PROGRAM

National Arts Marketing, Development & Ticketing Conference, Los Angeles

10.18.16 - 10.19.16

KEYNOTE

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

PLENARY

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

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.

BREAKOUTS AND PANELS

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

Katharine DeShaw
President Philanthropic Consulting

Sarah Cho
Senior Search Analyst Capacity Interactive

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

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

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

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

It’s no longer about competing with a neighboring theater 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.

Libby Penn
Group Managing Director Spektrix

Mark McMaster
Head of US Online Sales Snap Chat

Kondwani Mwase
Executive Director of Audience Engagement National Arts Centre

Shannon Urie
Marketing Director National Arts Centre

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

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

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

Kay Sprinkel Grace
Founder and Principal, Transforming Philanthropy;

Andrew Mandinach
Video Production Manager Balboa Park Online Collaborative

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

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.
More Info
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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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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Schedule

October 18, 2016:
Morning Intensive (Program starts at 8:45 a.m.)
Opening Plenary
Lunch on Your Own
Keynotes
Plenary Panels
Opening Reception/1-on-1's

October 19, 2016:
Breakouts (Program starts at 9:00 a.m.)
Networking Reception/1-on-1's
Lunch with the Experts
Breakouts
(Conference ends at 5:00 p.m.)

Program and speakers subject to change.

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