Themes of #NAMPC 2015 or “A Very Special Blossom”

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Shoshana

I woke up early in the morning thinking about the conference I just attended. At first I thought I was in the hotel room, which proves my brain is still there at the conference, and the other attendees probably feel the same way. The day after always gives us a chance to bask in the glow of NAMPC one more…

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Before the conference brain bursts

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Shoshana

Usually during and after a conference my brain gets all tingly, and then it lights up with new ideas and inspirations. Today, for some reason, it is happening before the conference. Perhaps I had too much coffee this morning. A likely assessment, yet my thoughts are fairly targeted towards what we might be discussing at the National Arts Marketing Project…

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Round up for more audience support!

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Shoshana

I might have posted this idea before, but in view of the latest article of  “The Cost of Your Ticket” is No Way to Raise Money, I think I want to put the idea out again. Raising funds in addition to the cost of the tickets is challenging for us. The audiences are already supporting us with their ticket purchase,…

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Why the muppets lost me as an audience member

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Shoshana

I don’t know if you have watched the latest installment of the new Muppet Show. I have always been a huge fan, but this latest attempt to carry the muppets into the 21st Century is a big failure to me. They have lost me as an audience member. This is why: The muppets had their own little world on their own…

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Feeling the arts again

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Shoshana

I am working on a new presentation about the magic of audience development. I hope to unveil this one soon, either via a conference, workshop, or a webinar. The presentation leads to a final conclusion, which I will share with you…feeling the arts again! We did ourselves in with the elitism. We expected that placing an advertisement to get them…

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Alumni groups for audience building?

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Shoshana

I was reading another article about the classical music woes. The author feels that if we shift money into music education programs, we will build an audience again. Think about the countless studies that have mentioned that many people attend the arts because it was a part of their background. Yes, building future arts lovers via arts education funding is…

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Supply the why for better audience building

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Shoshana

“This show is not to be missed!” Why? “An event for the entire family!” Why? “One of the best actors of our time!” Why? “Once in a lifetime show!” Why? “One-of-a-kind!” Why? I think you get the idea. People are tired of hearing these types of general, non-descriptive phrases since the majority use them. These are cop out phrases. They…

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Marketing alone does not cut it anymore!

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Shoshana

I won’t name any names, but I know of a few organizations that are only doing the marketing side of promotion. They dotted their i’s and crossed their t’s for purchasing advertising. They promoted their events on social media platforms. They obtained publicity. They sent out a slew of mass marketing emails. Even with all the money and energy placed in…

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Billy Joel and audience engagement

Posted on September 17, 2015 by Shoshana

Last night I was fortunate to see Billy Joel in concert at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Being a huge fan with the majority of his albums, I am kicking myself for not going to a concert sooner. I am glad I was finally able to witness how great he is with his audience engagement! Here is a list of some of the…

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The COPD of the arts – elitism

Posted on September 8, 2015 by Shoshana

We have for a long time discussed the big elephant in the room called elitism. The other day I saw another commercial for a pharmaceautical for COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Here is an example of these commercials: I put two and two together. The elephant in the room, elitism, is choking the living breath out of the arts. Here…

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“Shoshana led our board in a terrific two-hour workshop on the value of Audience Development. The presentation was tremendously helpful to us in defining our audience and has been a major influence in how we relate to our patrons. I’m convinced that our evolving work in Audience Development will lead to stronger relationships with our patrons.” —Harold Gray, Artistic Director

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