that billboard or Facebook ad sold tickets -- it’s time for a better way!

Arie Levine
Senior Marketing Manager Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

MORNING INTENSIVE

Big Data = Big Opportunities: A Data Driven Workshop for Generating More Revenue

How Marketing and Development Can Drive Revenue Growth

Numbers don’t lie, and the field of data science is transforming the way organizations conduct business at every level. The best part is, you already have all the data you need to help make informed decisions that can transform your marketing and fundraising operations and sustain your organization for years to come. You don’t have to be a mathematician or scientist to leverage the power of data mining, but you probably do need some help getting started. This includes discovering how large companies are leveraging customer data sets, identifying which data points are the most significant, and understanding how arts and cultural organizations like yours are using that knowledge to realize double-digit growth in the number and amount of donations and ticket sales every year.

This two-hour, interactive workshop demonstrates how you can use the data you already have to recruit new patrons, retain your existing ones, and add value to the patron relationship. Using best practices from the commercial and nonprofit sector, you’ll learn how to:

Identify the Top Ten Data Points most significant to arts and culture organizations and see where you stand in relation to your peers in this workshop
Set meaningful goals, segment your audience, and create a clear strategy for success
Maximize your return by starting a test and measurement program
Reduce the number of lapsed donor s and ticket buyers through systematic retention Strategies
Increase touchpoints to maximize contributed revenue and expedite the steps from onetime ticket buyer to repeat donor
Use data metrics to support revenue goals and get critical buyin from your board, senior leadership, and everyone in the organization

This is a hands-on workshop. While not required for participation, you will be asked to complete a Pre-workshop survey and bring information to the event that will help you get the most out of this Workshop.

Moderator: Genevieve Macias
Director of Development & Communications Long Beach Symphony Association

John Karastamatis
Director of Communications and Programming Mirvish Productions

Brissa Sotelo-Vargas
Director of Community Relations and Government Affairs Valero Energy

Ryan Choura
CEO Choura Events

Pamela Gabriel
VP, Community Relations Manager Bank of America, N.A.

Getting Personal with Your Patrons: What 1.26 Million Arts Patrons Can Tell You About How to Market to Them

Everyone knows that the decision to buy a ticket is about a lot more than what's on stage. Patrons value a personal relationship with the organization they're buying from.

This session will prove with real data just how much it matters to make your audience feel like you know them personally -- and then we'll work together to generate ideas about how to put that into practice.

We start by sharing the results of Patron Technology's decade-long research study, quantifying the value of connecting with patrons. Then attendees will break up into groups based on their job role for a brainstorming session, where they'll get to invent an arts organization and come up with ideas for how to build this "personal relationship" principle into the core of everything the organization does, across all departments.

Alexandra Maier
Communications and Marketing Director Quartier des Spectacles Partnership

Bronwyn Mauldin
Director of Research and Evaluation Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture

Whitney Rutter
Senior Account Executive Patron Technology

Jordan Simmons
Senior Account Executive Patron Technology

AFTERNOON INTENSIVE

Attracting and Keeping the Right Audiences for Your Organization

Successful audience building means more than getting people through the door, but creating enduring relationships. Like any relationship, a lot has to happen to make it work. First, we need to identify what target audience is a good fit, because organizations will need to accommodate these newcomers, and hopefully feel comfortable embracing them and be able to weather any growing pains. Finding that right fit and preparing the organization to receive new audiences are often overlooked considerations, but research suggests several guiding principles. Examples drawn from successful audience-building initiatives will be used to illustrate these principles, with exercises to help participants identify what audience makes a good fit for their organizations and how to prepare those organizations for success.

Bob Harlow
Marketing and Research Consultant Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Building “Stickier” Relationships: A Case Study in Subscriptions

Where is the line between a casual consumer and an arts enthusiast and how can arts organizations encourage loyalty? A recent study from Oliver Wyman, “Reimagining the Orchestra Subscription Model,” commissioned by the League of American Orchestras, argues that American orchestras can meet their challenge to retain subscribers and grow revenue by exploring methods used in other industries (e.g., retail, grocery, fitness), that build “stickier” relationships with customers. In this session, the author and key members of the study will discuss how these findings could be applied to your organization. Attend to find out how!

Namita Desai
Namita Desai Oliver Wyman

Jack McAuliffe
President Engaged Audiences

Sean King
Principal Aspire Arts Consulting

Henry Ruddle
President Ruddle Consulting

Jackie Ernst
Consultant The Ostara Group

Moderator: Andrew Block
Manager of Off and Off-Off Broadway Services Theatre Development Fund

Dustin Brauneck
Director, Relationship Marketing New York City Ballet

Gina DiRado
Director of Development Orphaned Starfish Foundation

Dan DeMato
President FutureTix

Moderator: Melissa Klein
Director of Sales & Marketing Blue Man Group

Andrew Thomas
Director Ynys Consulting Ltd

Moderator: Tyler Bennett
Vice President, Sales Vendini

Victoria Laberge
Director of Development Nightwood Theatre

Benjamin D. Tyrrel
Director of Arts Programming College of the Arts Utah Tech University

Adam Mehring
Senior Consultant Oliver Wyman

April Moon
Associate Director of Audience Services Canadian Stage

Elizabeth Santana
Managing Director Palo Alto Players

Kristen Nehls
Senior Consultant Oliver Wyman

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Rachel Marks
Relaxed Performance Consultant

Phil Haas
Director of Marketing and Communications Classic Stage Company

John Issendorf
Owner Issendorf Projects

Dan Demers
Executive Artistic Director Hillbarn Theatre

Karen Yair
Vice President, Knowledge Center League of American Orchestras

Veronica Shea
Marketing Manager Primary Stages

Aaron McFarlane
Director of Education & Community Engagement Toronto Symphony Orchestra

INNOVATIVE IDEA INCUBATOR

Tap the Hive Mind

Pitch Your Idea/Project/Challenge in front of our audience of national arts marketers, development and ticketing specialists.

Arts Reach is renowned for its national conferences featuring speakers in arts management sharing their experience and expertise. But our greatest resource is the marketing, development and ticketing professionals from arts organizations all over the country who attend our conferences to learn, network and share.

This year we'd like tap this expertise in a more formal way AND give an opportunity for two organizations to pitch their own idea, project or challenge in front of all our attendees.

Do you have a project or idea or challenge you'd like to try out or get help on from a group of industry experts? Maybe a fundraising challenge, a radical new way of thinking about ticketing, or a fresh approach for reaching a hard-to-get audience. Pitch your proposal to us and we'll choose two projects as the subject of a session at the Los Angeles conference.

Maybe you're about to launch a new audience engagement initiative, or try out a new dynamic pricing ticket project or social media campaign. Maybe you've got a particularly gnarly challenge you've trying to surmount but are running low on ideas. Here's your chance to shine. Pitch it to the conference and get valuable feedback and advice - maybe even recruit some help. The session will be moderated and led by Douglas McLennan, editor of ArtsJournal.com and a national consultant on strategic audience development.

If there's one thing we've learned in recent years, it's that the collective wisdom of a network is a powerful thing. Working together and focusing our collective experience can be an amazing learning experience - for all of us.

So pitch us your best idea by September 15. In less than 500 words, describe your project, idea or challenge and tell us why your idea should be chosen. We'll announce winners by October 1. Winners will receive complimentary registration for your entire team to a subsequent National Arts Marketing, Development and Ticketing Conference of your choice!

Send submissions by September 15 to admin@artsreach.com

VIEW FROM THE TOP

Generating Sponsors, Patrons and Donors in a Changed Marketplace

The future isn't what it used to be. Our sponsors, patrons and donors have increasing opportunities that are competing for their time and money -- and their expectations of us have changed as well. Massive studies of subscription renewal challenges and resistance to major philanthropic investment are leading to new strategies for both marketing and fundraising. Kay Sprinkel Grace, author, consultant, and President of the Board of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra will challenge us with provocative ideas and bold strategies.

BREAKOUTS AND PANELS

Dancing With The Stars: Come Together, Right Now — A Town Hall Meeting On Inclusivity

What does inclusivity in the arts mean to you? Can arts organizations be catalysts for understanding and action to counter the devisiveness that exists in current society? Join Donna Walker-Kuhne and a panel of seasoned professionals for this critical discussion on powerful ways we can move forward together.

Donna Walker-Kuhne
Senior Advisor, Community Engagement New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Shruti Adhar
Executive Director The Knights

Michael Robertson
Managing Director The Lark

Rasu Jilani
Director of Cultural Diversity and Strategic Partnerships NEW INC

Apps and Gamification

Options for interacting with patrons, donors and visitors are changing what seems daily. We’ll go over the technology and show samples that can benefit your digital presence and bottom-line.

Expert Eye for Design

Send your season brochure, postcard, poster, newsletter or website to Henry Ruddle,and then join him for a discussion of the things that work well, and the things that could do a better job of communicating your value to your potential patrons. We'll set the table by reviewing his Top 10 Tips for Marketing Design Excellence, and follow it with 2-3 "Expert Eye" reviews of marketing materials submitted in advance. Henry will provide detailed notes on each piece, including makeovers where useful. Act now to be among those featured! Send a PDF of your print document or a link to your website to arts@ruddle.com by April 15, 2019 to be considered.

Henry Ruddle
President Ruddle Consulting

Millennials in Canada

Their generation is just as large as the Baby Boomers, but Millennials span more life stages: some are still in school and living with parents while others are starting families and careers. However, over the next decade most Millennials will be out on their own, starting careers and families. In fact, the number of Millennial households will double over the next decade and this will have a major impact on consumer expenditures. In this presentation, demographic expert Doug Norris will look at Millennials’ demographics and values, and how they differ from older generations. He will also present some new survey results on how Millennials perceive themselves and their future. Included will be a discussion of different types of Millennials.

Doug Norris, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President and Chief Demographer Environics Analytics

Messaging for a New Era

Aligning the language you use with the realities of the world we are now living in is critical for your company’s continued success.

This workshop will explore how marketing and development professionals can better approach audiences and donors as new shifts in the marketplace take hold. For example, there are many predictions and known implications related to the New Tax Laws, in terms of estate planning, itemization and deductions. Understand how these changes could impact how you approach prospects to support your organization. Similarly, shifts in how people do their work and earn a living (e.g., the gig economy) directly impact approaches to marketing and development campaigns. We will find language, timing, and strategies to help you meet audiences where they are. You will leave this session with the beginnings of an action plan in hand.

Jennifer Edwards
Principal better_

Random Acts of Ticketing

Sometimes a successful ticketing campaign calls for an extra touch of creativity, but we all know that can be hard to find when time to brainstorm and budgets are limited. This session will provide both inspiration and a list of tools you can use at your organization to boost engagement and ticket revenue. From tips for capturing customer data when you have a hit show to ways to win back lapsed attendees, we’ll be looking at case studies of fun and unexpected approaches organizations have taken with a proven return on investment. You can expect to walk away with concrete strategies you can implement at your own organization.

Kenneth Foster
Account Executive Spektrix

Arts Marketing Trends A-Z

From the Presidential election to Facebook LIVE, the past year gave us many marketing lessons to follow and many to avoid. Join us for the annual update to the popular Arts Marketing Trends A-Z session with 26 tactics and strategies to implement when promoting, advertising and fundraising your way to success in 2017. This fast-paced hour will have you ready for whatever marketing challenges you will face in the coming year with a few takeaways you can even put into action immediately!

Sean King
Principal Aspire Arts Consulting

Smart Ways to Handle CASL

CASL is one of the toughest laws of its kind in the world, making its interpretation and application particularly thorny. Join Maarit for a discussion of the myriad challenges organizations currently face and smart ways to approach them.

Maanit Zemel
Partner Zemel van Kampen LLP

Facebook for Your Business

Maximize sales and generate leads by leveraging Facebook as a vital marketing platform.

Agenda:

Critical Success Factors for your Facebook marketing campaigns
Top Facebook marketing mistakes to avoid
Tips to tailor your marketing and engagement content
Using your existing audience to amplify your Facebook campaigns

Aaron George
Digital Marketing Manager Stratford Festival

Moderator: Jennifer Nelson
3-D Theatricals Box Office & Sales Manager/Volunteer Services

Nicole Wetzell
Chief Strategist NEW Marketing Solutions

Michael Crane
Manager, Revenue Strategies & Analytics The Broad Stage

Rachel Detamore
Venue Advisor Goldstar

Check Your Major Gifts Pulse

Major gifts is probably your organization's greatest opportunity for growing contributed income. But amidst countless competing priorities and limited capacity, it can be hard to achieve lift-off on a truly intentional major gifts program. In this session, you’ll learn how to assess the current state of major gifts at your organization and how to efficiently integrate best practice moves management into your fundraising. Attendees will be walked through real-life examples of moves management in action, and walk away with 3 ways to take your major gifts program to the next level.

Jackie Ernst
Consultant The Ostara Group

Careful What You Wish For…

Acquiring new customers is a constant need for cultural organizations. The staff and material resources needed to identify and attract new prospects however, is increasingly expensive — a daunting challenge. “I wish we could just get them in the door”, echoes in many development departments. Well, what if you did? What if thousands and thousands of new prospects simply and suddenly walked right through the front door and joined your membership program? What would you do?

Over the last twelve months, this wish has come true for 30 cultural organizations throughout New York City! Following the launch of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s ID NYC program to offer a city-issued identification card to New Yorkers who needed just that—government issued ID—hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers enrolled. A key enticement for enrollment, the offer of a free 1-year membership to any of the 30 participating cultural organizations, became a hallmark of the ID NYC program. Tens of thousands of citizens enrolled in membership programs throughout the city — from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to the Bronx Zoo, Staten Island Museum, El Museo del Barrio, and New York City Ballet. Membership ranks swelled, some doubled, and even some tripled. Gulp.

In our panel discussion you will learn how a wide variety of cultural organizations are now managing a deluge of newly interested prospects:

- What are the biggest challenges?
- What benefits are offered?
- How do you manage capacity issues at events?
- How have regular (paying) members reacted?
- What are material costs?
- How many will pay to renew membership for a 2nd year?

More questions and answers are now being forged by membership staffers in the cultural organizations managing this influx as the IDNYC program enters its 2nd year, “And another hundred people just got off of the train...!”

Moderator: Leonard Jacobs
Director of Cultural Institutions New York City Department of Cultural Affairs

Moderator: Eddie Cota
Founder Champion City

Christina Salerno
Executive Director Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Nicole Wetzell
Chief Strategist NEW Marketing Solutions

Dessa Hayes
Digital Transformation Agent CAPACOA

Keith Tomasek
Director of Marketing & Digital Strategies Blyth Festival

Jeremy Wine
Elevent Co-Founder

Moderator: Mairi Brascoupé
Cultural Advocate, Indigenous Theatre National Arts Centre

Liz Hitchcock Lisle
Managing Director Shotgun Players

Moderator: Amanda Zook
Director of Business Development DCM

Douglas J. Hamilton
Director, Membership New York City Ballet

Julia Diamond
Interim Director, Grand Park The Music Center

Todd Vigil
Founder & CEO EleeHub | Pathfinder Search Ads

Sherri Young
Founder & Executive Director African-American Shakespeare Company

Ana Díaz-Diez
Director of Development Syracuse Stage

Lesley Currier
Managing Director Marin Shakespeare Company

Joelle Peters
Artistic Director Native Earth Performing Arts

Morgan Pannunzio
Data and Media Project Manager CAPACOA

John O'Dell
Patron Advancement Officer Cleveland Orchestra

Stephanie Rodriguez
Membership and Individual Giving Officer El Museo del Barrio

Traci Takahara Slacum
Education Griffith Observatory

Adam Thurman
Marketing Director American Conservatory Theater

Putting Butts in Seats with Words

Create brochures that are worthy of your season and marketing copy that does justice to your shows. Throughout the 50-minute interactive session, this award-winning copywriter will challenge you to craft a compelling headline, be aggressively clever in your wordplay and – above all - make every character matter in our world of ever-shrinking copy blocks.

Larry Dean Harris
Principal WORDS

2016 Arts Marketing Trends From A-Z

Twenty-six letters in the alphabet. Twenty-six ideas and concepts that are trending in 2016. The Arts Marketing from A-Z webinar explores 26 themes, one for each letter, to make your arts marketing more effective. Updated for 2016, the A-Z session reviews the basics and introduces the latest trends in advertising, marketing, social media, sponsorships and more. Marketing changes in the blink of an eye. Spend this fast-paced, informative hour to gain insight on what will make your 2016 marketing plan a success.

Amelia Heape
Director of Marketing Hollywood Pantages

Amy Karlin
Digital Marketing Strategist National Arts Centre

Ford Shirriff
Partner/Vice President Triangles

Copyright Issues in the Digital Age

The impact of social media has created an important need to know what you can and cannot use on social media. Learn how to protect yourself and your company from copyright infringement issues on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social platforms. Learn what media outlets are doing to protect themselves and best practices moving forward. Some questions we will address include; How do I know if the content I want to use is copyrighted? What happens if you use copyrighted material without permission? Can individuals legally post copyrighted content on their Facebook pages? Hear from leaders in the field in this dynamic and timely discussion.

Moderator: Carol Fox
President Carol Fox and Associates

Paul Natkin
Photographer Photo Reserve

Bonnie Rosenberg
Manager of Rights and Images Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

David Zivan
Group Editor Modern Luxury

Steven Mandell
Partner Mandell Menkes LLC

Press Play With Your Video Strategy

Video has become an increasingly integral part of social media marketing, but it can often feel intimidating and expensive to produce. In this session, you will learn how to deepen relationships with your audience through video, and which mistakes to avoid when using video across the many available social platforms. We will discuss how to best optimize your existing videos to reach a wider audience, and dig into all things Snapchat--how it works, how others are using it well, and why it is the most buzzed-about platform this year.

Adrienne Stortz
Director of Growth & Marketing Edify Technology

Alison Uttley
Associate Director, Marketing Luminato Festival

Roxana Rusowsky
Interactive Marketing Manager SONY CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Drew McManus
Principal Venture Industries Online

Karen Elizondo
Account Executive Spektrix

Cynde Cerf
Marketing and Communication Coordinator Chandler Center for the Arts

Sarah Caswell
Client Success Manager Spektrix

Dr. Zannie Voss
Director SMU DataArts

Bronwyn Mauldin
Director of Research and Evaluation Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture

Vince Ford
Vice President, Digital Strategy and Customer Experience New York Philharmonic

Sarah Cho
Senior Search Analyst Capacity Interactive

Aubrey Bergauer
Chief Executive Officer Changing the Narrative

Richard J. Lefebvre, CFRE
Associate Director, Individual & Legacy Giving The National Ballet of Canada

Ceci Dadisman
Digital Marketing Manager FORM

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Four Secrets to Scoring a Major Gift

Like the four legs that keep a table level and steady, these four steps can assure success in a major gift solicitation:

    1. A Cogent and Compelling Case for Support
    2. Qualified Prospects - people with love, not just money, and who are intrigued and captivated by the Case
    3. A Good Ask, well-timed and executed
    4. Leadership (of those who have said 'yes' to the Ask) - hopefully the Board of your institution.

Anyone can learn these, but few practice them consistently.

Colorful examples will illuminate the presentation. In addition to questions, there will be opportunities for audience participation and role-playing based on their own experiences asking for money.

Mason Jay Blacher
President Mason Jay Blacher & Associates

Creative Campaigns that Break Through

Let's be honest: most arts organizations use the same formula for ads, featuring a show's title, image, and details. The advertising landscape has changed, though, and it's increasingly harder for our messages to break through and capture attention. Join us for this session about how to re-work your creative briefs and think about creative campaigns and digital content differently.

We'll approach this topic by looking at a case study from TIFF. TIFF is best known for its 40 year history as a film festival in Toronto. In 2001, TIFF established Canada's Top Ten Film Festival to celebrate and promote contemporary Canadian cinema and raise awareness of Canadian achievements in film. The 10-day event presents public screenings of the selected films accompanied by introductions and Q&A sessions with filmmakers, as well as special events, industry panels and free engagements.

There's an good chance that you haven't heard of Canada's Top Ten Film Festival, though. As a Globe and Mail article from last September pointed-out, "anglo-Canadians do not go to the theatre to see movies made by their countrymen." In fact, only 5% of tickets sold at movie theatres in this country every year are to Canadian films. TIFF's Marketing and Digital leads for Canada's Top Ten Film Festival - Sal Patel and Julie Strifler - had the challenge in 2015 to make Canadian film feel cool and give people a reason to see and support Canadian films. Come learn how they've started along this path and, in year one, increased attendance by 10%. Alison Uttley from Luminato Festival moderates.

Alison Uttley
Associate Director, Marketing Luminato Festival

Josh Klein
Northeast Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Moderator: Jen Lee
Philanthropic Advisor Seattle Foundation

Carl Sylvestre
Principal Carl Sylvestre Consulting

Sal Patel
TIFF Digital Studio

Wendi Yanez
Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Jérémy Jolley
Associate Director of Artistic Collaborations Seattle Symphony

Julie Strifler
Marketing Manager TIFF

LaNesha DeBardelaben
Executive Director Northwest African American Museum

Christy Wood
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Sales Seattle Symphony

Jackie Ernst
Director of Philanthropy Seattle International Film FestivalJ

Annual Campaigns & Donor Retention

This session will provide an overview of how to plan your annual individual donation campaign. We will be sharing tips, tricks and best practices for building and maintaining lasting relationships with your donors that lead to long-term and increased support.

Victoria Laberge
Director of Development Nightwood Theatre

Relaxed Performances: Who, Why and Now

This panel will dive into the reasons behind the relaxed performance movement and give concrete ways for any venue to present a relaxed performance of a play, musical, concert or screening.

April Moon
Associate Director of Audience Services Canadian Stage

Rachel Marks
Relaxed Performance Consultant

Aaron McFarlane
Director of Education & Community Engagement Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Shift Happens: What Are You Going to Do?

It’s 2016 and a bold, new world of sponsorship. We can adapt and flourish or, well, actually there really is no alternative. We simply have to work smarter. Sponsorship Consultant, Marian Ruston, spent much of her career in the UK, where she created a model that demonstrates how business can leverage sponsorship and maximize the return on investment. Trends in the sponsorship market have served only to reinforce the holistic approach taken here. The simple, flexible model is multipurpose with uses that range all the way from playing a role in strategic sponsorship planning to acting as a visual aid that will bring clarity to sponsorship discussions with prospects. Find out more about the model and use it as a smart tool in your own practice right away. This session is geared towards small to mid-sized organizations or those beginning their sponsorship efforts.

Marian Ruston
Proprietor Marian Ruston Consulting

Kyle Wright
Digital Projects Director The Shubert Organization

Challenges In Fundraising Today

With so much scrutiny on Washington right now, how do you get donors to pay attention to YOU? Come hear from these development experts on ways to shift the focus back to your organization.

Moderator: Janna Spock
Deputy Director, Patron and Individual Giving The Metropolitan Opera

Liz Fallon Culp
Development Director Playwrights Horizons

Anthony Busti
Senior Director, Donor Information and Analysis The Metropolitan Opera

Smart Ways to Fill Seats After a Pandemic

If weathering a pandemic weren’t difficult enough, now we have to fill all those seats again after large swaths of our audiences have seemingly dispersed and moved on.

Bringing those audiences back -- and finding new ones – will require reimagining pricing, packaging, programming and more. Hear from these experts how they’re doing it, and how you can too!

Moderator: Karen Turner
Senior Manager of Patron & Operations Services Young Centre for the Performing Arts

Nathan Schwartzberg
Audience Relations Manager Soulpepper Theatre Co.

Anastassia Lavrinenko
Manager of Ticketing Operations Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Barry Higgins
Assistant Manager, Special Projects Royal Ontario Museum

We Need to Talk…About Your Website

Your programming, your venue, and your marketing are all beautiful, so why does your website still look like it was designed using Microsoft Paint? Your website is often the first touchpoint audiences have with your organization and understanding their journey across the site and their path to checkout is critically important to making sure they have a positive experience. This session helps you focus on the purpose of your website and offers tips to help ensure your customer experience online is smooth, enjoyable and profitable.

Sarah Hutton
Director of Sales Choice Entertainment Technologies

Jordana Armstrong
Founder Jordana Armstrong Marketing

Campaign Management Using Google Analytics

Learn how to use Google Analytics insights to inform online investment strategy, and how to customize reports and dashboards to solve specific business challenges.

Christine Meehan
Performance Lead: Measurement Google Canada

Liz Hitchcock Lisle
Managing Director Shotgun Players

Adam Thurman
Marketing Director American Conservatory Theater

Development for Marketing People in a Hurry

Arts marketers have a great deal on their plate at any given moment and Development is yet another domain to be conquered. Leave your pre-conceived notions on fundraising at the door as we learn the strategies and tactics of working hand-in-hand with your development team on new ways to collaborate and drive revenue growth for your organization through uncertain times.

Sean King
Principal Aspire Arts Consulting

How to Capture that Elusive Younger Audience

From which social media channels are working to special pricing and transportation strategies, you’ll learn from two seasoned veterans what it takes to find and reel in those fickle hipsters.

Christi Rutledge
Direct Marketing Manager Stratford Festival

Karen Elizondo
Account Executive Spektrix

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Sean ONeill
Associate Director, Adult Programming & Partnerships AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario

Plenary Panel: Dancing with the Digital Stars

Digital is no longer a buzz word or an aspiration part of the marketing and fundraising mix. Its the main launching pad for strategies and tactics. This year's Dancing with the Stars panel will shine the spotlight on how colleagues are optimizing digital - from on-line advertising to mobile websites to engaging patrons via social media to activating donors. Each star will provide their experience on a different element of the digital sphere. Come ready to ask questions and fill your toolbox.

Moderator: Brad Wilke
Co-Founder & Principal Smarthouse Creative

Michelle Haines
Director of Sales and Marketing Teatro ZinZanni

Jason Huynh
Digital Marketing Manager SEATTLE SYMPHONY

Moderator: Gina Snow
Marketing & Grant Manager Lorraine Hansberry Theatre

Moderator: Keith Tomasek
Digital Marketing Strategist

Crystal Brewe
Senior VP of Strategic Marketing & Communications Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Drew McManus
Principal Venture Industries Online

Maureen Andersen
President & CEO International Ticketing Association (INTIX)

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

Chris Dorscht
Sales Director Mirvish Productions

Jason Narin
Patron Services Manager Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Dorothy Downs
Founder and Executive Director Forest City Film Festival

Ceci Dadisman
Digital Marketing Manager FORM

Victoria Maginnis
Data Intelligence Manager Mirvish Productions

Kyle Sircus
Director of Marketing Playwrights Horizons

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Drea Kerr
Manager, Marketing & Development Stratford Summer Music

Trudy Watson
Director of Marketing Stratford Festival

Lee Barkley
Director of Technology, Consumer Experiences Lincoln Center for Performing Arts

Belinda Bale
Senior Associate Director of Communications National Ballet of Canada

Will Nolan
Senior Vice President of Communications & Administration Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy

Aaron Boyd
Senior Manager, Sales and Analytics Shaw Festival

Building Your Audience with Community Partners

From tourism bureaus to local businesses and social media influencers this panel provides case studies of how arts organizations have built partnerships in their communities to leverage funding and grow their audience.

Moderator: Keith Tomasek
Digital Marketing Strategist

Dorothy Downs
Founder and Executive Director Forest City Film Festival

Drea Kerr
Manager, Marketing & Development Stratford Summer Music

Developing Audiences in the Age of Ticket Buyers

A discussion of different philosophies behind subscription and membership development, customer loyalty and the differences between audience development and selling tickets.

Moderator: Michael Gepner
VP Marketing, Comms. and Guest Services The 5th Avenue Theatre

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

How To Learn What Your Audience Is Really Buying

There’s often a misunderstanding between what arts companies are selling and what customers are buying. Bridging this gap in understanding can lead to increased conversion rates, reduced purchase anxiety, and even the development of new products.

Come learn how to make these insights by using the jobs-to-be-done interview framework. Pioneered at Harvard Business School and perfected at startups worldwide, the interview framework shows you how to build a helpful timeline of your customer's engagement with your company — from gaining knowledge through their purchase to unpacking all of the emotions involved. Join us as we provide the tools to impart meaningful change including increased engagement and customer retention.

Who Are You and Why Should We Pay Any Attention?

If chatter is the best brand advertising for your organization, are you participating in the conversation? If word-of-mouth perks up or deflates attendance, what’s being said that really matters and what are you doing about it? When people talk about an experience with your company, are you listening? In this session, you’ll learn how to frame internal discussions that resonate when you create external messaging and advertising, to keep imagery fresh and relevant with every program, project or production, and to connect visuals with keywords that set up and excite audience expectations.

Moderator: Kim Glann
Director of Communications & Marketing Ford Theatres

Rob Bailis
Artistic and Executive Director The Broad Stage

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Bonnie Goodman
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications The Music Center

Marlinda Menashe
Director, Institutional Giving and Government Relations LA Opera

Mariluz Gonzalez
Founder/Owner Vesper Public Relations

Beyond Butts in Seats: Development Plus Marketing

Although we all work toward the same goals in the same institution, it’s often difficult to find the sweet spot between marketing and development that allows for successful collaboration and yields results which reflect well on both departments. In this session participants will explore and discuss best practices and approaches, and look in-depth at recent examples of successful collaborations that take advantage of the unique capacity and strengths of each department. Participants are encouraged to attend with their development/marketing colleagues to take full advantage of the discussion, workshop and Q&A.

Bill Rhoads
Vice President of Marketing & Communications Orchestra of St. Luke's

Stephan Jost
Director and CEO Art Gallery of Ontario

Duncan Webb
President Webb Management Services, Inc.

Julie Fossitt
Manager, Marketing and Revenue Development City of Kingston

Judy Haber
Senior Partner Performance Sponsorship Group

Rob Bailis
Artistic and Executive Director The Broad Stage

Kondwani Mwase
Executive Director of Audience Engagement National Arts Centre

John Karastamatis
Director of Communications and Programming Mirvish Productions

Dessa Hayes
Digital Discoverability Consultant CAPACOA

Crystal Wei
Director of Development Orchestra of St. Luke's

Chris Dorscht
Sales Director Mirvish Productions

Victoria Maginnis
Data Intelligence Manager Mirvish Productions

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

Sam Varteniuk
Executive Director The Registry Theatre

Tahra Millan
VP/Chief Marketing Officer Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts

Trudy Watson
Director of Marketing Stratford Festival

Belinda Bale
Senior Associate Director of Communications National Ballet of Canada

Sheree Spencer
Producer Volcano Theatre

Aaron Boyd
Senior Manager, Sales and Analytics Shaw Festival

Bridging the Gap Between Fundraising and Marketing

By changing the way your teams work together you can transform the relationships you have with your supporters. And achieving this change through data is just the beginning. To develop strategies to put fundraising campaigns at the heart of your organisation. Fundraising teams and marketing teams need to join up their understanding of their audiences, sharing data to work more effectively together and speaking to donors and potential donors in a way that recognises their relationship to your organisation at every touchpoint.

Bob Harlow
Marketing and Research Consultant Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Michelle Cutts
Director of Fundraising and Events Kennedy House

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Kari Hueber
Director of Audience Engagement Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony

Digital Audience Engagement Innovations in the Arts

Have you ever wondered what's beyond the walled gardens of Facebook and Twitter? Itching to explore new audience engagement tactics that will keep your fans on their toes? If you answered "Yes!" to either questions, then this is the panel for you! Equal parts "show and tell" and in-depth scenario planning, you'll leave this session with an headful of new ideas and approaches to keep things interesting for your audience on social media and beyond!

Moderator: Brad Wilke
Co-Founder & Principal Smarthouse Creative

Mike Lorenc
Head of Industry - Ticketing, Sports & Live Events Google

Larry Dean Harris
Principal WORDS

Barry Johnson
Digital Editor City Arts Magazine

Sarah Kavage
Consultant Sarah Kavage Studio, LLC

Jayme Yen
Director of Design & Communications On the Boards

Marketing to Multiple Audiences: Secrets to Success

Keeping up with today’s global communities demands more than a one-size-fits-all marketing plan. Katie Sword, Vice President of Marketing and Communications for NJPAC, New Jersey’s largest and most diverse performing arts center, shows how to connect to rapidly changing audiences by fine-tuning product selling points, recruiting social influencers, and using up-to-the-minute research to target customers.

Katie Sword
Vice President of Marketing New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Motivating Our Volunteer Leaders for Mutual Success

Chronic resource shortages in the arts means greater dependence on volunteers at all levels to help our organizations survive and thrive. Besides our day-to-day operational volunteers, we rely on skilled volunteer leaders to provide vision, motivation and connection. This workshop will explore best practices in engaging and motivating Board members and other high level volunteers, with an emphasis on building relationships, strengthening loyalty, and providing experiences that are fulfilling for both staff and volunteers.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Judy Slivinski
Director of Development Winnipeg Art Gallery

Alicks Girowski
Volunteer Manager Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Lindsay Saito
Marketing Producer San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

David Vella
Chair, Board of Directors JAYU

Stephanie Weisman
Artistic/Executive Director The Marsh

Olena Decock
Volunteer Office Liaison Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival

Do You Want to Play a Game? Gamification and the Arts

Gamifiction is applying the science and psychology of gaming in a non-game context to motivate and reward visitor actions. Businesses are increasingly discovering and utilizing gamification for marketing. Gamification can be leveraged to drive adoption, engagement, loyalty, sharing, and sales with ROI in mind.

In this presentation we will look at examples of gamification, from simple forms to advanced contests. We’ll show you what’s happening in other industries and how it could be applied to your organization.

Bob Harlow
Marketing and Research Consultant Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

Generational Marketing & Development I -The Research

Our markets are now made up of six generational cohorts (Seniors, Retiring, Empty Nesters, Singles, Millennials and Founders) — each with different preferences for consuming our offerings. Gain insight into the behavior of each cohort from the findings of the 2015 Patron Growth Initiative 3.0 of the Orchestra Senior Marketing Professionals group and their Development counterparts, with data analysis and research by Prescott and Associates.

Surale Phillips
Brand Research DRMTM

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Jack McAuliffe
President Engaged Audiences

Jennifer Edwards
Principal better_

Moderator: Karen Turner
Senior Manager of Patron & Operations Services Young Centre for the Performing Arts

Moderator: Carol Eggers
Director of Institutional Giving Urban Services YMCA

Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
Principal Strategist Elderstone Resource Development

Maureen Andersen
President & CEO International Ticketing Association (INTIX)

David Dombrosky
Chief Marketing Officer InstantEncore

Nathan Schwartzberg
Audience Relations Manager Soulpepper Theatre Co.

Julie Baker
CEO Californians for the Arts

Moderator: Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy;

Keith Tomasek
Director of Marketing & Digital Strategies Blyth Festival

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Laura Bessinger-Morse
Brand Messaging DRMTM

Sherri Young
Founder & Executive Director African-American Shakespeare Company

Anastassia Lavrinenko
Manager of Ticketing Operations Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Rebecca Nestle
Director of Cultural Programs and Events Grace Cathedral

Adrian Madison Cario
Executive Director Wharton San Francisco

TJ Gorton
Director of Marketing SFJAZZ

Cheryl Baldwin
Brand Design DRMTM

Gregory Hunt
Director of Development New Century Chamber Orchestra

Barry Higgins
Assistant Manager, Special Projects Royal Ontario Museum

Adam Thurman
Marketing Director American Conservatory Theater

Alicia Tos
Director of Development Smuin Contemporary Ballet

The New Mobile Paradigm – Why You MUST Understand It

It is no longer optional to have a responsive mobile website both from a visitor and search engine perspective. We will cover the impacts and necessities of mobile. What are the types, trends and consequences of your mobile site? What do your analytics tell you about mobile? What works and will work in M-commerce? (and how that may change in the next 5 minutes!). The basics and distinctions of Apps will be discussed.

Tod Wilson
Director of Sales & Marketing Arts Management Systems Ltd.

Bob Harlow
Marketing and Research Consultant Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Evan Cartwright
Data Operations Manager Seattle Symphony

Shawn Ingram
Vice President Arts Consulting Group

Moderator: Sharon Williams
Executive Director Central District Forum for Arts & Ideas

Moderator: Brad Wilke
Co-Founder & Principal Smarthouse Creative

Jackie Ernst
Consultant The Ostara Group

Moderator: Keith Tomasek
Digital Marketing Strategist

Moderator: Carol Fox
President Carol Fox and Associates

Karen Elizondo
Account Executive Spektrix

Moderator: Meghan Villanueva
Grants Manager Spectrum Dance Theater

Mason Jay Blacher
President Mason Jay Blacher & Associates

Moderator: Jen Lee
Philanthropic Advisor Seattle Foundation

Moderator: Alisa Martin
Vice President, Education Operations and Engagement Tenement Museum

Wendi Yanez
Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Moderator: Michael Gepner
VP Marketing, Comms. and Guest Services The 5th Avenue Theatre

Dorothy Downs
Founder and Executive Director Forest City Film Festival

Paul Natkin
Photographer Photo Reserve

Laurie Kinsman
Marketing Manager The ACT Arts Centre

Jérémy Jolley
Associate Director of Artistic Collaborations Seattle Symphony

Christine Lessard
Director The Presidents Circle at The University of Washington

Alina Santillan
Director Seattle Centers Racial Equity Cohort

Tera Beach
Executive Director Seattle Art Museum

Dr. Durell Cooper
Founder and CEO Cultural Innovation Group

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Drea Kerr
Manager, Marketing & Development Stratford Summer Music

Bonnie Rosenberg
Manager of Rights and Images Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago

Chris Marcacci
Director of Marketing The 5th Avenue Theatre

Sarah Manriquez
Director of Sales and Operations Manager Fairbanks Concert Association

LaNesha DeBardelaben
Executive Director Northwest African American Museum

Priya Frank
Associate Dir of Community Programs Seattle Art Museum

Sarah J. Hom
Director of Audience Services ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY

David Zivan
Group Editor Modern Luxury

Amy Gentry
Director of Sales & Marketing ACT Theatre

Christy Wood
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Sales Seattle Symphony

Robb Hunt
Executive Producer Village Theatre

Stephanie Ybarra
Program Officer Mellon Foundation

Meghan Villanueva
Formerly Marketing & Development Manager Spectrum Dance Theater

Steven Mandell
Partner Mandell Menkes LLC

Jackie Ernst
Director of Philanthropy Seattle International Film FestivalJ

Dominica Myers
Associate Director of Administration Seattle Opera

Kathy Hsieh
Cultural Partnerships and Grants Manager Seattle Office of Arts and Culture

Social Media Echo Chamber: Are We Segmenting Out Diversity?

You know your core market and the words that motivate them. Your online ad buys are strategic and effective. But do they exclude new audiences and communities you’re trying to reach? One surprising finding from a recent study by the LA County Department of Arts and Culture is that people who are regular arts-goers report they are having a harder time today finding arts events to attend. In politics, the social media “echo chamber” is said to magnify personal preferences and biases rather than open us up to unexpected and unfamiliar experiences. How does it affect arts marketing? What other surprising lessons can we learn from in-depth interviews with the people who love our work? This session will explore how to use qualitative information to complement the demographic data you collect from audiences and participants.

Bronwyn Mauldin
Director of Research and Evaluation Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture

Target Practice: Niche Marketing and Marketing Partnerships

Whether you’re one-person organization or a relatively large in-house agency, any organization needs to be as efficient as possible with their marketing dollars. In this workshop, learn how to identify and plan to reach your target market. Billboards in Times Square are not on the agenda. Also, learn to save money and stretch your resources to maximize the dollars you do spend on media, or any cross-promotion relationship, with marketing partnerships. Prepare to contribute your own successful examples, or challenges, with your colleagues.

Jennifer Hempel
Associate Director, Single Ticket Marketing Carnegie Hall

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Jordy Yack
Communications Coordinator FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

Richard J. Lefebvre, CFRE
Associate Director, Individual & Legacy Giving The National Ballet of Canada

Moderator: Tiffany Lyons
Senior Consultant Lord Cultural Resources

Patrick Courtin
Consultant

Benjamin D. Tyrrel
Director of Arts Programming College of the Arts Utah Tech University

Andrew Taylor
Associate Professor of Arts Management American University

Moderator: Alisa Martin
Vice President, Education Operations and Engagement Tenement Museum

Keith Tomasek
Director of Marketing & Digital Strategies Blyth Festival

Becky Ludkiewicz
Senior Consultant Capacity Interactive

Arie Levine
Senior Marketing Manager Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum

Dr. Durell Cooper
Founder and CEO Cultural Innovation Group

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

Sarah J. Hom
Director of Audience Services ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY

Stephanie Ybarra
Program Officer Mellon Foundation

Consumer Journeys: Personlization and its path to better ROI

Everybody loves the Arts but not everybody is made equal. Personalization taps into each of our respective interests, personalities, behaviours and desires, creating a consumer journey that speaks to people on a 1-to-1 level and ultimately leading to better ROI. Come learn some strategies that can be applied to all organizations both big and small.

Ford Shirriff
Partner/Vice President Triangles

Igniting Donors' Passions at Small to Mid-Size Organizations

Listen and learn from this seasoned group of development professionals about what steps to take to turn your fundraising efforts into long-term success.

Moderator: Carol Eggers
Director of Institutional Giving Urban Services YMCA

Erica Garber
Director of Development CatchLight

Rozella Kennedy
Director of Marketing & Development California Shakespeare Theater

Ken Levin
Director of Development San Francisco Playhouse

Deb Glazer
Development Director Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Murrey Nelson
Director of Development Chanticleer

It’s Google’s World, We Just Live In It …

In this session find out how Google AdWords can benefit your arts organization by increasing awareness of your brand. Learn new ways to target your current audience and reach new audiences.

Leverage your Google Grant to increase awareness of your brand. Integrate your Google paid campaign with your Google Grant to maximize your budget. Make search ads stand out. Learn basic retargeting techniques in both AdWords and Analytics and how to generate new audiences through keyword and placement targeting. Learn the basics of Analytics to answer questions such as: How much did my campaign bring in? It didn’t convert but was it “successful”?

Rachel Purcell
Consultant Capacity Interactive

Kerry Tucei
Marketing Manager Carnegie Hall

Jack McAuliffe
President Engaged Audiences

Moderator: Jennifer Nelson
3-D Theatricals Box Office & Sales Manager/Volunteer Services

Donna Walker-Kuhne
Senior Advisor, Community Engagement New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Moderator: Melissa Klein
Director of Sales & Marketing Blue Man Group

Crystal Brewe
Senior VP of Strategic Marketing & Communications Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Sandy Liu
Marketing & Business Consultant SL Arts & Culture Strategies

Moderator: Tiffany Lyons
Senior Consultant Lord Cultural Resources

Michael Crane
Manager, Revenue Strategies & Analytics The Broad Stage

Larae Ferry
Deputy Director of Marketing Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Rachel Detamore
Venue Advisor Goldstar

India Haggins
Director of Ticket Sales and Marketing Jazz at Lincoln Center

Winning Ways to Build Community Partnerships and Engagement

Panelists (Development, Education and Marketing Professionals) will discuss the changing role of their departments within the larger organization, and offer insights into how specific innovative programs and partnerships reach the entire community, attract new audiences, develop ongoing lasting relationships, and help meet goals. Then, step right up and share your partnership success stories with everyone.

Moderator: Jen Lee
Philanthropic Advisor Seattle Foundation

Jérémy Jolley
Associate Director of Artistic Collaborations Seattle Symphony

LaNesha DeBardelaben
Executive Director Northwest African American Museum

Christy Wood
Associate Vice President of Marketing & Sales Seattle Symphony

Jackie Ernst
Director of Philanthropy Seattle International Film FestivalJ

Generational Marketing & Development II -The Implementation

Learn the strategies and tactics performing arts organizations are employing to effectively engage members of the six generational cohorts studied in the research presented in the preceding session, Generational Marketing & Development I — The Research

Surale Phillips
Brand Research DRMTM

Jack McAuliffe
President Engaged Audiences

Larry Dean Harris
Principal WORDS

Jordana Armstrong
Founder Jordana Armstrong Marketing

Dessa Hayes
Digital Discoverability Consultant CAPACOA

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

Heather Rowland
Manager of Customer Service - Ticketing & Customer Service Lighthouse Immersive

Moderator: Art Quiñones
Marketing & Communications Officer Theatre Bay Area

Becky Ludkiewicz
Senior Consultant Capacity Interactive

April Moon
Box Office Representative Lighthouse Immersive

Meghan Jolliffe
Membership & Community Engagement Officer Theatre Bay Area

Raquel Basco
Actress

Ashley Johnson-Schwartz
Social Media Manager ODC Dance

Nakia Gibbs
Digital Marketing Associate American Conservatory Theater

How Much Would You Pay for This Show? Don't Answer, Yet…

To you, your production is priceless. After all, you know that audiences paid small fortunes to see it on Broadway...and you went over budget to get the perfect scenery, first-rate performers, and custom-designed costumes. But, do you have a sense of how much your show is worth in terms of ticket pricing? Many perceptions and preconceived notions about pricing can sometimes prevent us from setting realistic expectations and make it difficult to forecast revenue -- or plan for shortfalls!

Please join us as we discuss what we have learned about pricing. You will hear information about methods that may help you determine appropriate pricing for each show or event in your season. Our panelists will talk through effective ways to use promotional pricing and establish realistic goals for your productions. Most importantly, we want to know what you've learned too!

Moderator: Jennifer Nelson
3-D Theatricals Box Office & Sales Manager/Volunteer Services

Michael Crane
Manager, Revenue Strategies & Analytics The Broad Stage

Rachel Detamore
Venue Advisor Goldstar

Creating Custom Experiences Where Every Audience Member is a Star

Expanding upon the previous session, this panel discussion will explore how New York City's top organizations are implementing new subscription, membership and single ticket strategies to meet the demand of the rising "customized" generation.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Moderator: Jamie Grady
Principal Founder I’llgo2!

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Jason Clark
Senior Sales and Marketing Specialist rTraction Canada

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

Peter Hussell
Co-Founder F+H Partners

Amy Funk
Co-Founder F+H Partners

Natasha Wahid
Head of Marketing CourseStorm

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Sarah R. Mischner
Membership Manager BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

Maanit Zemel
Partner Zemel van Kampen LLP

Michael Gepner
Director of Marketing and Sales Paper Mill Playhouse

Reynaldi Lindner Lolong
Associate Director of Membership The Public Theater

Cultural Facilities as Fundraising and Audience Development Tools

Historically, cultural facilities have been viewed by management as simply the place where the art meets the audience, and also as a drain on scarce human and financial resources. This session will explore the idea that cultural facilities can and should be important tools for audience development and fundraising, based on recent case studies in the sector and specific examples of organizations that are getting much more value out of their facilities.

On the audience development side, we will show examples of cultural organizations that use their facilities as a way to build and strengthen customer relations, building a sense of community and loyalty to the organization through programming and special events. We will also demonstrate how facilities can themselves be used to deploy a range of effective marketing messages and programs.

For fundraising purposes, we start with the idea that every event is a fundraising event and show examples of how cultural facilities can drive annual and capital funding. Then we will explore trends in event and facility sponsorship as a means to improve financial sustainability.

Are Your Surveys Designed for Past Behavior or Taking a Pulse NOW?

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Can a New Model of Media Partnership Help Diversify Arts Coverage?

Arts coverage in mainstream media has drastically declined. This trend is only getting worse. Intermission Magazine was created not only to help fill this void, but to explore a new, more collaborative relationship between arts organizations and media. Through tailored partnerships with arts organizations, Intermission is looking to elevate the conversation with audiences about artists and the work they do. This decentralized model of arts coverage is also opening up the conversation -- creating more diversity in the voices covering the arts. In this panel, as an example of this new model, we’ll discuss the partnership between Intermission and Obsidian, Canada’s leading culturally specific theatre company, and how they approached covering Obsidian’s 2018/19 season.

Moderator: Philip Riccio
Artistic Director The Company Theatre

Michael Sinclair
General Manger Obsidian Theatre

Mirali Almaula
Editor-in-Chief Intermission

Did You Vote?: Arts Marketing Lessons Learned from the 2016 Election

The 2016 Presidential election is still relatively close in our rearview mirror, however the lessons learned will reverberate for years to come. During this session, we’re not talking about the politics, but rather the strategies, gamesmanship and tactics used within a bruising $1.5 billion campaign that can be takeaways for us all in our future marketing, advertising and communication plans.

This wide-ranging discussion will provide insight from an election campaign in which we all participated and will provide takeaways to help you in your next marketing, promotional or fundraising project. Topics include identifying and motivating your base, the new social media reality, managing online content in the post-election landscape, smart marketing ROI, challenging the status quo, dancing with data and ten top takeaways to put to use upon the return to your office.

Sean King
Principal Aspire Arts Consulting

Kenneth Foster
Account Executive Spektrix

Moderator: Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy;

Rebecca Nestle
Director of Cultural Programs and Events Grace Cathedral

TJ Gorton
Director of Marketing SFJAZZ

Adam Thurman
Marketing Director American Conservatory Theater

Reinventing the Wheel: How to Keep Rolling in the Face of Big Change

The performing arts world is full of change. Audience demographics are shifting. Funding opportunities continue to be a moving target. The local and global economy are in flux. That change can show up in different ways for different organizations. What happens when you're faced with a big change that makes you evaluate your reason for being and where to go next?

In this session, Amanda Fleming will highlight how the Toronto Centre for the Arts has navigated a big shift in mandate that resulted in not one but two new audiences, and a major construction project that split its main stage into two remarkable performance spaces. Together, Amanda and Ellipsis Digital's Brett McKenzie will share how the venue's story translated into the online space, and how that space has helped to serve and promote the Centre's clients like never before.

Amanda Fleming
New Media + Marketing Coordinator Toronto Centre for the Arts

Zannie Voss
Director National Center for Arts Research and Professor of Arts Management at Southern Methodist University

Brett McKenzie
Relationship Manager Ellipsis Digital

Moderator: Michael Gepner
VP Marketing, Comms. and Guest Services The 5th Avenue Theatre

Laurie Kinsman
Marketing Manager The ACT Arts Centre

Andrew Amos
Business Development Manager Ellipsis Digital

Chris Marcacci
Director of Marketing The 5th Avenue Theatre

Amy Gentry
Director of Sales & Marketing ACT Theatre

Finding the Synergy Between Funder Priorities and Organizational Needs

Stop trying to "sell" something others do not want! Tips and insight for looking between the lines on what funders may be interested in supporting, while simultaneously searching for ways to turn that "may" into a "will" through strategic thinking and planning.

Christina Salerno
Executive Director Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Ellen Placey Wadey
Senior Program Officer, Arts & Collections Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Edna M. Togba
Chief Development Officer Chicago Sinfonietta

Kim Goldman
Managing Director Lucky Plush Productions

Nathan Armstrong
Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations WTTW|WFMT

Corporate Sponsorships: What Do You Have to Sell, and How Do You Deliver?

Hear from three seasoned professionals on where they’ve been and where they’re headed in their corporate sponsorship strategies on pricing, activation, and fulfillment. What have been their successes and what have they learned? Then chime in with your own stories and questions about where to go from here.

Moderator: Shruti Adhar
Director of Development & Engagement Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Christina Salerno
Executive Director Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Fredrick Wodin
Director, Corporate Relations New York City Ballet

Ellen Placey Wadey
Senior Program Officer, Arts & Collections Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Jonathan Goldman
Manager, Corporate Relations & Sponsorships Carnegie Hall

Edna M. Togba
Chief Development Officer Chicago Sinfonietta

Chantal Bernard
Director, Corporate Relations and Sponsorships BAM

Kim Goldman
Managing Director Lucky Plush Productions

Nathan Armstrong
Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations WTTW|WFMT

Audience 360: Broadening Audience Reach Within A Performing Arts Collective

In just under 3 years, with over 40 performing arts groups, sharing a collective database of over 4 million unique households and growing, Audience 360 is becoming a vital coalition for NYC’s Performing Arts Marketers. A marketing, research and advocacy tool, its goals are to cost-effectively identify targeted and qualified arts consumers; to simplify cultural list exchanges between participating non-profit arts organizations, reducing list exchange fees; and examine consumer behavior through market analysis and aggregated research. Come learn about the many benefits of such a collective from Committee Chairperson, Eric Nelson of Kaufman Music Center, and hear specific case studies from two of its members – Phil Haas, Director of Marketing for Primary Stages and Michael Naess, Director of Marketing and Communications for Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.

Moderator: Eric Nelson
Director of Marketing & Communications Kaufman Music Center

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Shawn Ingram
Vice President Arts Consulting Group

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
Principal Strategist Elderstone Resource Development

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Dessa Hayes
Digital Transformation Agent CAPACOA

Jeremy Wine
Elevent Co-Founder

Amy Karlin
Digital Marketing Strategist National Arts Centre

Morgan Pannunzio
Data and Media Project Manager CAPACOA

Building a Successful Major Gifts Plan for Small to Mid-Sized Organizations

How does an organization shift from year-to-year annual giving campaigns to the strategic development of major gifts - while still not losing site of annual realities? The process of building a major gifts plan for organizations in the small to mid range is not as linear as most of us would hope, yet careful planning, action, and patience can set the stage for success.

Christina Salerno
Executive Director Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Dancing with the Stars: What Do Customers Expect in 2016 — and Beyond?

Companies place a great deal of importance on meeting customer expectations. For some, providing a good customer “experience” is a top strategic priority, but what does that mean and what else should you be considering? Hear from experts as they share what customers are expecting in 2016, covering a spectrum from data analytics, the digital experience and the in-person experience to name a few.

Moderator: Amanda Zook
Director of Business Development DCM

Dov Goldstein
Principal Consultant Lord Cultural Resources

John O'Dell
Patron Advancement Officer Cleveland Orchestra

Peter Baker
Vice President and Practice Leader Environics Analytics

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Ford Shirriff
Partner/Vice President Triangles

The Room Where It Happens: The Eternal Struggle of Marketing vs. Programming

With all due respect to Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of "Hamilton," “No-one really knows how the game is played” or “How the sausage gets made” but for far too long marketing has not been in the room where programming and fundraising decisions happen. Attend this session and explore ways for marketing to have a seat at the table when the major decisions facing your organization are made but also learn strategies to maximize the impact of marketing when the deals are already done.

A quick survey of your current relationship with the programming department will kick the conversation into overdrive for attendees who are faced with advertising and selling programming, which in many cases are not of their own doing. Lest we not forget about fundraising! The impact marketing has on your organization’s fundraising is what leads to success and in some cases to not reaching its full potential. Leave this session with eight actionable takeaways to empower you to schedule a meeting with your boss and fellow colleagues immediately upon your return.

Rachel Purcell
Consultant Capacity Interactive

Sean King
Principal Aspire Arts Consulting

Julie Baker
CEO Californians for the Arts

Achieving Fundraising Growth by Aligning Donor Messaging with Donor Behaviors

Considering today’s realities of lean staff teams and scarce financial resources, how can arts organizations maximize fundraising results within these limitations? One of the most effect ways is to ensure that internal and external messaging used in fundraising efforts aligns with the values and motivations that drive philanthropic decisions. This session will explore ways that arts organizations can remain competitive in attracting and retaining donors by understanding their changing motivations and behaviors. Learn how to best create compelling opportunities for deeper engagement with new prospects and existing donors.

Shawn Ingram
Vice President Arts Consulting Group

Moderator: Jennifer Nelson
3-D Theatricals Box Office & Sales Manager/Volunteer Services

Courtney Moore
Senior Venue Advisor Goldstar Events

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

Marketing + Development: Breaking Down Barriers / Building New Strategies

Whether it’s earned or donated, the revenue marketing and development is responsible for generating ultimately addresses an identical goal: to serve and further the mission and interests of your organization. How can both departments work effectively together to achieve revenue targets and engagement goals? Marketing and Development professionals from a variety of disciplines and business models discuss real-life examples of effective coordination and clarify some essential differences between the two departments that could pose challenges to successful collaboration.

Moderator: Bill Rhoads
Executive Director The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia

Bruce Leto, Jr.
Membership Manager Curtis Institute of Music

Click. Click. Done. "Must-Have" Google Analytics Settings And Reports

Without a doubt, Google Analytics does all sorts of great things, but that doesn’t mean you are getting a complete picture. To get every benefit of the data, you’ll need to activate and/or setup several key features.

Focusing on the nuts and bolts of Google Analytics, all attendees will receive step-by-step instruction for setting up and using the service, including optimizing data quality and creating custom reports. Participants will master the implementation of must-have settings, configurations, and straightforward yet effective dashboard tools.

Participants are asked to bring their own laptop for this hands-on seminar and will benefit from a substantive Q&A session.

Learning Objectives

Activate Demographics and User Metrics
Filtering Out Your Own Visits
Activate Search Tracking and Enhanced Link Attribution
Adjusting Session Settings and Campaign Lengths
Setting Your Primary URL
Activating Google signals
Basic and Custom Reporting
How Segmentation can lower costs and maximize engagement

Drew McManus
Principal Venture Industries Online

Ceci Dadisman
Digital Marketing Manager FORM

Arts Funding is Dead: Strategies to Breathe Life Back into Your Development Plan

Patron apathy and atrophy, societal changes, foundation recalibration, media overload and more have all put arts funding on life support. Join us for this session exploring the challenges we face and new strategies to take back to the office to help your organization and development department reimagine it's role in the community. It's time for a new story and we'll give you some helpful building blocks to write your winning narrative.

Sean King
Principal Aspire Arts Consulting

How Are You Doing? The Art and Science of a Marketing & Communications Audit

Why should accountants have all the fun? Conducting a Marketing & Communications Audit is an essential first step for some and a necessary annual check-up for all. Learn evaluation techniques to make sure your organization’s marketing plan is on target. What needs to be added? What can be left out? This fast-paced interactive session will guide you through the steps you should take to review your media mix, messaging and market. Is your message on point? Are you maximizing your social media platforms? Are you reaching all of your audiences effectively? Are you saving time and money by letting go of things that aren’t working? Gain unique insights into your current plan and access to a do-it-yourself kit for 2016 success.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Roger Sametz
President and Chief Executive Officer Sametz Blackstone Associates

Jason Clark
Senior Sales and Marketing Specialist rTraction Canada

Judy Haber
Senior Partner Performance Sponsorship Group

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Aubrey Bergauer
Chief Executive Officer Changing the Narrative

Richard J. Lefebvre, CFRE
Associate Director, Individual & Legacy Giving The National Ballet of Canada

Jeremy Wine
Elevent Co-Founder

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Todd Vigil
Founder & CEO EleeHub | Pathfinder Search Ads

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

Rebecca Lee
Senior Strategist Banfield Agency

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Content: The Currency of Digital Marketing

Content is the Currency of Digital Marketing. But as arts marketers, we must wear a lot of hats. Our to-do lists are a mile long and we rarely have an opportunity to brainstorm creative and inspiring content ideas. Yet, the pressure is on. With a constant stream of social content fighting for people’s attention, how well are you reaching your audience online? This session will give you some of the tools you need to help you create more compelling content. This session will also include tips for creating great social advertising content so you can put your content to work for you.

Rachel Purcell
Consultant Capacity Interactive

Do Your Customer Services Support Your Organization’s Vision and Vice Versa?

Sometimes an organization’s frontline customer service staffs are not always in step with the company’s identity or artistic vision. And often, they can be the last to know what’s going on. In this session we’ll discuss options for training both leadership and core service staff to articulate and maximize an organization’s ongoing vision or current offerings for the public. They need a lot more than a press release or marketing blurb. Is your organization on the “cutting-edge” for performances or an exhibition and are your inside or outside services staff prepared to talk about what makes “on-the-edge” appealing? Most importantly, do your company policies support contemporary customer service practices? If you could provide your customer with a genuine surprise experience, what would it be? Let’s talk about that in this session!

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Leveraging Non-Ticketed Events for Lead Generation and Attracting Diverse Audiences

It is often hard to capture data for guests attending free and non-ticketed events. Many of these events attract guests that are not (yet) ticket buyers. What are other types of events they are interested in attending? What information are you communicating to them while they’re on your site? More importantly, what and how are you communicating with them after your event is over? With no point-of-sale transaction, there is not an opportunity to collect this information – or is there?

Three Key Learnings:

Systems developed to collect guest data for conversion purposes.
Methods of communication following attendance to non-ticketed events.
The importance of surveying to better cultivate future relationships.

Crystal Brewe
Senior VP of Strategic Marketing & Communications Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Smart Digital Fundraising When Money is Tight

Join us for a discussion with top arts professionals on ways to use digital channels to reach your audiences, spark engagement, and raise more money. We’ll discuss how to make your website donor-ready, improve your donation pages, choose the right donor platform, create powerful email fundraising campaigns, promote monthly giving, use social media, grow your email list, and invest in digital advertising to raise money online.

Moderator: Michael Stein
Senior Director of Partnerships at EveryAction

Kathleen Gaines
MarinArts Marketing & Development Director

Mark Sabb
Senior Director of Innovation and Engagement Museum of the African Diaspora

Creating a Performance ‘Test-Drive’: Reaching and Building New Audiences

In September 2012, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony presented its first Season Preview concert to a sold-out house. The purpose of this concert was to reach people who had never attended the KWS and introduce them to the experience, while giving them a sneak peek of the season ahead. Through creative programming, leveraging partnerships, building sponsorship relationships and managing costs, this annual event has become integral to new patron acquisition, bringing in upwards of 300 subscribers per season! This case study will outline the essential elements, applicable to arts organizations of all genres, used by the KWS to create an event that allows prospective patrons or clients to experience their core product and entice them to buy.

Bob Harlow
Marketing and Research Consultant Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Nancy Schnarr
Communications & Digital Strategies Manager Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony

Dr. Bruce D. Thibodeau
President Arts Consulting Group

Alex Freeman
Regional Sales Director BroadwayWorld

Kari Hueber
Director of Audience Engagement Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Strategic Video Content for Arts Organizations

It’s no longer a question of whether or not you should be using video to reach strategic development, awareness and ticketing goals. The question is: “How can you be utilizing video content most effectively?”

In this discussion, you’ll learn how to maximize your video project budget to achieve multiple goals and discover the tools to multi-purpose video production assets across silos in your organization without sacrificing the unique storytelling requirements for each individual audience. Best of all, you’ll workshop a real-world example to experience how these tactics apply to situations meaningful to you and your organization.

Stephanie Shaterian
Owner fLO Content Marketing

Turning Yours and Mine Into Ours: Developing Effective Partnerships with Host Venues

"The seats are fantastic, the proscenium is the perfect size, the box office is well-staffed, the ushers are standing by, the bar is stocked....” thing is, none of this stuff belongs to your company.

Many theater companies must rent space or partner with host venues to get productions in front of audiences, often having no direct control over box office practices, customer service, or venue restrictions. How can we effectively work with host or rental venues to market our shows and produce the experiences that we want for our patrons?"

Issues addressed in this session include:

How do you sell tickets when you cannot sell your own tickets?
The venue staff are not as invested in your work as you are.
You are removed from your subscribers and clients by at least one degree.
Your company is constantly being confused with the venue - or vice versa.
What happens when the venue staff receives feedback regarding your company or your production?

Tom Mitze
Interim Programming Director Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

BT McNICHOLL
Producing Artistic Director La Mirada Theatre

From First to Loyal: Converting Your Newest Patrons to Returning Visitors and Beyond!

Congratulations! You have new patrons in your doors! But how do you engage and retain them? Learn fail-proof ways to bring back your newest audiences and convert them to lifetime patrons and donors.

Gina DiRado
Director of Development Orphaned Starfish Foundation

John Issendorf
Owner Issendorf Projects

How to Increase Ticket Sales with Video - A Guide to Making Video Promos More Effective

There is a reason why some promo videos inspire audiences while others don't. And it has little to do with how much you spend or how technically savvy you are. In this session, you will learn the secrets behind many of the most successful videos, what they do differently, how that difference drives an emotional response in the viewer, and how you can too.

Mike Lorenc
Head of Industry - Ticketing, Sports & Live Events Google

Mark Ciglar
Founder and Creative Director Cinevative

Larry Dean Harris
Principal WORDS

The Time is NOW for Implementing a Diversity Plan: A Conversation with Donna Walker-Kuhne

Most arts organizations have plans for adopting diversity and inclusion practices more earnestly, but too often those plans are not implemented for any number of reasons. It’s time to get past the planning phase and on to the doing phase. Listen in as Cathy Levin interviews nationally renowned expert Donna Walker-Kuhne on how to truly diversify your audience, your Board, your staff and more, and then contribute your comments to the conversation and ask your questions specific to your situation.

Cathy Levin
Vice President of Marketing New Jersey Symphony Orchestra

Keith Tomasek
Lecturer Western University

Moderator: Jamie Bennett
Thought Leader Lord Cultural Resources

David Dombrosky
Chief Marketing Officer InstantEncore

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Dessa Hayes
Digital Transformation Agent CAPACOA

Sue Edworthy
Consutant Sue Edworthy Arts Planning

Alex Freeman
Regional Sales Director BroadwayWorld

Patrick Courtin
Consultant

Donna Walker-Kuhne
Vice President Community Engagement New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Tom Mitze
Interim Programming Director Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

Kevin A. Ormsby
Artistc Director KasheDance

Moderator: Katherine Carleton
Executive Director Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada

Nicole Rosky
Editor-in-Chief BroadwayWorld

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

Nasim Niknafs
Associate Dean, Research, Associate Professor: Music Education, Coordi University of Toronto

Maya Lohcham
Director of Marketing and Communications Victoria Symphony

BT McNICHOLL
Producing Artistic Director La Mirada Theatre

Kelly Langgard
Director & CEO Toronto Arts Council

Connal McNamara
Marketing Manager The Cultch

Owais Lightwala
Assistant Professor Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University

Kathy Vito
Patron Development Manager The Cultch

“That Aria Was Lit” – The Art of Communicating with Your Online Audience

Social media isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and online audiences expect more. Diverse content, quicker customer service and more videos! Learn about best practices, good places to spend your advertising dollars and get some great ideas when it comes to connecting with your patrons online.

Jordy Yack
Communications Coordinator FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Black Friday vs. Giving Tuesday: Fostering a Culture of Philanthropy in a Distracted World

Today’s donors are faced with an ever-increasing number of options on how to allocate their charitable gifts each year, from buying membership in the Maestro’s Circle to supporting the crowdfunder looking to start a microbusiness. In this complex fundraising environment, how can we nurture and nudge donors from transactional and incentivised giving to a philanthropic mindset. This panel will explore the shifts in organizational thinking and behaviour that are necessary to foster a culture of philanthropy, where engagement, alignment with values, and relationships are key.

Dan Meagher
Director of Audience Development & Digital Strategy Diablo Ballet

Cynde Cerf
Marketing and Communication Coordinator Chandler Center for the Arts

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

Judy Slivinski
Director of Development Winnipeg Art Gallery

Ruth Egherman
Director of Marketing and Sales Artsmarketing Services

Jane Hilton
Senior Manager, Philanthropy and Major Gifts Art Gallery of Ontario

Teri Worthington Coombs
Director of Development Soulpepper

What’s in a Name? The Many Angles to Selling Naming Rights and Corporate Sponsorships

Judy will review the various categories that are active in both Naming Rights and corporate sponsorship, and outline what is required in order to secure partnerships with various categories.

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Can 100% Digital Marketing Work for Your Organization?

The Phoenix Symphony, has allocated 100% of their single ticket advertising budget to digital for over two seasons. That’s right, zero print ads, good postcards, thanks-for-nothing television and radio. In this session, you’ll learn about the Symphony’s digital evolution, and see how the Symphony used data and experimentation to arrive at this progressive budget. Discover how this real live case study is playing out with $4,000,000 in annual ticket sales on the line—hint: record breaking results & growing audiences.

After this session, you’ll be able to:

Implement an iterative and strategic approach to increasing your digital advertising
Evaluate how to set, measure and implement key KPI’s to prove, justify and communicate your progress
Double down what marketing efforts are working and discontinue or cut back efforts that are not
Prove or disprove paradigms in your industry using data (e.g. older audiences don’t use social media)

Todd Vigil
Founder & CEO EleeHub | Pathfinder Search Ads

A Great Artistic Program Isn’t Enough: Rethinking Our Approach to the Patron Experience

It’s no longer about competing with a neighboring theatre or cinema. Now, your organization also has to compete with Netflix, XBox and Youtube. So in a world where the boundaries between physical and digital are blurred, the question is: how do you approach building a meaningful relationship with your audience?

This isn’t about building a better website (although that’s a good start) but about thinking about the customer experience as a whole. We’ll explore the key changes we need to make to how we work so we can stand out from the crowd and set arts organizations up for long term success.

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy

Moderator: Carol Eggers
Director of Institutional Giving Urban Services YMCA

Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
Principal Strategist Elderstone Resource Development

Moderator: Philip Riccio
Artistic Director The Company Theatre

Carl Sylvestre
Principal Carl Sylvestre Consulting

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Alex Freeman
Regional Sales Director BroadwayWorld

Wendi Yanez
Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Joe Wettstead
Director of Client Success accesso ShoWare

Michael Sinclair
General Manger Obsidian Theatre

Emma Moon
Executive Director and CEO Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale

Suzy Silvestre
Recreation Program Coordinator Lancaster Performing Arts Center

Mirali Almaula
Editor-in-Chief Intermission

Engaging the Modern Day Ticket Buyer: Turn the Last Minute Ticket Buyer into a Lifelong Patron

Engaging the Modern Day Ticket Buyer: How to Turn the Last Minute Purchaser into a Lifelong Patron

The modern day ticket buyer is unlikely to plan ahead and inclined to purchase last minute tickets (a recent study shows that 55% of fans buy their tickets the week before a performance, usually due to reduced prices). This session will present strategies to engage the fickle, new theatre-goer throughout the lifespan of your event - from engaging them before they enter the theater, to how to interact during and after the event to keep them coming back. Align marketing, development and box office operations through patron data, in order to best appeal to and retain a dedicated audience. Learn to grow your patron base, while discovering additional resources outside of grants and private donations to keep your business thriving.

Mike Lorenc
Head of Industry - Ticketing, Sports & Live Events Google

Kathryn Hunt
Product Marketing Manager Vendini

Moderator: Art Quiñones
Marketing & Communications Officer Theatre Bay Area

Meghan Jolliffe
Membership & Community Engagement Officer Theatre Bay Area

Raquel Basco
Actress

Ashley Johnson-Schwartz
Social Media Manager ODC Dance

Nakia Gibbs
Digital Marketing Associate American Conservatory Theater

Lions and Tigers and Blogs, Oh My! Revealing What’s Behind the Curtain with Content Marketing

We are not in Kansas anymore. Current and potential audiences are hungry for insights into our organizations and what we present, but how best to deliver the goods? This panel of thought-leaders will discuss blogs, videos, podcasts and all sorts of media now being used to educate and engage. Attend this session and click your heels together three times. That’s all it takes to make your offerings irresistable!

Moderator: Bill Watson
Director of Media & Marketing WordTheatre

Nicole Dunn
CEO Dunn Pellier Media, Inc.

Tom Loveman
Producer/Writer/Editor/Marketing Specialist

Liz Linares
Co-Founder RousseauLinares

Natacha Rousseau
Public Relations Consultant RousseauLinares

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Your Site is Launched: What is Important for Ongoing Success?

Once your site is launched you should assess your digital presence. We will walk you through options (strategic and tactical) for assessing your results and cover some vital ongoing necessities such as optimization, maintenance and security. This is how you can turn your website from a beautiful showcase into a conversion engine targeted at ticket buyers and donors.

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Digital Diversification: Meeting Your Demographic Where They Are

Learn about some of the diverse ways you can digitally reach out to your target demographics in order to promote your programming. Use your budget effectively, track conversions and be more creative with your marketing. Pixels to Pandora, Geofencing to SEO, this is more than a presentation, but also a discussion to create inspired ideas that attendees can take away and use right away.

Cynde Cerf
Marketing and Communication Coordinator Chandler Center for the Arts

Why Are They Just Not That Into You? Creative Audience Building Strategies That Repeatedly Bring Visitors Back

Arts organizations are struggling to stay relevant to ever changing audience preferences and behaviors. As audiences age, pockets get tighter and competition for attention gets fiercer -- continuing to do what worked in the past just won’t cut it. Come join our discussion as we share this interactive session on:

Breaking out of the scarcity mindset and burnout cycle
Common misconceptions and mistakes of audience building strategies
The changing mindset of younger audiences
Analyzing the Audience Journey based on RAND’s behavioral model
How to identify visitor churn and get ahead of it
The 3 elements of ongoing audience engagement

Walk away with frameworks to building sustainable audiences you can apply to your organization today.

Sandy Liu
Marketing & Business Consultant SL Arts & Culture Strategies

Going Beyond The Performance: National Town Hall Meeting on Elevating The Role The Arts Play In Social And Civic Discussion

Over the past several months (and throughout the course of the presidential election) it has become clear that America has work to do. The arts have a unique ability to create space for necessary conversations and thoughtfulness around urgent civic and social issues. In this panel we will explore the role the arts play in social and civic dialogue, discuss how we as arts administrators can support art that works towards social change, and learn from various arts groups how they have been successful in sparking conversations beyond the performance.

Jade Solomon Curtis
Founder, Dance Artist and Choreographer Solo Magic

Phillip Chavira
Executive Director Intiman Theatre

Cambria Roth
Audience Engagement Coordinator Crosscut.com

Meghan Villanueva
Formerly Marketing & Development Manager Spectrum Dance Theater

James Miles
Executive Director Arts Corps

Simon Woods
President & CEO Seattle Symphony

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Hunters & Gatherers: Tracking Down Audiences Through Search, Display & Social Media

Serving potenial audiences with the right message at the right time in the right way is the key to success in the digital world. Come learn from these seasoned pros what is working for them and how you can apply it to your own situation right now.

Moderator: Brad Wilke
Co-Founder & Principal Smarthouse Creative

Chris Marcacci
Director of Marketing The 5th Avenue Theatre

Sarah Manriquez
Director of Sales and Operations Manager Fairbanks Concert Association

Part of the Digital Marketing Track - Find Out Who the Other 67% of Your Audience Is: How In-Venue Technology is Uncovering “Ghost Audiences”

Imagine if you could capture and sell to everyone who is coming to your shows but hasn’t bought a ticket yet because they are coming with someone who purchased the tickets for them. This hidden audience is a prime market for buying your tickets, you just need to find out who they are!

Most theatres only know one-third of the audience members sitting in their seats. The other two-thirds -- or the non-ticket buyers -- remain a mystery. New in-venue engagement technologies are changing the house map by de-anonymizing audience members and providing a full, 360-degree view of who sits in your seats on any given night. By linking ticket transaction data with on-site patron data – acquired via wifi, social check-ins, pixels and native apps – your venue can employ applications in audience mining, local cross-promotion, and ancillary data monetization that lead to richer patron data, deeper relationships, and more effective marketing opportunities.

THREE KEY LEARNINGS:

Know more than a patron’s zip code – demographic breakdowns combined with social preference and interest data is essential for audience mining and lucrative data-based revenue streams.
Think outside the seat – concessions, parking, Instagram pics… every piece of information helps you learn more about your audience and their preferences.
Sharing is caring: and it pays the bills –Your clients and fellow luxury brands want and need robust data and behavioral information -- become your industry’s supplier.

Sarah Hutton
Director of Sales Choice Entertainment Technologies

Getting Results with Facebook

Sell more tickets with both organic and paid Facebook content.

Keith Tomasek
Lecturer Western University

The Board's Role in Fundraising

It’s human nature to dislike asking for money so it’s not surprising most individuals aren’t comfortable fundraisers! One of the responsibilities of board members is the fiscal health of the organization. Even if they’ve got enough money to hire a fundraiser, believing they can “just delegate that nasty task” is naive, and sets everyone up for failure.

Effective fund development is a team effort that relies on a charity’s board of directors serving as a link to the broader community. Unfortunately, we have done a very poor job of championing our board ambassadors and providing the necessary training and tools for their success.

Only 5% of the fund development process requires asking for a gift. This workshop will help you understand the variety of roles board members can play. We’ll also examine how recruitment strategies and orientation make or break this team effort.

Join governance and fundraising veteran Cynthia Armour (CFRE) for a lively presentation and conversation that will strengthen communication, expectations and results.

Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
Principal Strategist Elderstone Resource Development

Disruptive Technologies and The Arts

Disruptive technologies are dramatic changes in technology – a giant leap that will transform your patron’s life and your interactions with them. Internet of Things (IoT) is the paradigm where the disruptions are occurring.

In this session, we will bullet-list aspects of IoT now available for the arts plus what is on the horizon. Then you will be able to apply this information to your story, budget and circumstances and see when you will be ready for IoT. Topics will include: Augmented and Enhanced Reality, Internet of Time, Smart Cities and other disruptions. You’ll understand the lingo and have an idea how to start NOW.

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Dessa Hayes
Digital Discoverability Consultant CAPACOA

The Fundamentals of Corporate Sponsorship

This session is designed for anyone interested in learning more about the business of Corporate Sponsorship and Naming Rights.

Using case studies, items such as prospecting (who gets on your list), packaging (what should the sales document look like) and the sales process will be covered in this highly interactive session.

Judy Haber
Senior Partner Performance Sponsorship Group

Breaking Down the Silos with Cross-Functional Teams

It’s time to transcended the limits of functional boundaries to create flexible teams that can meet the challenges of a changing marketplace. Join these seasoned professionals for a lively discussion on when it makes sense to combine forces with colleagues from other departments for more reach, more revenue, and more relevance.

Evan Cartwright
Data Operations Manager Seattle Repertory Theatre

Maria Kolby-Wolfe
Major Gift Officer, Campaign SEATTLE SYMPHONY

2X Sponsorship: Raise Your Sights to Raise More Money

Imagine if you could double your sponsorship dollars -- that's 2X Sponsorship. The session will get you started on this highly achievable goal -- raising your sights and giving you specific, success-oriented tools. First, we'll cover how to build sponsorship properties (opportunities) that provide dramatically more value to partners. Then, we'll review how to start developing sponsorship benefits that get both your sponsors and creative team excited. Lastly, we'll go through how to craft a solicitation plan that more consistently and successfully moves prospects from first contact to cheque writing. To support each of these three strategies, you will receive three cutting-edge tools -- a Properties Matrix, a Benefits Ledger and a Moves Calendar. Finally, you'll go home with a specific to-do list so you can hit the ground running when you're back on the job. So, don't miss this opportunity to give your programs and facilities more of the funds they truly deserve.

William Pitcher
Founder Pitcher Group Sponsorship + Philanthropy

5 Steps to Optimize Your Website for Maximum Effectiveness

Your website needs to serve as the center of your online presence. Beyond attracting attention with a great design, it also needs to be easily discoverable and easily convert visitors into purchasers. Get some tips from Dream Warrior Group, an Arts Reach partner in creating websites for arts organizations, on the importance of mobile-friendly designs, improving your SEO, and creating a site that is easily navigable for your visitors – whether they are buying tickets or making a donation.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Cut the Noise: Better Campaign Results with Donor Personas

Are your fundraising campaigns falling short of expectations? Do you struggle to connect with donors in a meaningful way? It's time to cut through the noise and address your donors' real pain points. In this eye-opening session, you'll discover how to harness the power of donor personas to supercharge your campaign results and solve common fundraising challenges.

You'll learn:

Why traditional segmentation isn't enough in today's crowded fundraising landscape
How to create detailed, actionable donor personas that go beyond demographics
Techniques for uncovering and addressing your donors' true pain points and motivations
Practical strategies for tailoring your messaging and outreach to each persona's specific needs
Tools to help you easily create your own donor personas and better target your fundraising strategies to them
Real-world examples of organizations that have transformed their results by addressing donor pain points through personas

Through interactive exercises and case studies, you'll leave this session equipped with the knowledge and tools to create compelling campaigns that resonate with your donors' deepest concerns and aspirations. Whether you're new to persona development or looking to refine your existing approach, this session will help you cut through the noise, address key pain points, and achieve better campaign results.

Join this session and take the first step towards more effective, personalized campaigns that truly speak to your donors' needs and drive real impact for your cause.

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

On Your Path to a Successful, Rewarding Career in the Arts

You’re passionate and challenged by the prospects of a long-term career in a field you truly care about. Burn-out is the number one career killer, especially for early and mid-career managers. Building strong strategic analytical skill sets, maintaining on-going learning cycles, and paying close attention to future trends are among the many keys to gaining a strong foundation for a rewarding career in the arts. Our panel brings together distinguished professionals to share their secrets, challenges and ultimately their inspirations for a lifetime of passion. Bring your aspirations and questions.

Amelia Heape
Director of Marketing Hollywood Pantages

Kay Burnham
Vice President, Guest Services Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Sara Fousekis
Assistant Dean of Development USC School of Dramatic Arts

Charles Dillingham
Former Managing Director Center Theatre Group

Arts Marketing vs The World: Overcoming Routine Marketing Challenges

Working in arts marketing can sometimes feel like swimming against the tide: you know you have a great product/experience, but there are a number of challenges that steer you away from building the effective campaign you have in mind.

Arts marketers often have to navigate the artistic team/marketing divide, struggle with design restrictions from producing companies, use “boxed” campaigns that don’t resonate with the local market…all while working with a shoestring budget.

In this session, we will discuss some tactics on how to overcome these common barriers and produce creative campaigns that break through... and turn the tide.

Alison Uttley
Associate Director, Marketing Luminato Festival

Roxana Rusowsky
Interactive Marketing Manager SONY CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

How To Secure Corporate Partners And Where To Find Your Best Prospects

This session, using case studies, will demonstrate how active the business of corporate sponsorship and naming rights has been over the past 24 months and how you can tap into it now for significantly increased revenue. Highly interactive, Judy Haber will describe the process she goes through with clients to attract corporate partners in the new environment. She will share her extensive experience selling naming rights and corporate sponsorships. Judy is considered to be a sales expert by her peers in the industry; please bring your questions for Judy!

Judy Haber
Senior Partner Performance Sponsorship Group

Marketing and Optimization with a Side of AI are Definitely on the 2024 Menu

SEO is not dead – but it is always different. Keeping up with best practices is vital to your relevant traffic. DWG will provide an overview of the basics, a discussion of recent changes and how AI can make this better and easier. They’ll share what you can do on your own and what requires support from informed SEO experts. Bring your questions, analytics, and examples for discussion.

Marketing of Performances/Events includes optimizing them as well as using AI to enhance your marketing calendar. DWG will show examples of how AI can help with your marketing/optimization planning.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Hunters & Gatherers: Tracking Down Audiences Through Search & Display

Moderator: Brad Wilke
Co-Founder & Principal Smarthouse Creative

Michelle Haines
Director of Sales and Marketing Teatro ZinZanni

Jason Huynh
Digital Marketing Manager SEATTLE SYMPHONY

Dancing with the Stars! Winning Ways to Build Community Partnerships and Engagement

Panelists (Development and Marketing Professionals) will discuss the changing role of their departments within the larger organization, and offer insights into how specific innovative programs and partnerships reach the entire community, attract new audiences, develop ongoing lasting relationships, and help meet goals. Then, step right up and share your partnership success stories with everyone.

Moderator: Frank Stilwagner
Director of Development Village Theatre

Aubrey Bergauer
Chief Executive Officer Changing the Narrative

Andrew L. Haines
Director of Marketing and Communications SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE

Melissa Husby
Associate Director of Development - Institutional Giving SEATTLE REPERTORY THEATRE

Laura Reynolds
Director of Education & Community Engagement Seattle Symphony

New Branding Strategies for Driving Ticket Growth: When Clarity of Brand Helps Boost Overall Sales

Embracing change is fundamental to the success of any arts organization, but it can be intimidating to deviate from a longstanding strategy. Join us for a discussion with Michelle Haines, VP of Sales and Marketing at Teatro Zinzanni, to learn how they increased ticket sales by shifting to a brand-centric sales strategy that delivers the ultimate customer experience, powered by today’s technology.

Michelle Haines
Director of Sales and Marketing Teatro ZinZanni

Moderator: Michael Stein
Senior Director of Partnerships at EveryAction

Missy Allnut
Sales Engineer accesso ShoWare

Wendi Yanez
Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Kathleen Gaines
MarinArts Marketing & Development Director

Mark Sabb
Senior Director of Innovation and Engagement Museum of the African Diaspora

Dancing With The Stars -- Customer Service: A Necessary Cost to be Minimized OR a Great Investment to be Maximized

This is not a panel, but a brawl. The audience will hear two sides of an age-old argument in the live entertainment and arts world and decide who’s right! Is customer service a necessary expense to be minimized or an investment that pays off for you? You’ll hear the arguments, you’ll ask the questions, and then you’ll decide!

Julie Fossitt
Manager, Marketing and Revenue Development City of Kingston

Joseph Yoshitomi
Vice President, Marketing Strategy TheaterMania/OvationTix

Kathryn Harrach
Membership and Visitor Services Director The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens

Anwar Nasir
Audience Services Manager LA Phil

The Evolution of Donor Recognition

In recent years, we have witnessed the evolution of donor recognition and stewardship to include increased focus on the donor experience and donor engagement. Understanding the evolutionary forces at play – and the ways that they are compelling organizations to think differently about their donor recognition program – is key to going beyond the donor wall and unlocking your recognition program potential.

In addition to exploring these topics, this session will review recent trends in donor recognition and encourage you to examine your own recognition program as it relates to translating impact, donor retention and organizational vision.

Building Bonds Through Strategic Donor Relations

The costliest part of fund development is acquiring a donor…so it makes sense to foster investor relationships! Sadly, too often this ongoing pursuit is overlooked, particularly when staff and volunteers don’t realize the ramifications.

With nearly four decades working with nonprofit leaders across Canada, Cynthia (CFRE since 1995) will relay best practices in Donor Relations and encourage participants to share success stories and lessons learned. Join us for a whirlwind session that will provide practical tools to strengthen the bond with your donors.

Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
Principal Strategist Elderstone Resource Development

The Essence of Arts Facilities: Life on the Front Lines

Arts facilities are facing tough choices as society becomes increasingly politicized and polarized. Facility managers and producers are having to deal with a range of difficult challenges, including artists sharing political views from the stage, free-speech rights and the basic question of whether arts facilities should be neutral sites welcoming all in the community or activist organizations pursuing justice and other progressive viewpoints for their communities. Please join us for a lively panel discussion with facility managers and other experts as we dig into these questions and hear from top leaders having to navigate these issues on a daily basis.

Duncan Webb
President Webb Management Services, Inc.

Sam Varteniuk
Executive Director The Registry Theatre

Sheree Spencer
Producer Volcano Theatre

Sure, You’re Talking… But What Are You Saying?

Developing effective messaging to connect with diverse constituents and drive both earned and contributed income

A hands-on workshop

Much of your organization’s communications—across marketing, development, education, and community engagement—on your website, in brochures, on social media, in emails, and in person—involves words, and usually a good number of them. All these words are opportunities to move current and prospective attendees, donors, and partners closer to you—to better understand and value you—or not. Ensuring that your words come together to form effective messaging is vitally important, particularly as we all emerge from the difficult years of the pandemic.

Yes, you have a lot to say, but is there consistency of message? Are you differentiating your organization in what is often a very competitive landscape? Is there a high-level narrative to give context to more program-specific writing? Are there also necessary constituent-specific messages? (A prospective single-ticket buyer is not the same as a long-term subscriber... is not the same as a parent of your education program, or a planned giving prospect.) Your messaging needs to meet people where they are.

This workshop will help you to develop guiding attributes, evolve informing storylines, and provide guidance around crafting a high-level message—and show how that message might be “tilted” for a specific constituency or opportunity.

After an introduction to a tried-and-true methodology for building effective messaging (paired with examples from arts organizations of different sizes and stripes), you’ll work in break-out groups with templates that will help you build on what you’ve learned. The goal: significantly improve the authenticity, distinctiveness, and effectiveness of your messaging.

This session is ideal for all those who commission, evaluate, and create messaging—across all levels of your organization.

Roger Sametz
President and Chief Executive Officer Sametz Blackstone Associates

Creating Art for Art: Visual Storytelling for Arts Organizations

Explore the transformative impact of visual storytelling for arts organizations in this presentation. Delve into creating engaging video, captivating photography, and strategic social media content to amplify your brand, reach, and revenue.

Discover the secrets of crafting content that resonates with your audience, fostering a passionate community around your organization. This roadmap will guide you in leveraging visual storytelling as a dynamic tool for success in the digital landscape.

Join us in unlocking the potential of compelling narratives that propel arts organizations to new heights, creating lasting impact and growth. Let's craft a story that captivates, resonates, and fuels your organization's journey toward enhanced visibility and financial success.

Jason Clark
Senior Sales and Marketing Specialist rTraction Canada

Focus on Loyalty to Increase Your Revenue in the Most Cost-Effective Way

Join us for a discussion on how branding and design can play a major part in how your patrons engage with your venue’s ticketing site. Learn simple strategies for increasing online conversions, from core branding principles to up-sell and cross-sell opportunities that step your patrons into increasing levels of loyalty. We’ll also talk about mobile optimization and where the guest digital journey is going. We'll look at all the ways to increase your revenue in the most cost-effective way.

First impressions are everything. For theatres and performing arts organizations, the ticket purchase is often the first touchpoint you have with your patrons, so it’s important to create an engaging and seamless experience. After all, every loyal patron was once a first-time visitor!

Wendi Yanez
Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Joe Wettstead
Director of Client Success accesso ShoWare

Suzy Silvestre
Recreation Program Coordinator Lancaster Performing Arts Center

Understanding the Lurker's Journey: Moving from Casual Visitor to Customer

You know they’re out there. The visitors to your website that stop by, maybe look around for a promotion, and leave. How dare they! In this session, through case studies and data gathered from over twenty art organizations, you’ll learn tactics to convert those visitors and keep them coming back for more. We will talk about:

- Covering all the bases (visitor types – buyer, reader, nudge)
- Visitor Flow analysis – what are the hang points?
- How do you get conversion data when it’s on a separate ticketing system?
- Cookies for redirecting
- Cookies for behavior analysis
- a/b versions – niche promotions
- What do you want to do? The solutions are limitless
- And more

Tod Wilson
Director of Sales & Marketing Arts Management Systems Ltd.

Shawn Ingram
Vice President Arts Consulting Group

Jackie Ernst
Consultant The Ostara Group

Moderator: Gina Snow
Marketing & Grant Manager Lorraine Hansberry Theatre

Jordy Yack
Communications Coordinator FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Moderator: Philip Riccio
Artistic Director The Company Theatre

Christina Salerno
Executive Director Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra

Moderator: Meghan McNamara
Director of Marketing and Audience Development Harris Theater for Music and Dance

Andrew Taylor
Associate Professor of Arts Management American University

Wendi Yanez
Sales Director accesso ShoWare

Moderator: Michael Gepner
VP Marketing, Comms. and Guest Services The 5th Avenue Theatre

Maanit Zemel
Partner Zemel van Kampen LLP

Jason Narin
Patron Services Manager Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Michael Sinclair
General Manger Obsidian Theatre

Ellen Placey Wadey
Senior Program Officer, Arts & Collections Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Mirali Almaula
Editor-in-Chief Intermission

Edna M. Togba
Chief Development Officer Chicago Sinfonietta

Ford Shirriff
Partner/Vice President Triangles

Anna Marie Faulkner
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Lookingglass Theatre Company

Kim Goldman
Managing Director Lucky Plush Productions

Meghan Villanueva
Formerly Marketing & Development Manager Spectrum Dance Theater

Charlie Frankel
President Easy-Ware Corporation

Nathan Armstrong
Director of Foundation and Corporate Relations WTTW|WFMT

New Ways To Tell Our Stories: Strategies & Tactics For Connecting With Audiences to Bring Them [Back]

Due to the pandemic, the story-telling passion projects or content experiments of 2019 became front-and-center programming during the 2020 shutdown. Happily, the use of platforms and tools such as videos, podcasts, texting, remote-live experiences, and QR codes quickly proved to be very effective ways to connect artists and their work with audiences.

Now, as we continue to emerge from 3+ years of the lock-down and partial re-openings, how can we build upon the parallel tracks of content delivery that audiences have come to expect from us, even as resources shift back toward more traditional modes of marketing for more traditional modes of arts presentation? Jennifer Edwards, Founder of Better, a full-service organizational development, design, and production agency, will explore very specific tools as well as necessary shifts in thinking within organizations, and more.

Jennifer Edwards
Principal better_

Adrian Madison Cario
Executive Director Wharton San Francisco

The Art of Negotiation: Creating Win-Win Outcomes

We negotiate daily with nearly everyone we encounter, so it’s one of the most valuable skills you can acquire. In this session, we’ll talk about setting targets, making concessions and finding win-win in negotiation situations, in both professional and personal situations. You’ll walk away with the confidence to negotiate and the skills to do it well. Negotiation is the fastest money you will ever make or lose, so you won’t want to miss this session!

Crafting a Universal Language for Data Within Your Walls

When the data at our disposal can answer a thousand possible questions, how do we know which of those questions provide answers that succintly speak to our health and future? Just as importantly, how can leaders present these questions to their team to ensure clarity and accuracy in the answers they get back?

Together, we'll examine how to build a shared understanding around data and reporting between senior managers and technical staff, and examine a few common key progress indicators for both ticket sales and fundraising to assess your organizational health. All comfort levels with data and reporting are welcome!

Moderator: April Moon
Associate Director of Audience Services Canadian Stage

Evan Cartwright
Data Operations Manager Seattle Symphony

Dr. Zannie Voss
Director SMU DataArts

Amy Funk
Co-Founder F+H Partners

Kevin Devaux
Manager of Patron Services Toronto Symphony Orchestra

Turning the Tide: Growing and Rejuvenating Your Donor Pool

In an era marked by a declining proportion of Canadians donating to charities, attracting and retaining new donors becomes paramount for the financial sustainability of your organization -- both in the short and long term. This presentation delves into one The National Ballet of Canada's mission-focused fundraising campaign to inspire ticket buyers, subscribers and lapsed donors to replenish and revitalize a diminishing donor pool.

Key takeaways:

How to launch a mission-focused branded direct response campaign to inspire your community to support your cause.

How to inspire gifts through the power of storytelling by leveraging copy, images and video.

How to segment your database to make your direct response campaign feel personal.

Richard J. Lefebvre, CFRE
Associate Director, Individual & Legacy Giving The National Ballet of Canada

Digital Presence 101 & 102: Make Your Event Data Work For You

As an event organizer, you spend a lot of time entering event information on your website and on events listings. But is this information fully optimized for discovery via search engines? Can it be reused across digital platforms? In the age of AI, could a machine “recommend” your events to arts-goers?

In this session, you will learn how structured data, entity SEO and other discoverability tools can boost your digital presence. You will also learn how sector-owned infrastructures such as the Artsdata knowledge graph may have already lent your organization a helping hand. By putting a few key recommendations into practice, you can harness the power of these technologies to reach new audiences!

While this session builds upon previous “digital presence” sessions delivered by CAPACOA, there will be useful advice both for participants who are brand new to the topic and those with more advanced digital literacy.

Because this session will include some "hands-on" activities, it is recommended to bring a laptop.

Dessa Hayes
Digital Transformation Agent CAPACOA

Morgan Pannunzio
Data and Media Project Manager CAPACOA

Igniting Donors’ Passions at Small to Mid-Size Organizations

This seasoned group of arts professionals will describe what steps to take to turn your current fundraising efforts into long-term success. If you are a nonprofit arts leader or fundraiser with limited bandwidth and budget who is looking to grow your donor base and donations, then this session is for you.

Moderator: Carol Eggers
Director of Institutional Giving Urban Services YMCA

Sherri Young
Founder & Executive Director African-American Shakespeare Company

Gregory Hunt
Director of Development New Century Chamber Orchestra

Alicia Tos
Director of Development Smuin Contemporary Ballet

Extreme Engagement: Smart Ways to Include Your Audience and Keep Them Coming Back for More

During the pandemic, Mirvish Productions in Toronto stayed deeply connected with their vast audience thanks to their secret sauce for creating and sharing exceptionally compelling content. Contests, stories, trivia and even contributions from their own theatre lovers were just a few of the many strategies that they used.

John Karastamatis, Director of Marketing and Communications for Mirvish Productions, will reveal how they did it, how it's working now, and how you and your organization can get into the act!

John Karastamatis
Director of Communications and Programming Mirvish Productions

The State of DEI Initiatives

What is the state of DEI initiatives in arts organizations today? In the midst of political polarization, "culture wars" and a changed post-election landscape, are these inclusion efforts experiencing retrenchment, or are they here to stay?

Sherri Young
Founder & Executive Director African-American Shakespeare Company

Lesley Currier
Managing Director Marin Shakespeare Company

Simple Ways to Attract a Younger Audience

The challenge of attracting a younger audience is not new to our sector. It can be a daunting task – how to design it, how to fund it, how to manage it? In this session, the National Arts Centre of Canada will share learning from their recent approach to attracting younger audiences to the performing arts.

Then, we’ll turn the microphone over to the audience and dive into what strategies other groups across Canada are finding effective.

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

Rebecca Lee
Senior Strategist Banfield Agency

Arts Marketing Research Part A: Defining the Wicked Question

Figuring out your research problem is the first -- and most important -- step before you dive into asking your customers for their insights. This hands-on workshop will show you a quick and easy way to define your research problem. Interactive handouts will be available before the session and your takeaway will be a research plan you can execute! Stay for Part B to create a survey for your research plan.

Julie Fossitt
Manager, Marketing and Revenue Development City of Kingston

SEO in the Age of AI: Events (And The Organizations That Present Them)

Despite its remarkable progress, AI still struggles to make sense of cultural events. But if we tell AI exactly what kind of information is on an event page, it is more likely to find, share and recommend that information to arts-goers.

In this two-part session, you will learn how to use Entity SEO and other discoverability tools to demystify your event pages for the latest Web technologies. By putting a few key recommendations into practice, you can harness the power of these technologies to reach new audiences!

It will be helpful if you bring a laptop to this session.

Dessa Hayes
Digital Transformation Agent CAPACOA

Social Media, Audience Engagement & Ticket Sales: A Practical Approach

Had enough of the sizzle and want to sink your teeth into the steak? Then this case study-based approach to social media marketing is for you. We'll take a deep dive into the data, explore the metrics, and kick the tires on your key performance indicators as we work toward building a social media marketing framework that you can customize to your specific organizational needs.

Judy Haber
Senior Partner Performance Sponsorship Group

Reshaping the Patron Experience and Saving Money with Digital Program Books

Digital program books can cut costs, generate revenue, and eliminate waste while providing an interactive, engaging patron experience. Over the past two years, arts organizations have examined every aspect of their operations for new ways forward – many have decided to make the shift from printed programs to digital program books.

Join InstantEncore’s David Dombrosky for a closer look at this growing practice. Why are organizations shifting from print to digital? What are the benefits and challenges of going digital? How can the transition be accomplished most efficiently? What impact does this have on the patron experience?

In this session, we will explore recent examples from the field, share industry data on the relationship between printed and digital program books, and highlight emerging best practices.

David Dombrosky
Chief Marketing Officer InstantEncore

Marketing Through a New Lens: Reaching the Next Generation of Audiences and Donors on Snapchat

Mark McMaster
Head of US Online Sales Snap Chat

Major Gifts: 10 Strategies for Success

Large gifts — whether outright major gifts or deferred (planned) major gifts — require the same rules for engagement of donors. Engaging people in a long term investment in the arts relies on the excellence of messages, systems, and methodical donor development. In this session, find out what your organization needs to do today to secure major gifts tomorrow.

Surale Phillips
Brand Research DRMTM

Laura Bessinger-Morse
Brand Messaging DRMTM

Cheryl Baldwin
Brand Design DRMTM

Subscriptions: Are They Down for the Count?

With changing demographics, shifts in consumer and social behaviour, new technologies, and life in a post-pandemic context, how is all of this affecting loyalty and subscriptions? What are the ramifications for programming? And what will it mean for donations?

Our esteemed panel will discuss one of the most pressing topics of today.

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

Moderator: Katherine Carleton
Executive Director Orchestras Canada/Orchestres Canada

Maya Lohcham
Director of Marketing and Communications Victoria Symphony

Connal McNamara
Marketing Manager The Cultch

Kathy Vito
Patron Development Manager The Cultch

10 Common Design Problems All Arts Marketers Face

Getting the design right for your season brochures, postcards, posters, websites, e-blasts and newsletters is an annual chore. We'll examine 10 common problems, which have solutions that are easier than you think! We will run through them quickly so we have time for your specific questions. Bring your most recent marketing piece or the one you are working on now for instant feedback on your design and messaging.

Jack McAuliffe
President Engaged Audiences

Henry Ruddle
President Ruddle Consulting

Todd Vigil
Founder & CEO EleeHub | Pathfinder Search Ads

The 1% You Should Love: The Nonprofit Superpower of Marginal Gains

Todd Vigil
Founder & CEO EleeHub | Pathfinder Search Ads

Evolve Your Emails: High-Performing Campaigns for Overloaded Inboxes

Have your email campaigns plateaued? Not getting the opens and clicks you once did? Are your messages buried in busy inboxes? Get actionable email tips from Amy Karlin, Digital Marketing Strategist at the National Arts Centre.

Part of the NAC team since 2016, Amy has long worked with its robust and engaged email community. But recent technology shifts within the organization meant it was time to evolve and refocus: Amy guided the NAC through procurement and implementation of a new email platform, and a refreshed approach to email design and content. These efforts contributed to a 35% jump email list growth year-over-year and a 50% open rate, the highest global email KPIs the NAC has ever attained.

In this session Amy will share actionable tips for high-performing email campaigns, including:

Designing user-centred templates
Making data-driven decisions
Strenthening opens and clicks
Reducing unsubscribes
Refining data hygiene and deliverability

Amy Karlin
Digital Marketing Strategist National Arts Centre

What Neuroscience Teaches Us About Our Audiences’ Brains and Behavior

Our brains are real things. It's easy to forget that our brains really call the shots – including how our audiences behave and the audiences that we seek behave.

We're going to revisit our brains. Every department and every initiative we have is brain-adjacent – the UX of our websites, our marketing, donor outreach, personas, upsells, mission, meaning…how many of our mission statements or value propositions say something about changing people's minds, perspectives, or how they see themselves or the world around them? Those are campaigns targeting arts audiences’ brains!

Thanks to modern neuroscience, we know a lot more about how our brains dictate our behavior than we did before. First, we'll check out some of the fresher perspectives on how we process information and experiences. Then, because human beings don't take action unless their brain is excited to do so, we'll apply it to operating an event-centric organization that encourages participation, belonging, identity, support, and purchases. Let’s get those sparks flying!

Jeremy Wine
Elevent Co-Founder

Arts Marketing Research Part B: Creating a Survey to Test Your Wicked Question

If you attend the Part A of this workshop, you will have defined your research problem and now is the time to test it! Surveys are a great research tool and are inexpensive, but can be tricky to create without errors and biases.

This hands-on workshop will go over questionnaire design basics and show you how to test your survey to ensure it gets you the answers you need! Laptops are recommended (but not required) so your survey draft can be created in an online tool. This workshop is recommended to be preceded by Part A: Defining the Wicked Question, but can be attended on its own as well.

Julie Fossitt
Manager, Marketing and Revenue Development City of Kingston

How to Sustain Donor Loyalty (and Why this Could be Transformational for Your Shop)

Donor loyalty is not only about retaining your current donors, but also about deepening their commitment and increasing their lifetime value. In this session, you will learn how to create a donor loyalty program that rewards your donors for their support, engages them in your mission, and inspires them to give more. You will discover why donor loyalty is essential for your long-term sustainability and growth, and how specific proven retention tactics can help you achieve your fundraising goals.

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Engaging Indigenous Audiences

Explore the nuances of marketing the arts to Indigenous communities and promoting Indigenous content. This panel delves into the importance of fostering trust, creating meaningful connections, and understanding cultural contexts to genuinely engage Indigenous audiences. What does it mean to cultivate community-driven marketing approaches that welcome and honor Indigenous perspectives, ensuring inclusive and authentic engagement in your spaces.

Moderator: Mairi Brascoupé
Cultural Advocate, Indigenous Theatre National Arts Centre

Joelle Peters
Artistic Director Native Earth Performing Arts

Video Content for Arts and Culture

Every organization has a story to share, and with more and more social platforms pushing video content it is time you start thinking about how to share that story with video content. Creating engaging video content doesn't have to be overly difficult or complicated. You likely have all the tools you need right in your pocket. Sometimes it just takes the right approach and some helpful tips to push your content to the next level. In this session, we will discuss tactics to create compelling content and also provide some technical advice to get you started without breaking the bank.

Building Audiences and Donors After a Pandemic

If weathering a pandemic weren’t difficult enough, now we have to fill all those seats again and rebuild our donor base. Bringing those audiences and donors back -- and finding new ones – requires reimagining the Seven P’s: Product, Price, Promotion, Place, People, Packaging, and Process. Hear from these experts how they’re doing it, and how you can too!

Moderator: Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy;

Rebecca Nestle
Director of Cultural Programs and Events Grace Cathedral

TJ Gorton
Director of Marketing SFJAZZ

Adam Thurman
Marketing Director American Conservatory Theater

Overcoming Donor Fatigue in an Uncertain World

Are donors telling you that they can help in times of need but can’t be there for you all of the time? Have we created a funding culture of boom and bust? This webinar explores what we need to build a true culture of philanthropy with our donors. What is the added value that arts organizations are promoting to their stakeholders? What does it mean to really think about donor development when the pool is smaller? What is the communication loop that we are creating beyond the annual fund? Join like-minded arts fundraisers to find answers to these questions and others that you are encouraged to bring to the session.

Carl Sylvestre
Principal Carl Sylvestre Consulting

Interpreting the Latest Tech Trends in the Museum and Performing Arts World

Want to speak super confidently at meetings with your boss or Board about the most important things happening in technology this year? Come learn (and see examples) of what is here now and what's coming -- ranging from Wearables, Responsive Design, Bluetooth, i-Beacons and more...

Moderator: Brad Wilke
Co-Founder & Principal Smarthouse Creative

Alex Freeman
Regional Sales Director BroadwayWorld

Whitney Rutter
Senior Account Executive Patron Technology

Chris Marcacci
Director of Marketing The 5th Avenue Theatre

Sarah Manriquez
Director of Sales and Operations Manager Fairbanks Concert Association

Hunters & Gatherers: Tracking Down Audiences Through Search, Display & Social

A rundown of best practices + clever tricks for the newest arrows in the arts marketer's quiver.

First (Anisa): Audiences are searching for you right now - and they don't even know it. This introduction to the enormously powerful Google Grants program offers a crash course on how to set up your account within the next 48 hours. With tips on optimization and keys to success that you can implement now to unlock Google Grant’s potential.

Next (Brian), a return to the hottest marketing principle of 1904 -- AIDA -- and how it applies to digital marketing today. Learn how to identify audiences at various points in the sales process and serve them the right message, at the right time through a combination of Google Display Network, YouTube, and Social Media Advertising.

Brian Paterson
Head of Digital Division + Marketing Laura Murray Public Relations

Moderator: Nathaniel Whitfield
Art Gallery Ontario Manager, Membership and Database Marketing

Karen Elizondo
Account Executive Spektrix

Natasha Wahid
Head of Marketing CourseStorm

Anisa Ishida
Marketing Analysis Manager EMP Museum

Travis Wall
General Manager Method Works Consulting

Beyond the Scroll: Use Boosted Posts, Dark Social, and Paid Sponsorships for Exponential Advantage

As you know, in today’s digital landscape, social media is a compelling tool for event promotion—but it’s not without its challenges and pitfalls. Join BroadwayWorld's Regional Sales Director Alex Freeman to explore how you can exponentially leverage your social media audience and those of your partners through boosted posts, dark social, and paid sponsorships. Discover strategies to maximize your campaigns’ impact and at the same time mitigate the risks of over-relying on social media and your own efforts. Learn to balance short-term gains with long-term opportunities to promote winning events in the ever-changing online environment.

Alex Freeman
Regional Sales Director BroadwayWorld

DIY Web Maintenance and Optimization

We will discuss powerful tools available to you for free or low-cost. Optimizing these tools will make a substantial impact on your organization's ability to be seen (search everything optimization) on the web, as well as display your credibility and authority.

You’ll see each of these tools with simple steps to success. Our presenters will be able to answer your questions, whether technical or everyday uses, and most importantly the value and impact of each tool.

Nami and LaMae request your active participation during the presentation. So bring your questions and any tools you use or are wondering about.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Subscriptions Are Evolving. Are You?

With changing demographics, shifts in consumer and social behavior, new technologies, and life in a post-pandemic context, subscription practices are evolving to meet the needs of new audiences.

Hear from our esteemed panel on what they have done to meet the challenge!

Liz Hitchcock Lisle
Managing Director Shotgun Players

Adam Thurman
Marketing Director American Conservatory Theater

Beyond the Noise: Three Pillars That Drive Success

Drowning in a sea of competing priorities? Let’s cut through the clutter and uncover the three key principles that will elevate your organization’s performance. This session will equip you with real-world success stories and data-driven strategies to:

Cultivate growth: Discover untapped revenue opportunities within your existing audiences.
Reclaim your time: Automate the mundane and empower your team to focus on what matters most – the human touch.
Forge deep connections: Build authentic relationships with your audiences that drive engagement and loyalty.

Leave behind the noise and join us as we chart a course toward a more impactful, prosperous, and healthy future for your organization.

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

The Road to Optimal Pricing: Where Do You Go From Here?

Everyone is at a different point in the evolution of their pricing strategies. Hear from these seasoned marketing professionals about where they’ve been and where they’re headed in their quest for the perfect pricing strategy. What have been their successes and what obstacles do they still face? Then chime in with your own plans and questions about where to go from here.

Moderator: Jennifer Nelson
3-D Theatricals Box Office & Sales Manager/Volunteer Services

Courtney Moore
Senior Venue Advisor Goldstar Events

Michael Betts
Box Office Manager Musical Theatre West

The Changing Face of Arts Advocacy: What is Different Going Forward Into a New Reality?

As the arts and culture industry emerges from the impact of COVID 19 and the reckoning of racial injustice in our country as well as in our own sector, how has our advocacy changed? What are the priorities, the case making, the strategies and tactics we must now employ to realize the policy developments and funding our industry needs to recover and rebuild for ongoing sustainability? Learn about this and how you can incorporate advocacy into your work in an informative session presented by Californians for the Arts.

Julie Baker
CEO Californians for the Arts

The Donor Development Continuum is Dead: Better Ways to Think About Getting and Keeping Donors

The traditional donor development continuum, which assumes a linear progression from awareness to interest to involvement to investment, is no longer relevant in today’s dynamic and diverse fundraising environment. In this session, you will learn how to replace the outdated continuum with a more flexible and effective framework that adapts to the needs and preferences of your donors. You will also learn how to segment your donors based on their behavior, motivation, and potential, and how to tailor your communication and cultivation strategies accordingly.

Louis Diez
Founder Donor Participation Project & Annual Fund Toolkit

Closing Plenary — Reaching Beyond The Comfort Zone: Finding, Enticing And Keeping Diverse Audiences

As arts organizations, it’s vital to stay relevant and to engage deeply and authentically with your communities. But, introducing a new program or trying to tell your story without using data about the communities you serve is like playing darts in the dark. And yet, if you are trying to engage with your audience without first doing research, that’s just what you may be doing. Knowing more about your existing and target audiences not only helps the programming be more relevant, it helps the marketing and PR campaign that supports it be more effective and efficient. Measure, study and adjust.

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Moderator: Leticia Rhi Buckley
Director of Communications and Marketing LA County Arts Commission

Moderator: Carol Eggers
Director of Institutional Giving Urban Services YMCA

Kim Glann
Productions Marketing Manager Ford Theatres

Sherri Young
Founder & Executive Director African-American Shakespeare Company

Ming Ng
Vice President of Community Engagement The Music Center

Gregory Hunt
Director of Development New Century Chamber Orchestra

Jesse Ruskin
Evaluation Assistant Ford Theatre Foundation

Alicia Tos
Director of Development Smuin Contemporary Ballet

‘Cause I’m Happy: The Value of CRM in Understanding, Engaging and Keeping Customers that Leads to Loyalty and Dollars

Does your organization recognize its special customers? More importantly, do they recognize YOU? In this session, we explore how Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is being used as a strategy to establish meaningful relationships with newly defined audiences, and ultimately drive sales hand-in-hand with priceless customer loyalty. Discover a method that helps you identify audience segments and create a mixed-marketing plan that aligns with a community’s tastes and behaviors. Then interact effectively with steadfast customers and prospective buyers alike.

Jason Clark
Senior Sales and Marketing Specialist rTraction Canada

Vince Ford
Vice President, Digital Strategy and Customer Experience New York Philharmonic

Online Video, Arts Marketing and Ticket Sales

There are over 400 hrs of video content uploaded to YouTube every minute and audiences of all ages and interests turn to online video -- across screens of all shapes and sizes to be entertained and informed. With unprecedented targeting options and promise of full "sound-sight and motion" experience, online video is proving to be a great tool for effective marketing in the performing arts and live events space. Google's Mike Lorenc (Head of Industry for Ticketing & Live Events) will share some of the surprising stats, relevant case studies and practical know-how on the topic.

Mike Lorenc
Head of Industry - Ticketing, Sports & Live Events Google

Duncan Webb
President Webb Management Services, Inc.

Sam Varteniuk
Executive Director The Registry Theatre

Sheree Spencer
Producer Volcano Theatre

Your Digital Presence: Let’s Improve It!

SEO, findability, discoverability, ranking. Are you getting lost in the technical terminology and wondering what you could actually do to improve your digital presence? Look no further, this session is for you.

In this session, you will learn the essentials of building a strong digital presence in 2023. With a few simple, yet effective, steps, you’ll be on your way to achieving more control over how people can find you – and what they can find about you – online. The session will include a demonstration of Wikidata, an open knowledge base associated with Wikipedia.

Dessa Hayes
Digital Discoverability Consultant CAPACOA

Winning in the New Era of Corporate Sponsorship

Join a panel of experienced fundraisers in a discussion of pursuing corporate sponsorships and exploring corporate partnerships. Securing cash from corporations can be difficult, but there may be other ways to partner with institutions for in-kind partnerships that can be budget relieving, as well as finding new ways to secure sponsorship dollars. Bring your best practices, success stories and questions to this panel presentation and discussion.

LaMae Weber
CEO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Moderator: Lacey Huszcza
Senior Director of Advancement & Strategic Engagement Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra

Amelia Heape
Director of Marketing Hollywood Pantages

Kay Burnham
Vice President, Guest Services Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Behnam Ataee
CTO Dream Warrior Group / ARTdynamix

Paul Jan Zdunek
Senior Consultant KGI Advisors, Inc.

Jim Royce
Principal Anticipation Marketing

Sara Fousekis
Assistant Dean of Development USC School of Dramatic Arts

Charles Dillingham
Former Managing Director Center Theatre Group

The Journey of a Patron: From First-timer to Repeat Customer

Relationships matter. And like a new friendship or romance, a meaningful relationship with your audience doesn’t blossom overnight. So, how can we forge long lasting relationships and lay the groundwork for success today and in the future? In this session, we’ll discuss actions you can take to foster engagement, evangelism, fundraising and leadership. Regardless of whether you’re encountering a first time buyer, a season pass holder or a longtime supporter, you can learn how to earn and leverage their loyalty – no matter where they are in the process.

Attendees will learn:

How to build meaningful relationships with patrons
Simple ways to turn loyal patrons into brand advocates
How to track patron interactions and improve engagement

Bob Harlow
Marketing and Research Consultant Sponsored by The Wallace Foundation

Erin Searfus
Senior Account Executive Vendini

Jennifer Edwards
Principal better_

Adrian Madison Cario
Executive Director Wharton San Francisco

People, Not Pyramids: What Really Drives Patron Loyalty Today?

What does loyalty look like in 2023 and beyond -- and how do you find a model that works for your organization and your audiences?

Bethany shares inspiration and examples to help you align your business priorities with the motivations of your audiences, replacing prescriptive models like the traditional loyalty pyramid with a more collaborative, customer-centric approach. Drawing on data insights from across the global cultural sector, Bethany suggests processes to define your strategy, set targets and measure impact -- with practical templates to help you record customers’ motivations, design relevant incentives and understand what works for both you and your audience.

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

The Donor Treasure Hunt: Acquisition and Retention in Challenging Times

The acquisition of a donor is the most expensive part of a fund development strategy; that's why retention protocols are vital to build investor loyalty!

Join seasoned governance and fundraising expert Cynthia Armour, (CFRE since 1995) in this highly interactive session as we explore your challenges and insights together. Cynthia has worked with organizations ranging in size from local grassroots theatres to national institutions based in urban, rural and remote locales across Canada.

We'll discuss proven systems and techniques to find and build lasting relationships with your organization's donors. In this workshop, you won't leave with all of the answers but you will be better prepared to ask your team the right questions and make the right moves to strengthen donor relations in the post-pandemic era.

Cynthia J. Armour, CFRE
Principal Strategist Elderstone Resource Development

Reaching Beyond the Comfort Zone: Finding, Enticing and Keeping Diverse Audiences

Artistic Directors and Arts and Culture Organizations are speaking specifically about equity and producing works with an eye to equitable representation. Great! But what does that mean for Arts Marketing and Development Departments? How should your tactics change when reach out to audiences with which you may not be familiar? How do you market not only to your target audience, but to other audiences as well? And once you’ve successfully brought new audiences to your doors…how do you make them stay for the next show or exhibition?! We’ll talk practical tactics for how to reach out past your comfort zone, and bring people to your organization – which may not be in their comfort zone!

Allen Davidov
Director of Business Consulting Environics Analytics

Natasha Wahid
Head of Marketing CourseStorm

Maria Kolby-Wolfe
Development Director Path with Art

Kathy Hsieh
Cultural Partnerships and Grants Manager Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

Rose Cano
Artistic Director eSe Teatro

Jen Lee
Consultant Collins Group

3 Steps on the Path to Website Sympatico

Tired of fighting with your website? Is it not giving you what you want? Are you sure you are asking the right questions? Come to this presentation to get three concrete takeaways to build your performing arts website. Covers mobile, conversion, SEO and measurement with Google Analytics.

Douglas McLennan
Editor ArtsJournal

Mason Jay Blacher
President Mason Jay Blacher & Associates

Branding Your Organisation: Putting the You in UVP!

Too often, individuals and organisations think they know exactly what their brand and UVP are, but do they? Join us for this 50-minute workshop where we go into what branding really is, what your UVP (Unique Value Proposition) is, how to make sure YOUR brand rings true and how YOUR UVP can work for you. Remember, your brand is only as good as others think it is, and your UVP is all about what others think as well.

Using handouts, participants to work together in groups to assist one another in discovering the true brand and UVP of their organization.

Sue Edworthy
Consutant Sue Edworthy Arts Planning

Mission Magic: Crafting Transformational Nonprofit Events

Fundraising events: A necessary evil or a golden opportunity? Many nonprofits view these gatherings as unavoidable burdens, but it's time to flip the script! Imagine transforming your next event into a captivating experience that:

Energizes your supporters
Strengthens donor relationships
Ignites passion for your mission
Leaves your team feeling inspired (not exhausted)

Discover the secrets to crafting events that aren't just tolerable – they're truly transformative. By mastering the art of impactful events, you'll turn what was once a chore into a powerful tool for advancing your cause. Get ready to reimagine fundraising gatherings as mission-centered moments that bring your community together and propel your nonprofit forward.

Participants will learn how to:

Design experiences that resonate with attendees
Showcase their mission's impact in compelling ways
Create meaningful moments of connection
Streamline logistics for less stress and better results

Amy Funk
Co-Founder F+H Partners

Behind the Buy: Secrets to Creating Superfans of Your Arts Organization

Before your audience clicks “Order Tickets,” their decision is already being shaped. The words, images, and experiences they encounter before, during, and after the show make the difference between never coming back and becoming enthusiastic advocates.
In this session, we’ll explore why people buy and how you can use that intel to grow your audience and build deeper bonds with them. You’ll learn:

The subtle shifts in messaging that make people feel like your show is the one they can’t miss.
Why timing and framing matter as much as what you offer.
How to use social proof, scarcity, and reciprocity to create urgency without feeling salesy.
What’s working at other arts organizations and in other industries.

You'll also participate in an interactive exercise, leaving you with ready-to-use strategies to apply to your next campaign when you get back to your desk. Grow your audience, sell more tickets, and make your marketing and audience-building work for you without working longer.

Nicole Wetzell
Chief Strategist NEW Marketing Solutions

Macro-Trends: Creative Culture, Creative Networks, and a More Powerful You

Since 1999 at ArtsJournal, we've looked at more than 1000 stories a day on the business of culture. That's more than 6 million stories chronicling the issues and ideas that animate how artists and audiences interact worldwide and how those relationships are changing. In the third phase of the digital communications revolution we're moving rapidly from an institution-driven culture to a dynamically networked economy. Uber, AirBnB and thousands of other companies are unlocking the potential of a world in which lines between customer and provider are blurring. So what would an Uber or AirBnb for the arts look like? We're starting to see some early examples. Hear about these and two other macro-trends that can help you build new relationships and new audiences.

Moderator: Bill Watson
Director of Media & Marketing WordTheatre

Julie Fossitt
Manager, Marketing and Revenue Development City of Kingston

Nicole Dunn
CEO Dunn Pellier Media, Inc.

Tom Loveman
Producer/Writer/Editor/Marketing Specialist

Liz Linares
Co-Founder RousseauLinares

Natacha Rousseau
Public Relations Consultant RousseauLinares

Post Like a Pro

In this session, you will learn how to take your social channels from flat to fabulous. Together, we will explore the different elements of social posting on Facebook and Instagram to help you understand why some posts pop and some fizzle. We will cover the latest trends and engagement tactics that won’t just get you likes but sell tickets!

Jordana Armstrong
Founder Jordana Armstrong Marketing

The 5 Metrics Worth Investing In

In this time of unique buyer behaviors and shifting priorities a new landscape has emerged. How does your team determine where to dig in? There is so much you could be doing at this time but take a moment together to illuminate your goals through the lens of your data. Explore 5 key metrics from your CRM and ticketing system and how they track against your wider targets, including email engagement, transactions, audience behaviors, and more. Together we’ll share actionable ideas, success stories, and essential technologies to improve performance across communication channels.

Key Learning #1: Establish the benchmarks that matter most to inform your organization’s strategy.

Key Learning #2: Explore practices and technologies to measure and improve these key metrics.

Key Learning #3: Compare your organization’s performance to current sector trends.

Bethany Nothstein
Sector Strategy & Community Manager Spektrix

A Hands-On Introduction to Wikidata

Wikidata is a free and open knowledge base linked to Wikipedia. Like Wikipedia, Wikidata is also a source of information crawled and trusted by search engines. Having a Wikidata entry is an important first step in making information about the performing arts sector findable, readable and reusable by search engines, by industry associations and by arts goers. In a way, using Wikidata is like creating an IMDb for the performing arts.

Make sure to bring your laptop for this hands-on workshop. You will learn how to create Wikidata entries describing your organization and/or the venues you manage or use. Participants can expect hands-on learning and guided practice in a relaxed and informal environment. By the end of the workshop, you will have achieved greater control over how people can find your organization – and what they can find about it – online.

Since 2020, CAPACOA has been delivering Wikidata, as well as facilitating uploads of data from associations to Wikidata. Thanks to these activities, more than 13,000 Canadian performing arts entities are now described in the form of linked data, and Wikidata has become one of the most comprehensive performing arts databases.

Dessa Hayes
Digital Discoverability Consultant CAPACOA

Audience Opinions and Roles in Your Equity Work

Surale Phillips, DRMTM Head of Research and principal with WolfBrown, will share findings from the recent IDEA Study. This Audience Outlook Monitor special topic study collected data on inclusion, diversity, and equity from audiences of 27 orchestras from coast to coast. DRMTM members will facilitate a breakout conversation about how findings like these relate to brand capacity, purpose and culture — topics in the following day’s DRMTM Bold Brand Lab.

Surale Phillips
Brand Research DRMTM

Better Together: Social Media Collaboration and Community Outreach

Discover how authentic audience engagement — without the sales — builds and nurtures audiences by creating a singular voice for your organization, and learn how we collaborate community-wide to fundamentally change the awareness of arts culture in San Diego as a team.

Kayla Wilson
Social Media Manager San Diego Symphony

Andrew Mandinach
Video Production Manager Balboa Park Online Collaborative

Kara West
Library Arts and Cultural Exhibition Manager San Diego Public Library

From Clicks to Curtain Calls: Understanding Audience Behavior in Theater Marketing

Join BroadwayWorld Regional Sales Director Alex Freeman and Editor-in-Chief Nicole Rosky as they reveal both internal and external data on theatergoing audiences. Focusing on how this data shapes the strategies of the BroadwayWorld team, attendees will gain invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of marketing to theatergoers. Exploring the intersection of audience engagement and campaign design, this presentation will offer practical guidance for companies seeking to optimize their marketing efforts in alignment with audience preferences and industry shifts, providing a roadmap for effective promotional strategies in the dynamic world of live entertainment.

Alex Freeman
Regional Sales Director BroadwayWorld

Nicole Rosky
Editor-in-Chief BroadwayWorld

The Major Gifts Machine: Building the Business Processes for Your Major Gifts Pipeline

Staying on course with major gifts is mission critical for every not-for-profit. To be effective, you need ways to keep your team focused, capture important donor interactions, and develop and deliver meaningful cultivation and stewardship.

How well you build and maintain your ‘machine’ is the difference between consistent success overtime, or constantly being set back by staff turnover, missed opportunities, and unfocussed ‘over cultivation’.

In this session you will learn about the building blocks of a major gift pipeline and using your CRM tools and team best practices to manage your most important funder relationships. Keeping it simple and consistent is key!

Peter Hussell
Co-Founder F+H Partners

Is Your Business Model Broken?

Successful revenue creation and capture is essential to a thriving arts organization, but it's only half of the story. Your business model defines and drives the larger story of all the moving parts working together. Join this interactive and collaborative workshop to make sense of your arts business in ways that inspire action. Leave with fresh understanding and a more coherent and compelling narrative about what makes your arts organization work.

Andrew Taylor
Associate Professor of Arts Management American University

The 30-Second Delivery: Your Story in 100 Words

Sometimes all you get is 30 seconds -- to make a sale, convince a funder, or get a job interview. In this workshop, you will learn how to introduce yourself, express a few key points that separate you from the herd, and truly connect with the other person. In 30 seconds or less.

Larry Dean Harris
Principal WORDS

Unlocking the Power of Social Media Advertising

How Arts Organizations Can Maximize Impact by Balancing Paid Ads and Organic Content

As arts organizations face increasing competition for audience attention in the crowded digital landscape, many struggle to effectively leverage social media advertising to connect with their target audiences and drive ticket sales. Paid social media advertising offers a solution, but organizations with limited budgets often hesitate to invest without a clear understanding of how to maximize their return on investment. The key lies in balancing paid ads with organic content.

In this session, Benjamin Tyrrel, Director of Arts Programming at Utah Tech University, and Marketing and Operations Strategist with over 20 years of experience in arts non- profits and digital marketing, will share insights on creating a winning combination
of paid and organic tactics. Drawing from his experience helping numerous organizations and business generate over $10 million in sales, Benjamin Tyrrel will provide attendees with a framework for understanding the role of paid ads and organic content in the marketing funnel, as well as proven strategies and actionable tips for maximizing the impact of their social media advertising efforts.

Attendees will learn:

The most common mistakes arts organizations make in social media advertising and how to avoid them
A framework for understanding the role of paid ads and organic content in the marketing funnel
Proven strategies for creating effective paid ads and engaging organic content that work together to achieve marketing goals
Actionable tips for allocating budgets, measuring performance, and optimizing social media advertising efforts

Benjamin D. Tyrrel
Director of Arts Programming College of the Arts Utah Tech University

New Audiences, New Donors, Deeper Connections: The Vital Role of Education Programs

How do we reach new audiences? How do we ensure our sustainability? How do we become a pillar in our local community?

These are just a few of the questions keeping arts leaders up at night. And while ticket sales are stagnant, audience expectations are up, and resources are tightening, there’s one undeniable bright spot: Education. Classes, workshops, and camps present a major opportunity for arts orgs to reach new audiences of all ages, foster community connection, and drive revenue.

Join Natasha Wahid, Head of Marketing at CourseStorm, for an actionable session and discussion all about how to build a thriving education program. Whether you're just getting started with classes or looking to take your program to the next level, you’ll walk away with learnings you can put into practice today based on what we’ve seen work for hundreds of arts orgs across the U.S.

In this session, you’ll learn:

Why learning programs are the ideal complement to your other offerings
Tips to build a thriving ed program that feeds your whole organization
How leverage your education program to drive donations
Real world examples from other arts organizations you can put into practice today

Natasha Wahid
Head of Marketing CourseStorm

Put Butts In Seats With Words

Craft enticing, cogent copy that does justice to your performances – and helps sell them out. Larry Dean Harris, award-winning copywriter (Center Theatre Group, Lookingglass Theatre, Cirque du Soleil, and Broadway national tours, to name a few), will show you how to write compelling headlines, be aggressively clever in your wordplay and — above all — make every character matter in our world of ever-shrinking copy blocks.

Larry Dean Harris
Principal WORDS

Reclaiming the Spotlight: Take Back Control of Your Digital Presence

For years, social media has been the go-to tool for arts groups to connect with audiences, but with shifting algorithms, declining organic reach, and platform restrictions it’s time to rethink the strategy. This session explores how organizations can take back control of their messaging and brand by focusing on owned platforms like email marketing, websites, and direct audience engagement.

We’ll also dive into the power of video and how to use it effectively on your website and in email marketing to create deeper audience connections, sell more tickets, and keep your productions top of mind. Learn how to repurpose show trailers, behind-the-scenes footage, and cast interviews into high-impact content that drives engagement on your terms. By the end of this session, you’ll have actionable strategies to reclaim your theatre’s digital presence and make video work for you, without being at the mercy of social media algorithms.

Jason Clark
Senior Sales and Marketing Specialist rTraction Canada

Unlocking the Future: Building a Legacy Giving Program

This session will delve into the transformative power of legacy giving. In an era where sustaining the arts for future generations is more crucial than ever, creating a robust legacy giving program is critical for your organization’s future financial health. This session will explore and provide you with strategies and best practices, empowering you to embark on your own journey toward securing a lasting legacy for your organization. Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or just beginning to explore legacy giving, this session will offer invaluable insights to propel your institution forward in securing its future.

Key takeaways:

You will learn how to harness the power of storytelling to connect donors with your organization's mission and inspire them to leave a lasting legacy.

Learn how to effectively segment your donor base to tailor legacy giving appeals.

Discover easy and simple marketing techniques to raise awareness of your legacy giving program and attract potential donors.

Learn how to equip your staff, volunteers, and board members to serve as ambassadors for your legacy giving program, spreading awareness and driving participation.

Richard J. Lefebvre, CFRE
Associate Director, Individual & Legacy Giving The National Ballet of Canada

July Madness: Bracketology, Arts and Culture Style

One side is fundraising, and the other side is audience cultivation. In this session, we’ll square off the tactics and data points of an Arts and Culture enterprise, winnowing down what matters most to our fictional organization. We’ll make tough choices on a tight budget, and while we do, we’ll show how to quantify the risk, probability, opportunity, and impact. It’s about both strategy and how to consolidate and use data across ticketing and your database. We’ll keep it interesting--it’s a bracket, after all.

Jeremy Wine
Elevent Co-Founder

Ways to Diversify and Grow Your Audience with Social Media

Whether they’re influencers, performers, or even from other organizations, social media collaborators can help diversify and grow your audience. Learn what works best on the most popular platforms, what the hot trends are, and how to deliver compelling content.

Moderator: Art Quiñones
Marketing & Communications Officer Theatre Bay Area

Meghan Jolliffe
Membership & Community Engagement Officer Theatre Bay Area

Raquel Basco
Actress

Ashley Johnson-Schwartz
Social Media Manager ODC Dance

Nakia Gibbs
Digital Marketing Associate American Conservatory Theater

2024 Cultural Compass: Digital Marketing Benchmarks to Guide Arts and Cultural Institutions

Becky will present Capacity Interactive’s recent study on digital benchmarks that addresses questions on the minds of all arts marketers today such as:

How does my media spend compare to my peers?
What’s the most effective way for me to diversify across additional digital channels?
What can I learn from the work of other organizations that share my region, budget size, and genre?
How successfully is my content driving ticket sales and engaging audiences?

The data will help you inform optimizations to your marketing mix, build a case for investing in website improvements, and inspire strategic planning for FY25.

Becky Ludkiewicz
Senior Consultant Capacity Interactive

A Day in the Life of a Remote Box Office

The Covid era opened the door for box offices to create remote operations. Lighthouse Immersive has maintained a remote team, selling to markets in Toronto and across the US. Heather Rowland, Manager of Customer Service and April Moon, part-time Customer Service Representative, will take you through A Day in the Life of a Remote Box Office. They will share staff onboarding and training ideas, outline supervisor-to-staff shift management, and showcase the tools available to staff to stay up-to-date with the vast amount of changes including promo codes, dynamic price changes and extended run dates. This box office team has fine-tuned and standardized the delivery of exceptional customer service care.

Heather Rowland
Manager of Customer Service - Ticketing & Customer Service Lighthouse Immersive

April Moon
Box Office Representative Lighthouse Immersive

Our Sponsors

Dream Warrior Group provides graceful yet technologically savvy solutions for Arts organizations. The goal-driven services focus on audience and action. As your technology advocate, we will be your ally and can manage and fully implement your online presence. Our services (à la carte or contracted) include: Web site design and development, e-marketing, e-promotion, social media management and optimization. We implement your message in a digital environment.
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Substrakt is a leading digital agency specialising in the arts and culture sector. We partner with over 70 cultural organisations around the world to create digital experiences that connect people to art, ideas and each other. We’re here to make cultural experiences more accessible, engaging and impactful through thoughtful design, smart technology and strategic thinking.

We offer a full suite of digital services, including the design and development of websites and digital products, alongside strategic consultancy, training and ongoing support. Our consultancy work spans areas such as digital strategy, content strategy, SEO, user research, accessibility and analytics.

We’re proud to work with some of the world’s most inspiring cultural organisations, including the National Theatre, PAC NYC, Malmö Opera, Henry Moore Foundation, Shakespeare's Globe, Scottish Ballet, Kettle’s Yard, Leeds Heritage Theatres, Southbank Centre, and the Folger Shakespeare Library.
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InstantEncore powers over one million patron experiences every year. helps arts and culture organizations thrive. Our two innovative mobile services – Appscension and InsideGuide - breakdown barriers to attendance, increase convenience for patrons, and drive ROI for you.
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BroadwayWorld is the largest theatre site on the internet, covering Broadway, the West End and beyond to 100 US cities, 45 countries and in 12 languages worldwide. With over six million monthly visitors, BroadwayWorld delivers complete up-to-the-minute Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theatre news, in-depth interviews, extraordinary photo coverage, entertaining video features, lively message boards, ticket discounts, reviews, and more.
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We offer comprehensive not-for-profit development and planning services, focused on the specialized needs of arts and culture clients. Having served cultural institutions of all sizes as both advancement professionals and consultants, we are ready to work with you to strengthen your fundraising and deepen your organization’s impact.

Your unique situation requires a tailored plan to match your needs and resources. Collaborating with F+H Partners means you work directly with us and benefit from our expertise in best practices and pragmatic solutions, developed over decades as fundraising and not-for-profit professionals. Our commitment to bringing fresh eyes to each situation and offering informed perspectives and solutions has contributed to millions of dollars raised for our partner organizations.

We are committed to highly personalized approaches. We carefully consider your size, needs, and objectives to maximize impact. Beyond achieving metrics, our focus is on building organizational capacity, ensuring that you internalize the tools and processes to remain strong over the long term. To achieve this we actively work with you in translating robust plans into ongoing success.
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Spektrix is a complete solution for ticketing, marketing, fundraising, and CRM, designed specifically for the performing arts. With world-class technology and support, Spektrix helps 650+ organizations across the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. grow their revenue and deepen patron relationships. Powerful, intuitive software, at-a-glance insights, frequent and seamless upgrades, training, support, and strategic consultation with experienced professionals come at no additional cost - making Spektrix the fastest-growing solution for arts organizations today.
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CourseStorm is an easy-to-use class registration and marketing platform perfect for arts & culture education programs and kids camps. Our cloud-based system offers a single platform to manage individual and group course registration, payment processing, rosters, waitlists, attendance tracking, customizable registration forms, class communication, and more. Learn more at
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Arts organizations that put their audience in the spotlight will fill their houses. We work with you to make sense of the chaos and create a plan that gets your audience excited for your next show.

Count on us to be your steady partner on anything from strategic guidance to tackling Tessitura or executing a campaign — all while helping you find ways to be relatable to your audience members. You also won't be left figuring out how to implement a lofty plan. We can execute it for you so you can focus on your endless to-do list. Or help you prioritize and get efficient execution systems in place that work for you and your team. Get to know us better at one of our Executive Roundtable Discussions. Learn more and RSVP at NEW-MarketingSolutions.com/events.
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EleeHub was founded in 2021 to address a critical gap in the nonprofit marketing domain. It became evident that most nonprofits could be categorized into three groups: those unaware of the Google Ad Grant, those who had attempted to utilize it but were deterred by its complexity, and those engaged with costly consultants yielding minimal or expensive outcomes. EleeHub emerged as a beacon for small to mid-sized nonprofits seeking an efficient, cost-effective, and impactful marketing strategy.

As a certified Google Partner, EleeHub champions the belief that all nonprofits should fully utilize the Google Ad Grant, with professional assistance, to optimize their outcomes. The EleeHub team brings together over thirty years of collective expertise in nonprofit marketing and Google Ads, positioning itself as a leading force in the sector. https://www.eleehub.com/
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Elevent is the multi-event ticketing & membership platform made to modernize all things ticketing for professionalized venues, festivals, and seasonal event organizers. White-label by design, high-scale, omnichannel, and holistically blended with a real CRM, Elevent digitally transforms your event organization into what you envision. https://readyset.goelevent.com/
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