Download - Theatre Survival Plan in Uncertain Times

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Volume XVIIIssue 5

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The Art and Science of Enhancing Your Mission, Attendance and Fundraising

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ARTS REACH SUPERTEAMARTS REACH SUPERTEAM

$30

Inside Arts Reach: Trends 2Survival Strategies 5Budgeting 10Messaging 12LA Conference 15See pages 15-19 for complete details

s we enter a new decade in what has still felt like a new and very chaotic century, how are the arts

going to restructure their marketing, fund-raising, and governance efforts to capture patrons who are changing exponentially?

Are you ready for the wave of change? Are you anticipating which new technolo-

gies, messages, and cultivation strategies will be the most effective for your unique situa-tion? Have you set the most prudent course for maximizing short-term donor net income and long-term contributed income growth? Are you ready for younger board members who have different expectations and for older

Conference-at-a-GlanceOctober 8, 2009: Patron Technology’s E-marketing E-mersion E-vent – Arts Reach Edition

October 9 & 10, 2009: Regular Conference

October 11, 2009: Revolution in the Board Room Day, Presented by Kay Sprinkel Grace

board members who are equally impa-tient because they see that things have been stagnant for a long time?

If you realize that the old practices simply won’t work any more, then this is the conference for you. Join like-minded professionals for an extraordinary week-end of learning, discussing, socializing, and relaxing. With a theme this timely and a line-up this strong, it might liter-ally prove to be the conference where the future of the arts in North America for the next decade is determined.

AA

Visit

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for details and

to register!

Arts REACH ◆ www.artsreach.com ◆ 1-888-881-586122

5542 Monterey Road, Suite 329San Jose, CA [email protected] / arts.ruddle.comOFFICE PHONE 408-556-8965

ARTS REACH

SUPERTEAMRuddlize It: Marcom On Call

As a member of the Arts Reach community, you may have read one of my

articles in the Arts Reach journal or attended one of my sessions at an Arts Reach conference about ef-fective marketing communications and/or cost cutting. Since 1988, I have met and consulted with hundreds of arts marketing profes-sionals, and I have loved adding sizzle, improving readability and juicing up the effectiveness of their marketing programs.

Cathy Cassetta of the Tabard Theater Company says, “Your com-ments were right on the mark! It was so easy to work with you, and your creative suggestions transformed our postcards for a very small investment of time and money.”

Erik Curren of the American Shake-speare Center says, “Wow! Thanks for the detailed feedback. You really are the Go To Guy for analysis of collateral.”

If you know me already, then you know that I’m a big advocate of you sharing your marketing ideas, copy and designs with “an extra pair of eyes” before and during production because it will save you from costly mistakes, as well as spark interesting insights and creative ideas. Since those needs arise frequently and sometimes unpredictably throughout the year, I’ve developed three ways that are inexpensive and convenient for you to reap the benefit of having that extra pair of eyes.

The inexpensive “Instant Ruddle” program provides valuable insights and practical advice by phone and email. “Ruddle Plus” kicks it up a notch. Finally, “Onsite Ruddle Plus Plus”

will revolutionize your marketing program and process. Visit www.arts.ruddle.com for complete details or contact me directly at 408-234-3670 or [email protected] with your questions and comments, or to just sign up.

Sapere Aude,

Henry Ruddle

I thought through the nonprofit sector’s prospects for the future.

First, donors will cease to be statistics.➤ Mass mail will be passé. Today’s

segmentation tools will be primi-tive by comparison with tomor-row’s targeting techniques. One-to-one marketing will be a necessity, not a fantasy.

➤ Large charities clinging to enor-mous donorfiles will lose ground to those that emphasize donor quality over quantity.

➤ Donors will shun nonprofits that treat them like numbers. Those

the vision and mission that drive your efforts can’t be fulfilled this year, or next, or even the one after that. So, it’s essential you keep in mind how the changes you put in place now will affect your chances of thriving once the economy finally starts upward again.

I was given an opportunity to think about this challenge when I was invited to speak briefly at a luncheon held during the Direct Marketing Association Nonprofit Federation Washington Nonprofit Conference in Washington DC, early this year. Three overarch-ing realities clearly stuck out as

What Comes After the Recession?BY MAL WARWICK

re you thinking that you’ve got enough prob-lems now without being

distracted by thoughts of how you’ll raise money a year or two or three from now? I thought so. But hear me out, please.

Right now, as economic conditions bear down more and more heavily on your organiza-tion, chances are you’re making changes . . . changes in the ways you raise money, in the programs you trim and the ones you fund fully, perhaps even in the people who work with you. Tough times impose change.

But it’s not enough to survive. No doubt your organization is in business for the long haul, because

AA

See Mal Warwick in person as he presents the opening keynote and a breakout session at the Arts Reach National Arts Marketing & Development Conference in Los Angeles October 8-11, 2009. Visit www.artsreach.com/conference.html for more details.


ARTS REACH

SUPERTEAMIt’s the Economic Challenge of a Lifetime. What’s in Your Marketing Toolbox?

Finding more new pa-trons, achieving high rates of subscriber

renewal, acquiring patrons with greater efficiency are no longer sufficient strate-gies to sustain patronage and revenues.

Current economic chal-lenges crystallize the need to refocus on today’s critical questions for arts organiza-tions’ leaders:

➤ Are you measuring patrons’ lifetime value?

➤ How many patrons of all kinds—subscribers, donors, and single admission buyers—stay with you year to year?

➤ How much time and money are you investing to keep patrons coming back?

➤ Do development and market-ing departments function as partners or adversaries?

➤ Have you harnessed the business intelligence power in your arts com-munity?

Audience and revenue growth depend on how well you understand, adopt, and implement new fundamen-tals that assure patron reten-tion and lifetime value.

Learn how to become a New Century Arts Organization at www.trgarts.com

ever happens, we’ll confront new technologies, new expectations, new opportunities. Yesterday’s tools won’t do the job.

Will you be prepared?Think about it!

Mal Warwick has been raising money professionally since 1979 and has gained worldwide recognition as an author, con-sultant, and trainer. He has written or ed-ited nineteen books, including Fundraising When Money is Tight and How to Write Suc-cessful Fundraising Letters. Mal is Founder and Chairman of Mal Warwick Associates and Co-Founder of Donordigital (Berkeley, Calif.), which specialize in direct response fundraising. He has been a top-rated speaker at conferences throughout North America for 20 years, and worldwide since 1999. Mal has taught fundraising on six continents to non-profit executives from more than 100 coun-tries. A Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador in the 1960s, he has lived in Berkeley since 1969. You may reach Mal through www.mal-

warwick.com or by email at [email protected]. Reprinted with permission from the May 2009 edition of Mal Warwick’s News-letter: Successful Direct Mail, Telephone & Online Fundraising

nonprofits and businesses alike to tackle specific problems.

➤ Donor “Circles of Excellence” will attract big funders to ad-dress large, measurable chal-lenges and meet quantifiable

objectives.➤ Small donors will flock to mutual-fund-like investment ve-hicles, by-passing

individual nonprofits to address broader issues.

Will any of this truly come to pass?

Beats me! Your guess may be as good as mine. However, if you look around the nonprofit sector world-wide with an eye for detail, you’ll probably see signs of many of these possible trends in today’s emerging practices.

But no matter. Today’s condi-tions and today’s trends won’t de-fine tomorrow’s challenges. What-

that provide superlative donor care will flourish.

Second, new ways will emerge to finance nonprofits.➤ Lines will blur among nonprof-

its, for-profits, and funders. Those who now start nonprofits will favor any organizational form that offers an easy route to funding.

➤ Social enterprises of all types will bloom, some nonprofit, some for-profit. Corporations will launch their own social services. “Donors” may loan or invest as well as give.

➤ Social finance will mature, creat-ing large-scale capital markets for nonprofits—and thus compe-tition for us fundraisers.

Donors will invent new forms of engagement.➤ Major donor or foundation

consortia will flourish, issuing Requests for Proposal (RFPs) to


Volume XVII • Issue 5

Arts Reach serves as an interactive forum for ar ts management professionals, and it welcomes articles, opinions, questions, and letters. Please send typed manuscripts or letters to Arts Reach, 38 Holliday Drive, Novato, CA 94949. To be returned, all materials must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Thank you. Arts Reach, ISSN 1065-8130, is published eight times each year (January, March, April, May, July, September, October, November,) by Arts Reach Unlimited, 38 Holliday Drive, Novato, CA 94949. Phone 1-800-793-3342, Fax 415-883-7565, e-mail ceo@Ar tsReach.com. Copyright 2009. Third-class postage paid at San Anselmo, CA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Arts Reach, 524 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo, CA 94960. Annual Subscriptions: $129 USA. Canada and foreign: $139 (U.S. funds only). Back issues are available at $12.90 each. Reproduction in whole or in part is allowed with written consent only. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively. All articles are true and factual to the Publisher’s knowledge; however, the Publisher accepts no responsibility for any errors contained herein.

Advisory Council

Carl Bloom, Carl Bloom Associates, Inc.Robert J. Cohen, STIR ProjectDavid Kitto, Kennedy Center for the

Performing ArtsTom Kouzes, The Leadership ChallengeCharlie Wade, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

John Zorn Publisher & Editor

Henry Ruddle Art Director

SOME OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT COLLABORATE WITH ARTS REACH:SOME OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS THAT COLLABORATE WITH ARTS REACH:

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INTERNATIONAL TICKETING ASSOCIATIONAdvancing the Success of the Admission Services Industry

Leadership Education for Arts and Culture

The only not-for-profit service organization dedicated to musical theatre.

AAM’s mission is to enhance the value of museums to their communities through leadership, advocacy, and service

Leadership, Service, and Advocacy for America’s Orchestras


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Continued on the next page

our artistic programming. These works provide students and adults with

the best theater and outreach programs that we can offer,” states Robert Weber Federico, the company’s Ex-ecutive Direc-tor. “We are not cutting out on the advertising or canceling our

commitment to the artist.”Now in its 17th season, LABy-

rinth Theater Company is a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary collec-tive of 116 artists with boundless creativity and inspiration. The company aims to continue offering new opportunities to artists who are always in need of space to work on new projects. With the increase in hourly costs of city studio/re-hearsal space, this season LABy-rinth consolidated its resources and moved to a new location comprising office, rehearsal and meeting space. LAByrinth’s artist members can use the space at no charge to develop new work. Although this move has increased the company’s overhead cost, it has also enabled increases in earned income through rentals and educational programming. As so much of the company’s core activities now take place in the new space, members interact more often with one another, thus reinforcing the community spirit that is at the heart of LAByrinth’s mission.

the many activities that are critically needed to produce their work. In some cases it means moving forward with productions by adjusting producing methods and in other cases it means expanding on programs aimed at redefining how their audience will interact in the future.

Commitment to Artistic Excellence and Serving the Artists

For many companies, with or without a cash reserve, budget cuts are a necessity and they have to be made strategically, so that they are not at the expense of the artistic output. Repertorio Español, the Spanish-language producing theater company now in its 41st season, is

forging ahead with three long-planned and funded works: Pedro Calderón’s classic play “Life is a Dream;” an original adaptation of Isabel Allende’s

best selling novel The House of the Spirits; and “Letters to a Mother” by up-and-coming Venezuelan-Amer-ican playwright Marcelo Rodríguez.

“We could have shied away from bringing these exciting works, but we feel we can better survive with a strong presence and by not jeopardizing

ven in prosperous times, fundraising for and marketing of productions

are always a challenge for most theater companies throughout the United States. Therefore, it does not come as a surprise that this cur-rent financial crisis is pushing many not-for-profit theater companies to stretch their resources to the break-ing point. Yet in spite of the gloomy daily headlines, the motto “the show must go on” is alive and well.

This year the New York-based Tony Randall Theatrical Fund expanded its grant making guide-line to support the work of some theater companies it believes are addressing this economic downturn with a focused determination to keep their mission alive. “In un-certain times, it is very difficult for many theaters to stay the course, yet many are finding ways to de-liver and stay true to their mission with creative initia-tives,” states Heath-er Randall, chair of the fund. Nine New York theater com-panies with annual operating budgets from $500,000 to $5 million were selected to receive general operating grants ranging form $5,000 to $10,000.

Highlights of some of these innovations are discussed in this article. As a golden rule, vigilance to the bottom line is a primary concern of these theaters with a commitment to balance the bud-get. However, for most of these companies, an economic downturn is not the time to pull back on

“The perception that you do not want to be

seen as actively sharing your audience is fading away at the moment.”

Survival in Uncertain Times: Not-for-Profit Theater Companies Staying on Mission and Focusing on Innovation

BY CARL SYLVESTRE


ARTS REACH

SUPERTEAM

Exploring various production models – Expanding collaborations

As a means of controlling expenses without sacrificing their artistic output, many companies are forming new producing partner-ships. For some this practice has always been part of their operations and for others it means jumping on a long-resisted bandwagon.

Elevator Repair Service (ERS), a theater ensemble company creat-ing new works for eighteen years, has seen its professional profile increase in the past three years and aims to continue on that trajectory by continuing to build its partner-ship base and expanding on their artist experimentation. As the theater-in-residence at New York

Theatre Workshop, where, in Spring 2008, it presented to great acclaim an adaptation of William Faulkner’s The Sound and The Fury (April Seventh, 1928), ERS is now devel-oping a new piece based on Ernest Hemmingway’s The Sun Also Rises for the Workshop’s 2010-11 season.

Additionally, “The Sun Also Rises” has secured commissioning

support from the Ringling International Arts Festival. The production has been invited to the Phila-delphia Live Art Festi-val and the Edinburgh

International Theater Festival in Fall 2010. The company will perform its show “Gatz,” a six hour two-part dra-matic reading of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby at the Brisbane Powerhouse Theater and Sydney Opera House in Australia and it will be part of Boston’s American Repertory Theater 2009-10 season.

It is a balancing act for ERS, “starting a new piece now is as challenging as ever due to our densely packed touring schedule and in-

creasingly limited financial support available for new work. Neverthe-less, we feel it is critical to balance the presentation of finished work with a commitment to developing a new piece even though works-in progress and long rehearsal periods are far less lucrative than interna-tional touring,” states John Collins, the company’s Artistic Director, “the ongoing creation of new origi-nal work is central to our mission.”

Another young ensemble compa-ny, The Civilians, is in the process of moving as a project-based ensemble to a more cohesive institution that can support several projects in a given season as well as ancillary programs. The company’s produc-

Uncertain TimesContinued from page 5


Continued on page 8

tion model involves in-depth com-munity-based research; their investi-gation of the Evangelical Christian Political Movement resulted in “This Beautiful City” presented in Wash-ington D.C., Los Angeles and New York City this past year. To reach the goal of being a cohesive body, the company is strengthening the partnership with universities and larger producing theaters.

“We are finding that different organizations are now more open to work collaboratively in the development process of a piece and in some cases it is more than just with one collaborator,” says The Civilians’ Managing Director Marion Friedman. These partner-ships are providing support on various levels, from short writing

residencies to full productions. A new work in progress, “The Great Immensity,” about climate change, will be developed in partnership with Princeton University and the McCarter Theatre with the company working with faculty and students from the Princeton Environmental Institute and Program in Theater and Dance to develop the piece.

Faced with the possibility of decreasing the size and scope of its programming, the Vineyard The-atre, a theater dedicated to produc-ing new works, is actively seeking co-productions for all of its 2009-10 projects. In Spring 2010 it will co-produce with New York’s Play-wrights Horizons the new musical “The Burnt Part Boys,” while continuing its Developmental Lab

Series of small-scale work-in-prog-ress productions. “Throughout our existence we have always sought to create collaborations with other theater companies. In the past we have often supported the work of smaller companies with co-produc-tions; now we are embarking on co-productions with larger companies than ours,” says Jennifer Garvey Blackwell, the Vineyard’s Executive Director, “the benefits of these co-productions are not only financial. It has often been to the benefit of the creative team who are now working with an expanded group of new collaborators.”

Redefining the relationship with the audience

One fear is that with co-produc-tions, many companies risk losing the brand identity that they have built over many seasons. The percep-tion that you do not want to be seen as actively sharing your audience is fading away at the moment. Next

“We are finding that different organizations are now more open to work collaboratively in the

development process of a piece and in some cases it is more than just with one collaborator.”


season Vineyard subscribers will be offered, as part of their package, one production to St. Ann’s Warehouse, a presenting cultural organization in Brooklyn, NY.

“We have to believe that audienc-es want greater exposure to what else is going on in the theatrical community and beyond,” states The New Group’s Managing Director Oliver Dow, which co-produced with the Vineyard the 2003’s Tony-Award winning musical “Avenue Q.” The New Group is actively seeking other non-theatrical cultural partner-ships to expand the base of its audience. Ancillary events often reserved for cultivat-ing donors are now part of the marketing fabric of any growing theater company to welcome new audiences, as well as strengthening the relationship with long-term supporters.

“Our aim in these difficult times is to make sure that the theater is more than a leisure activity and that it can be part of what makes us a community in this city,” continues Dow. As a result of the current economic downturn, The New Group has implemented “Dark Nights at The New Group,” which brings theater artists together during the season for a public presentation and cultural discussion. Inspired by its production of Eugene O’Neill’s “Mourning Becomes Electra,” it pro-duced a panel that featured O’Neill biographers Barbara and Arthur Gelb, playwright Tony Kushner and actress Zoë Caldwell reading from O’Neill’s work and discussing his influence on

American Drama. Another evening is a reading by Eric Bogosian on Dracula, since the actor-playwright expressed an interest in exploring that character. Thus, the audience was treated to a reading of a play, discussion and a historical context of the character. “We wanted to have a dialogue with the audience in mat-ters beyond what is happening on the stage,” adds Dow.

A commitment to the mission to sustain and expand the audience for classical theater in New York City is the driving force at Classic Stage Company (CSC). It is increasing the reduced group sales program, espe-cially to student and disadvantaged audiences. “These targeted discounts are ensuring that our productions are fully accessible to all members of our community regardless of their economic circumstances, while also ensuring fuller audiences for our hardworking artists on stage,” states Jessica Jenen, the theater’s Executive Director. CSC’s ancillary programs aim to remove the fourth wall by inviting audiences to many activities such as open rehearsals. “Our goal is to continue to grow our community via personal involve-ment among our patrons, so that they will feel less like customers and more like family. The same approach informs our relationship with the artistic community,” adds Jenen.

Beyond the crisis: Looking aheadBuilding a loyal supporter base

remains a top priority for these com-panies. The downturn in the econo-my is an opportunity to strengthen the relationship with long-standing patrons because these supporters are critical for the future growth of these theaters. These companies

are looking beyond the economic crisis and aim to build the audience that will be there to support their long-term

Uncertain TimesContinued from page 7


aspirations. The message to convey to audience members and funders is that they are worthy long-term investments.

“Our aim is to take action now to continue building an audience that understands The Flea and will invest in our future and long-terms goals,” says Carol Ostrow, Produc-ing Director of Off-Off Broadway’s The Flea Theater. The Flea is launching the “Flea-I-P” campaign designed to capitalize on those donors who are already in the data-base. The campaign is board-driven and encourages high-end giving by offering unlimited seats, personalized ticket handling, post-show dinners with the cast and intimate discussions about the theater. To keep board members engaged and informed about the work they support, The New Group invites the cast and cre-ative team to someone’s home for a salon where board members get a chance to discuss the work intimate-

ly with the artists and invite guests who are prospects for support.

The challenge of planning for the next couple of seasons in this economic climate is daunting, as long-term commitments to the artists have to be made, but sur-vival begins by staying true to the mission and trusting that this is the time to open new opportunities on production methods and building stronger relationships with audience members and funders. Audiences are beneficiaries of these initiatives. In these times, the theater can remind them of the need to come to together as a community, and, as an art form, it is uniquely poised to provide that service.

“It is always difficult to produce in the theater. We do what we do

because we love the art form. The-ater has always been about innova-tion and survival and the pleasure that we get that comes from producing the work of these artists and getting the audience engaged. That challenge is not going to go

away,” accord-ing to Reperto-rio Español’s

Federico. “My hope is that in this downturn in the economy, those with the means to support the the-ater do not shy away from nurtur-ing these artists. These artists are the stimulus for our soul and I look forward to many great things from these companies. Adds Heather Randall, I’m hopeful that whatever challenges come their way, they will find the means to keep on fulfilling their mission.”

Carl Sylvestre, MBA, is a fund-raising, marketing and manage-ment consultant. Email him at [email protected], or visit his website at www.carlsyl-

vestreconsulting.com

Artsmarketing partners with non-profits acrossNorth America, offering comprehensive subscription,

membership, annual fund, capital campaigns,and planned giving programs.

To find out more about what we can do for you, contact:Irene E. Greenberg

Senior Director of Marketing603-778-1428 or [email protected]

Artsmarketing delivers what you want from a telemarketing partner...

...Projections and results you can depend onFor the 2007-08 season, our subscription, fundraisingand capital campiagns averaged 107% of theirprojected goals.

... Positive feedback from the communityClients have been hearing from people we’ve calledon their behalf. And it’s positive. In addition to letters,one patron called his local public radio station tocompliment the work of the “volunteer” whocontacted him.

... More time for other thingsWith a campaign running smoothly under thesupervision of one of our senior staff, you can focuson other priorities.

ARTS REACH

SUPERTEAM

“My hope is that ... those with the means to

support the theater do not shy away...”


NUTS & BOLTSNUTS & BOLTS

the postal service must feel that automation is so commonplace and worthwhile that it no longer needs as big of a discount. Finally, speak-ing of savings, the discount for entering your standard mailing at the appropriate “sectional facility” went up from 4.2 to 4.3 cents per piece! Definitely still worth a bit of a drive for any large mailing.

rate than nonautomation pieces with an AADC sort, which is not much better.

Automation continues to be a terrific investment, often saving more on postage than the cost of mail processing, with the added bonus of nearly-first-class delivery speed because of the requirement that all pieces include an intel-ligent bar code. It appears that

May 11 Postage Increase Hits Nonprofits Hardest

he most common non-profit postage rates took a big hit on May 11. The

typical cost of mailing a letter under 3.3 ounces using nonprofit standard (aka third class) rates went up roughly 5%, while overall rates went up by 2.3% on average. (Legally postage must increase at the same rate or slower than infla-tion, and this year the Consumer Price Index rose 2.9%). Common commercial rates took an above average hit too, but not as much. For example, the cost of a basic first class stamp rose 4.8% from 42 to 44 cents. Rates for a typical standard mailing went up about 4.25%.

So where did the below-aver-age increases come in? Strangely, many rates for nonautomation pieces either went down or rose only slightly. In general, the United States Postal Service took back about half a cent of the price advantage for automation-sorted pieces, and for the first time ever priced automation-qualified pieces with just a basic sort at a higher

TT

BY HENRY RUDDLE

Third Class Letters Under 3.3 Ounces NONPROFIT COMMERCIAL Prior to As of Prior to As of Postage Rate Type May 11 May 11 Change May 11 May 11 ChangeNon-Automation Mixed AADC Sort 0.173 0.172 -0.6% 0.271 0.273 0.7%Non-Automation AADC Sort 0.160 0.155 -3.1% 0.258 0.256 -0.8%Automation Basic Sort 0.159 0.169 6.3% 0.257 0.270 5.1%Automation 3-digit Zip-Code Sort 0.143 0.150 4.9% 0.241 0.251 4.1%Automation 5-digit Zip-Code Sort 0.127 0.132 3.9% 0.225 0.233 3.6%Carrier Route - High Density 0.119 0.121 1.7% 0.190 0.193 1.6%Carrier Route - Walk Sequence 0.108 0.110 1.9% 0.179 0.182 1.7%

Post Office Fun Facts➤ At the highest elevation — Lead-

ville, CO (about 10,150 ft).➤ At the lowest elevation — Mecca,

CA (about 180 ft below sea level).➤ At the coldest location — North

Slope Borough, AK (average winter temp is -22°).

➤ At the hottest location — Death Valley, CA (average summer temp is 115°).

➤ Most unusual construction — The Corrales, NM, post office was

built using 875 bales of straw. The facility looks like others, but has a “truth” window in the lobby so the public can see its uniqueness. It also has a hitching post for customers on horseback.

➤ Most unexpected — The Peach Springs, AZ, post office is equipped with walk-in freezers for food des-tined for delivery to the bottom of the Grand Canyon by mule train to the Havasupai Indians.

➤ Most isolated — Located in the far-

thest reaches of northern Alaska, the Anaktuvuk Pass post office is the only link to the outside world for the residents. There are no roads to the town; everything must be flown in.

➤ Most in need of a bridge — The Point Roberts, WA, post office can-not be reached by vehicle unless you drive through British Colum-bia, Canada. Only a boat or float plane will get you there directly.

(fun facts courtesy of the USPS)


ARTS REACH

SUPERTEAM

Sfull service commercial and personal insurance brokerage firm which specializes in insuring Arts organiza-tions; both Not for Profit and For Profit. For the past 28 years, we have provided insurance programs for theaters, orchestras, operas, muse-ums, galleries and many other types of arts organizations both large and small. All have relied on us to keep them insured with the right cover-age and at the best possible price.

We serve clients nationwide. Our client list includes organizations from New York and Washington D.C. to Washington State and California, from Florida to Connecticut and many states in between. We pride ourselves on service and flexibility. We can work directly with you or hand in hand with your local broker to make sure that your insurance needs are taken care of in an efficient and professional manner.

We offer extensive experience in all forms of coverage through numer-ous insurance companies represented by the firm. Many of our companies specialize in “Not for Profit” arts and entertainment policies. The coverages we provide include, but are not limited to the following:

— General Liability and Property— Workers Compensation-including

volunteers— Theatrical Property— Business Interruption and Extra

Expense— Business Automobile— Directors & Officers Liability— Employment Practices Liability

— Non-Appearance and Cast Insurance— Special Events— Coverage for Tours — Liability, Prop-

erty, Accident & Workers Compensation— Special Actors Equity endorsement

tailored to particular contracts— Employee Benefits programs— Life, Health and Disability programs— Personal Automobile and Homeowners

If there is any part of your insurance program that you are not satisfied with, please let us review your current coverages. We are happy to offer sug-gestions for any improvements or changes you may wish to consider, and will also determine if we can reduce your insurance expense.

You can contact us at 800-748-6293, or through our website at “www.insurethearts.com” or by e-mail at “[email protected].”

chweickert & Company is a

each, you will pay $20.96 for 124 pieces going to zip codes with the same first three digits, but just $18.75 for 125 pieces because the “3 digit” rate is just 15 cents. In that case, either add another name or tell your mail-ing house to just add one to the total on the paperwork.

➤ Digging a bit deeper, if a large chunk of your mailing qualifies for 5-digit processing, portions of it may qualify for carrier route rates. It requires splitting the mailing up, but for large mailings the extra 1.1 cent per piece saving can more than make up for a small increase in processing fees. The lower rates require that at least 10 letters are on the same carrier route, so as before, adding a name to two to make bundles of 10 can save a bundle on postage.

good mailing house knows how to sort your list and fill out the USPS

paperwork to capture every avail-able postage discount. (Always get a copy of the 3502 mailing statement and, if it was filled out by hand, double check it carefully!) However, it takes a great mailing house to notice some list optimization tricks. Here are a few to consider:➤ The cutoff to qualify for 3-digit

and 5-digit sortation rates is 125 pieces. That is, if 125 or more letters are going to the same area, and you sort them that way, those pieces are charged a lower rate. The difference between “basic” and “3 digit” postage of 1.9 cents for non-profit letters may not seem like a lot, but it adds up. At 16.9 cents

Helpful Tip

Sometimes More is Less BY HENRY RUDDLE

➤ Have your list CASS certified (ensure the addresses are real and formatted properly) each time you mail, and consider up-dating it through the National Change of Address system at least once a year. On average, 10-15 percent of households change their address each year, and so you may either be mail-ing to nobody or paying expen-sive “address services requested” fees to update your database one record at a time. These services cost money, but often save much more by ensuring ac-curate delivery and eliminating bogus records.

Henry Ruddle founded the mar-keting communications agency Ruddle Creative in 1988, special-izing in turnkey writing, design, printing and mailing services.

Email him at [email protected] with your own cost-saving practices.

AA


Ten Free Things

down economy is a good time to re-assess some of our traditional methods

and ask if they’re still working on contemporary audiences. Here’s a critical look at how we approach messaging with some practical advice that can dramatically improve results at little-to-no additional cost.

1. Put your marketing messages to work.

Arts marketers worry a lot more about delivering messages (i.e. email or snail mail, print or broad-cast) than they do about how well the messages work. But sending weak, outdated or uncon-vincing messages through powerful new media doesn’t make sense. Growing new audiences (and keeping old au-diences) will depend on the creation of hard-working strategic messages that are as important as the media through which they’re sent.

Do this: Schedule a meeting with your marketing team to discuss mes-saging — not creative ideas, but the strategic underpinnings that make the ideas effective: Who are we talk-ing to? What do they want? What must we promise them to get them to act? When you’ve answered these questions, synthesize your results into a written “strategic messaging statement” and let that statement govern the creative process.

“Women with children ages 8-16 want meaningful family bonding experiences. Thus, our message will focus on the production’s inspiring family story and the long-lasting memories that families who attend together will share.”

2. Stop speaking dead languages.

The language most arts market-ers use was formed in the mid 20th century to speak to audiences that

are now either old or dead. If you’re target-ing 28-year-old Dakota with formats, phras-ing and imagery

that was geared toward her grand-mother, you may be speaking a language she can’t understand let alone respond to. If we want to be a part of Dakota’s world, we have to learn to speak a language she understands.

Do this: Read your marketing copy (ads, brochures, blurbs, fly-ers, etc.) aloud and in-person to a friend or family member who fits the target market you’d most like to attract. If the language feels for-mal, remote, awkward, overblown, artificial, self-important or con-trived, that’s how it will sound to that target. Next, try to persuade that person with casual, conversa-

tional language. Pay attention to what you say and how you say it. Then try using similar language to turn your marketing messages into honest, fresh, naturally persuasive communication.

3. Focus on the fence sitters.

Most arts marketing messages are designed to appeal to avid insiders (colleagues, donors, sub-scribers/members, loyal patrons, etc.). But as avid populations shrink, we become increasingly de-pendent on less avid outsiders who are sitting on the fence wonder-ing if we’re worth their time and money. If our job is to motivate fence sitters, we can’t afford to speak only to our nearest and dear-est supporters.

Do this: Reverse your priorities. Go out and meet the fence sit-ters, learn what motivates them and then design your messages to appeal to them first. Don’t worry about Grandma; she’s already on your side. As long as you don’t of-

AA

You Can Do Right Now

To Make Your Marketing Messages More Effective

BY TREVOR O’DONNELL

Let’s synergize our paradigm.


fend her, you’ll be speaking to both under-motivated Dakota and her dear old grandma with fresh mes-sages that appeal across the board.

4. Don’t just entice, persuade!

Arts marketers make messages enticing by emphasizing the qual-ity, popularity or star-appeal of our products. But enticements are not the same as persuasion. If you want to persuade, you have to explicitly tell your audience what’s in it for them: i.e., “If you come to this wonderful event, you will get _____.” Enticements work on avid fans because they already know what’s in it for them, but fence sit-ters don’t so it becomes our job to tell them.

Do this: Identify something you know your target audience wants then write a simple sentence that tells how your product satisfies that desire: “Women who want to pass on their passion for dance to young daughters will get a high-quality, age-appropriate opportu-nity to do this at a family price.” Then embody this in your market-ing message:

Photo: 10-year-old girl in theatre seat with awe-struck expression as mom & dad look on with lov-ing satisfaction. Copy: “Make the Moment, Give the Gift, Share the Passion — The Springfield Ballet Company will perform…”

5. Quit bragging.The enticements we use in

our messages consist of telling the world how wonderful we are. But boasting doesn’t explain to fence-sitting audiences why they should attend. Persuading less avid audiences means balancing every boast with a ‘here’s what’s in it for you’ promise. “The joyous musical

event that’ll lift your spirits, ease your mind and open your heart to what really matters when times are tough.”

Do this: Make your marketing messages as much about your audi-ence as they are about the product. This will be difficult for arts orga-nizations that are accustomed to talking only about themselves, but if you craft messages that describe how your product will satisfy your audiences’ desires, it will happen automatically. You can start by making sure the word “you” shows up at least once in every message.

6. Keep your opinions to yourself.

The only thing that counts in marketing is objective information. My opinion, your opinion, your boss’s opinion are all crap unless they’re backed by facts. (You can show this to your boss if you like.) It’s the difference between “I think we should say ‘Experience your Imagination’” and “Our research points to female decision makers ages 25-54 who use classical events to bond with like-minded friends, thus our messages will focus on inherent social value and value-added packages for buyers of four or more.”

Do this: Banish the phrase “I think…” from every marketing dis-cussion. Insist that all who contrib-ute support their input with facts

or airtight arguments based on objective external information. If your team lacks the information it needs to make fact-based decisions, go out and get the data. Successful marketers don’t think it will work, they know it will work because they’ve done their homework.

7. Stop talking nonsense.

Much of what passes for “cre-ative” messaging in the arts is meaningless fluff with no strategic underpinnings. If you can’t explain exactly what it means and how it will generate sales, your message is probably ineffective nonsense. If it’s cute, classy, coy, clever, or God forbid catchy, it says more about the egos of the marketers than it does about what motivates the target audience.


Do this: Make sure that your creative process happens AFTER your strategic messaging process. Gather facts. Analyze data. Write a strategic messaging statement. Then and only then can you begin thinking about how to say what must be said. It’ll be tough for folks who work in a creative industry to suspend their idea generating impulses until after the analysis is complete, but doing so is essential.


8. Use strategic attention-getters.

It won’t matter how effective the message is if it doesn’t reach its target, so getting attention is prior-ity one. But if the attention-getters are aimed at avid fans, they could be failing to reach, or worse, turn-ing off persuadable new audiences. That punny headline that cracked everybody up in the conference room may give core audiences a chuckle; but if it leaves fence sit-ters rolling their eyes, it’s getting the wrong kind of attention.

Do this: Let your strategy determine your attention-getting choices. If your fence-sitting target is comprised of young people who might enjoy a classical concert if it fit their lifestyle, forget the shot of the sweaty maestro in the tux and lead with the group of happy, hip, twenty-something friends sharing a drink at intermission. Remem-ber, you’re not the target; what’s most likely to get your attention is almost always the wrong choice.

9. Stay on message.Marketing messages should

have one job and one job only: to sell the product. Expecting those messages to flatter donors, indulge artistic personnel or feed board egos is wasteful, unreasonable and potentially counterproductive. Those who want maximum results must focus exclusively on sales goals and let subordinate objec-tives take a back seat — or get a ride with someone else.

Do this: Establish your strategic messaging statement and design your messages accordingly. Add in what you must (contractual obliga-tions, sponsors, billing, etc.) but leave out anything that isn’t con-sistent with your core objectives. If anyone asks you to change or add to the message, hand them your data, your strategic messaging statement, your sales projections and goals, then tell them you’ll do it only if they’ll assume responsi-bility, in writing, for diminished results.

10. Activate your brand.

Your brand is your reputation, but a great reputation doesn’t guarantee success; the world is full

of beloved cultural institutions that could stand to increase sales. Acti-vating your brand means turning favorable predispositions into paid admissions. (It’s like giving people who think you’re pretty but stuck up a compelling reason to ask you out.)

Do this: Apply numbers 1 through 9 to your entire com-munications strategy with special emphasis on number 4 — the one about persuasion. Remember, your brand’s persuasive power is enhanced or diminished every time someone gets an email, drives past your building or walks through your doors. Activating your brand allows you to make certain that, at every point of contact, your target audiences are given convincing reasons to become avid insiders.

Apply all ten of these and you’ll dramatically enhance the effective-ness of your marketing messages. Make them habits and they’ll help you endure tough times — not just during this economic downturn, but in the uncertain future that all arts organizations are headed into.

Trevor O’Donnell is a marketing consultant who has developed innovative market-

ing and sales initiatives for numerous performing arts producers and pre-senters including Disney Theatrical Productions, Cirque du Soleil, the Music Center of Los Angles, the Nederlander Company, Cameron Mackintosh,

Center Theatre Group and many others. [email protected]

Ten ThingsContinued from page 13

Apply numbers 1 through 9 to your entire communications strategy with special emphasis on

number 4 – the one about persuasion.

✓


October in Los AngelesOctober is the most glorious month of the year to be in Los

Angeles. Dry, sunny, and mild, it’s the perfect time to explore the dazzling array of sites the city has to offer.

Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los AngelesRegister by July 31, 2009 for Best Pricing

REVENUE RAISERS / In addition to the Plenary and Breakout Sessions…

One-on-One’sMany of the experts

presenting sessions will be available for 15-minute One-On-One consulta-tions with conference delegates. This is your chance to get your individual questions an-swered. Come by yourself or bring your team to the consultation.

Lunch with the ExpertsDiscuss with the expert of

your choice a hot topic over a cold lunch. Then switch tables, enjoy dessert, and engage in an-other topic with another expert.

Sponsor ShowcasesThese 20-minute mini-sessions

offer insights into the multitude of ways top companies can help increase your revenue.

BUDGET SAVERS / Attend the conference for free! / Team discount available on Board Growth Day

Buy One, Get One FreeWhen one person from your

organization registers by July 31, another person gets to come for free to the Regular Conference and E-marketing Day. Teams get the most from Arts Reach conferences because there are just too many great talks and sessions for any one person to attend. So, bring your whole team!

State FundingMany state arts agencies provide resources

that can help artists and arts managers partici-pate in conferences, training sessions and other professional development events. For complete information on funding eligibility and availability, call your state arts agency or consult your state arts agency’s grant guidelines on the Web. Con-tact information for every state is available via: http://www.nasaa-arts.org/aoa/aoa_contents.shtml.

National and Regional Associations

Dozens of national and regional arts associations partner with Arts Reach to provide conference dis-counts to their members. Check the order form to see if a group you be-long to is participating. If not, contact your group and ask them to partner with Arts Reach!

Visit

www.artsreach.com

for details and

to register!


Thursday, October 8, 2009

Patron Technology’s E-marketing E-mersion E-vent – Arts Reach Edition

Online marketing is getting more interesting every day — here’s your chance to

immerse yourself in the world of technology and learn the most important things you can do to maximize your success. In this challenging economic time, getting your e-marketing right can make a huge impact in your organization’s bottom line.

With best practices for e-mail marketing campaigns and Web site planning, clever uses of Facebook and Twitter, and an introduction to new operations-enhancing Web-based CRM systems, this full-day workshop will provide you with real data and tools to make sub-stantive improvements to the way you’re currently operating and marketing your organization. Level: intermediate to advanced knowl-edge of e-marketing.

Opening Session: State of the Online Patron

PRESENTER: Eugene Carr, President, Patron Technology

Your arts patrons and their online behaviors are changing — at a faster pace than ever before. In this kick-off session, we’ll share key results from the 2009 Patron Technology Arts Patron Tracking Study, which focuses on arts patrons’ Internet us-age and their attitudes toward online promotion and marketing. We’ll compare this year’s results with three previous years to point out the latest trends. You’ll get a sense of where arts market-ing has been and where it’s going, and you’ll be able to generate new ideas to drive your mission forward more effectively and at a lower cost.

E-mail Marketing: The Least Sexy (but Most Effective) E-marketing Tool Out ThereIf you are doing e-mail marketing now, you know it wins hands down when it comes to motivating site visits, e-commerce transactions, and dona-

tions. But all too often, marketers now take e-mail for granted and don’t keep up with the latest tips and techniques to build lists, target campaigns, and get the best open rates. This advanced e-mail marketing session offers up case studies and specific how-to tips you can use right away to make sure you’re getting the best results. We’ll also remind you about the basics of the CAN-SPAM law so you can make sure your organization is following all e-marketing laws and best practices.

Keynote Session: The Internet Revolution (You Don’t Know About) and the Future of Arts Management


There’s a technology revolution going which will change how your organization manages its relationships with patrons, ticket buyers, and donors. This forward-thinking session will describe why the golden age of technology for non-profits is nearly here.

Lunch on Your OwnSeven Characteristics of Breakthrough Arts Web Sites Patrons have spoken up about what they love — and hate — about arts organization Web sites. It’s time for your Web site to be more than a calendar of upcoming events or a box office window. When done right, it can be the ultimate “power tool” that reflects your organization’s essence, inspiring your patrons and attracting a new audience. We’ll share what real patrons had to say about a wide variety of arts sites, and we’ll discuss pitfalls to avoid and best practices that you can put to work on your own site.

Fans, Friends, and Followers: Facebook & Social Media The growing popularity of social networking and social media is inescapable, and more and more of your patrons are joining in. These communication channels can be a fantastic new way for arts organizations to connect with audiences, but just like any other marketing technique, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

With all the generalized information and advice out there, it can be hard to find tips that are relevant to the arts, and that’s what this ses-sion will provide. We’ll focus particularly on Facebook and Twitter, providing essential tips about what you should be doing — and what common mistakes you need to watch out for.

Open Mic Q & A Patron Technology’s E-marketing E-mersion E-vent will also be held in New York on Thurs-day, September 12th. For more information: www.patrontechnology.com

Friday-Saturday, October 9-10

Regular Conference Preliminary Agenda

Breakouts during the Regular Conference will follow THREE TRACKS, with at least one break-

out at any given time as part of the Arts Marketing Track, the Arts Development Track and the Theater Track. Delegates may follow a single track or “jump the track” as they please.

The break-out sessions of the theater track will contain a theater component, but may not be devoted exclusively to theater issues. While all conference sessions contain valuable information for all delegates, theater professionals might want to pay special attention to these offerings.

Specific sessions are added every week.

Topics include corporate sponsor-ships, pricing, messaging, cultural tourism, audience development, donor acquisition and retention, research, de-sign, budget controls, and much more. Here is a sampling of what’s in store.

Opening Plenary Session The New Frontier in Fundraising and Marketing (M/D)

PRESENTER: Mal Warwick, Founder and Chairman, Mal Warwick Associates

As you fine-tune your fundraising and marketing program to cope with the recession, are you considering how to lay a firm foundation for the future—once the economic climate improves? Are there steps you can take now to position your institu-tion for leadership in the years ahead—all the while you maximize net income during these stressful times? Veteran fundraising and marketing consultant, author, and public speaker Mal Warwick will share the insights he’s gained from 30 years in the field, and from the research he conducted in writing his newest book, Fundraising When Money Is Tight.

Arts Reach National Arts Marketing & Development Conference (Los Angeles / October 8-11, 2009)

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Challenges and Benefits of Con-verting to a Marketing-Oriented Arts Organization (M/T)

PRESENTER: William Prenevost, Interim Managing Director, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre

Hear about the lessons learned when a veteran arts marketing director becomes managing direc-tor and tries to apply a marketing perspective from the top of two major theatre companies and a symphony orchestra. The stories may surprise you. Marketers will take away a better understanding of how to deal with their managing director and get the most from Board marketing committees. Executive directors without a market-ing background will learn some important tips to reposition your organization for success.

Arts Marketing the Obama Way:Messaging for a New Era (M)

PRESENTER: Trevor O’Donnell, Marketing Consultant (Arts, Entertainment & Tourism)

Barack Obama won the presidency by crafting messages primarily for undecided voters — people who occupied the outermost fringes of his universe of supporters. Every word, every phrase, every sentence he spoke was designed to lure interested but ambivalent Americans off the fence in his direction. His genius lay in speaking persuasively to outsiders while at the same time energizing those who were already in the fold.

Arts marketers, meanwhile, craft messages that are aimed almost exclusively at insiders — col-leagues, donors, members/subscribers and avid patrons. Our language consists of catchy word-play, self-centered boasts and familiar clichés that, while comforting to the base, fail to persuade — and in some cases push away — uncommitted fence sitters.

In this session we’ll take a critical look at our marketing messages to learn if we’re saying the right things to the right people. Using Obama’s strategies as a guide, we’ll learn how to talk to new audiences in fresh, persuasive language with-out ignoring or offending our loyal fans and sup-porters. Session attendees will come away with a set of useful strategic messaging techniques they can apply the minute they return to the job.

Theatre 2020: Trends Affecting Live Theater into the Next Decade of the 21st Century (T)

MODERATOR: Andy Holtz, General Manager, Arizona Theatre Company

Moderator Andy Holtz will facilitate an open forum discussion on “Theatre 2020: Trends Affecting Live Theater into the Next Decade of the 21st Century.”

Sponsorships and Beyond: Corporate Partnerships in a New Economy (M/D/T)

PRESENTER: Andy Holtz, General Manager, Arizona Theatre Company

The for-profit business community is still an important component in the arts funding and marketing mix despite a troubled economy. Even cash-strapped corporate and business partners can help sell tickets, fill seats, recruit volunteers, facilitate fundraisers, provide in-kind materials, supplies, space and services, act as pro-bono consultants, and much more. The for-profit and non-profit sectors have a vested interest in encouraging and facilitating economic revitaliza-tion both locally and nationally. Find out how to strengthen those relationships now so that you’re prepared (and first in line) for when those companies return to profitability!

PATRON CULTIVATION: What Is Its Role In Increasing Patron Loyalty & Reducing Churn? (M/D)

PRESENTER: Irene Greenberg, Senior Director of Marketing, Artsmarketing Services Inc.

This session will to focus on what arts groups can do to build strong relationships with their patrons, and how that sense of connection influences their lifetime value. We will look at the long-term value of the relationship first, then move on to be an idea session where we will talk about some of the initiatives that top arts organizations are institut-ing and examine their impact. We encourage you to come and share your own.

Season Brochure: Extreme Makeover Edition (with networking) (M)

PRESENTER: Henry Ruddle, President, Ruddle Creative, Inc.

This time we’re going to have more fun than usual. Instead of tinkering with brochures, postcards and ads to make them more effective as we usu-ally do, this time we’re going to deconstruct and reassemble one or two season brochures into something new and exciting. And, everyone who plans to attend the session can help.

Delegates who plan to attend this session may submit their season brochure for consideration as a makeover candidate. All submissions will be posted on the Arts Reach networking site, www.artsreach.ning.com, for advanced discussion and brainstorming before the conference. All those who submit brochures, and other interested parties, will be invited to join the network and the discussion.

Send your brochure to [email protected] or by mail to: Henry Ruddle, Ruddle Creative, Inc., 5542 Monterey Road, Suite 329, San Jose, CA 95123. If you would like to join the discussion without submitting a sample, you may request an invitation to the network by e-mailing [email protected]. The sooner the better so the fun can begin!

Managing Demand: Making the Price Right (M)

PRESENTER: Rick Lester, founder and CEO of the consulting firm TRG

Ticket pricing is a hot button issue in today’s white-knuckle economy, making it even more politically-charged and fear-driven than ever before. The most critical factor — patron demand — often isn’t even a consideration. Yet, only by anticipating and following demand can you get the most possible for every seat sold. How? Use systems information (technology and research) to understand demand for programming. Join Rick Lester, TRG founder and CEO, and his colleagues for a workshop designed to send you home with a panic-prevention plan that can help you set, raise, and discount ticket prices while creating full-looking houses.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Raising Money During Tough Economic Times (D)

PRESENTER: Dawn Bailey, Senior Consultant, Blackbaud

The economic climate is one that has been volatile to say the least, and it may take awhile for the non-profit sector to recover. The past few years have forced us all to cut back in more ways than one. In this session we will discuss how we can reduce costs, reuse ideas and tools that have worked for others, and recycle donors and programs that have proven successful in the past with an end goal of doing more with less.

Annual Fund: Balancing Fundamentals and Innovation Through Better Analytics (D)

PRESENTER: Bob Swaney, Founder, Robert Swaney Consulting

Dashboards. Innovation. Data-Driven Total Patron Value. These words and phrases have become syn-onymous with the next generation of fundraising for arts and cultural organizations. CEOs and Develop-ment professionals continue to feel the pressures to do more with less, to integrate their efforts into a more patron-centric / patron-sensitive model and to be more efficient than ever. When sometimes lured by the new approaches of our day, there is a risk of leaving the “basics” behind.

So how does one find the balance between “stan-dard fundraising practices” and “fundraising in-



TRACK CODES: M=Arts Marketing Track / D=Arts Development Track / T=Theater Track

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novation”? When should you introduce innovation into your program? How do you know which activi-ties to continue, change or eliminate? Simply put — better analytics. Bob Swaney, Founder of Robert Swaney Consulting, will outline a more intensified and insightful way to look at your organization’s historical contributed revenue data that will lead you to the strategies that will ignite (or re-ignite) your annual fundraising program. This data-driven tactical approach will give you ideas on how to get back to the basics AND introduce innovation in strategy, approach and ongoing analysis of your program.

Are You Content with Your Content? (M)


The key to successful online marketing isn’t understanding how to use technology — it’s knowing how to use technology to say something worthwhile. E-mail newsletters, blogs, Facebook, Twitter — there are more and more ways for you to connect with your patrons, which means more and more need for new and interesting content. But that doesn’t mean you have to spend all your time writing and taking photos and crafting articles! The trick to keeping up with content for all these forms of media is to remember that there’s plenty of interesting material out there on the web already, which you can gather and share with your patrons.This session will give you lots of ideas about what kinds of content you should be sharing online.

Cutting the Cost of Printing, Mailing and Creative Services (with networking) (M/D/T)

PRESENTER: Henry Ruddle, President, Ruddle Creative, Inc.

Cutting costs does not mean compromising or downgrading image or quality. It means being a smart shopper and being willing to do a bit more legwork for a big payoff. Learn to emulate the cost cutting ways of print brokers and advertising agencies. Learn about using variable data printing and preprinted shells to get more bang for your buck and more response to your mailings. Learn

about internet resources that make it easier than ever before to find inexpensive printing, mailing and creative resources.

Do you have a great cost saving idea? Send it to Henry Ruddle at [email protected]. If you like, you’ll be invited to discuss it on the Arts Reach networking site www.artsreach.ning.com, where you can also learn great tips from other members of the Arts Reach community.

The Copywriter’s Clinic: Crafting Brilliant Appeals for Breakthrough Fundraising Results (D)

PRESENTER: Mal Warwick, Founder and Chairman, Mal Warwick Associates

In this hands-on copy clinic, you’ll learn the secrets of writing direct mail for results. Your guide through this intensive process will be consultant, writer, and trainer Mal Warwick, author of the newly-issued Second Edition of the international bestseller How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters. You’ll leave with a time-tested worksheet that will help you analyze your fundraising letters in a systematic way throughout the years ahead.

Closing Plenary Session Marketing and Development: No Silos = Better Results (M/D)

PRESENTERS: Rick Lester, founder and CEO of the consulting firm TRG

Kay Spinkel Grace, CFRE If marketing and development colleagues in your organization disagree about which department contacts which patrons, do not leave LA before this session! Customer loyalty and increased patronage today are built on excellent customer service and rela-tionships, and that means collaboration between your organization’s two revenue-generating departments has never been more critical. Kay Sprinkle Grace and Rick Lester — two of America’s leading authorities on patronage development — lead a panel discussion on how the patron views your organization. Hear these experts and invited panelists address how breaking down silos between marketing and development can help you raise and earn more without spending more.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Revolution in the Board Room: Breakthrough Strategies for Growing Your Board’s InvolvementLevel: All levels; board members encouraged to attend

Kay Sprinkel Grace, author of The Ultimate Board Member’s Book and of a soon-to-be-released book on a revolutionary new way to engage all board members in donor and fund development, presents a special

day-long session on Sunday, October 11. Kay works with boards in arts and other kinds of non-profit organizations to help each member find the area of highest confidence for involvement as an Ambassador, Advocate and/or Asker. The session will provide overall grounding in board roles and standards in these fast-paced times (including recruiting and retaining younger board members) — drawn from The Ultimate Board Member’s Book — and will then focus on the board’s role in resource development. Kay’s “AAA” program has been field-tested and implemented in many organizations across the US.

This session is a perfect forum for executive direc-tors and development directors to bring board leadership — and the pricing reflects our goal of having several participants from each orga-nization. Participants will be given wise counsel and hot tips on current board organization and function, the AAA process including a survey to adapt for their organizations and a structure for managing the program, and tools and strategies for engaging all board members in donor and fund development.

Overview of Day and Participant Expectations:• Anticipating the Second Decade: Shifts

in Board Composition and Expecta-tions

• Ultimate Board Members: New Strate-gies for Identifying, Growing, Retain-ing, Motivating and Engaging The Best Board

• Ultimate Arts Board Members: Apply-ing the Ultimate Ideas to Your Board.

• Box Lunch and Networking• Engaging Your Board in Donor Devel-

opment and Fund Raising: The AAA Program for Board Involvement

• Adapting AAA to Your Organization

The inexpensive registration fees for guests are intended to help you bring board members and key staff along for this revolutionary day, even if they are not attending the entire

Friday-Saturday, October 9-10Regular Conference Preliminary Agenda (con’t)


What Past Delegates Have Said:

“I attended the pre-conference day by Patron Technology and feel if that were the only thing I attended, I would have gotten my money’s worth

and then some!”

“… a wonderfully put together conference, one that I will remember for a long time to come. Now I only need an extra week to go back through my

notes and start putting ideas into action!’

“I had the opportunity to really talk with panelists and other arts profes-

sionals…didn’t feel rushed.”

“All great sessions. Well organized, very good material, relevant topics. Received great tools and informa-

tion to move forward.”

Visit

www.artsreach.com

for details and

to register!


Items with an asterisk (*) are required.

First Name:* ____________________Last Name:* _________________________

Title:* _________________________Organization:* _______________________

Address:* ________________________________________________________

City:* __________________________State/Province:*____________Zip:* ______

Email:* __________________________________________________________

Phone*: __________________________________________________________

GET 2 ATTENDEES FOR THE PRICE OF 1! (if you register by 7/31!)

Rates are per person and in US funds. Groups must be submitted together to qualify. Please select the price of the option you qualify for.

REGISTRATION REFUND POLICY: Refund of 50% of registration fee if requested in writing on or before August 14, 2009.

In order to attend Patron Technology’s E-Marketing E-Mersion E-Vent - Arts Reach Edition on 10/8, you must register for the Regular Conference. Lunch is not included this day.

Revolution in the Board Room Day on October 11 will be presented by Kay Sprinkel Grace. Regular Conference attendees’ price for this day is $115. If you are not attending the Regular Conference, your price is $150. Add 2 Guests at a reduced rate and bring a 3rd Guest for FREE! See below for details.

All registration prices include a half-year membership in Arts Reach for anyone who is not currently an Arts Reach member, including 3 issues of the Arts Reach magazine, password access to past articles, and an invitation to join the Arts Reach Social Network.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION mail/fax this form, call 1-888-881-5861 or go to www.artsreach.comNational Arts Marketing & Development Conference Friday, October 9 — Saturday, October 10, 2009 plus add-on for Pre-Conference Day Thursday, October 8

DEADLINES PRICE PER PERSON

Early Bird ❏ $299.00 Arts Reach member or Patron Technology client Rate prior or INTIX Member to 07/31/09 ❏ $349.00 Association member (see list below if you qualify) ❏ $429.00 Non-member ❏ Add Pre-Conference on 10/8 (Arts Reach Member or Patron Technology client or INTIX Member: $109, Association member: $139, Non-Member: $179) ❏ Add Attendees and get 2 for the price of 1!

Second Attendee Name (free):

Title: Organization:

If registering more than 2 delegates, please call or use the online form

❏ $349.00 Arts Reach member or Patron Technology client prior or INTIX Member to 09/30/09 ❏ $399.00 Association member (see list below if you qualify) ❏ $479.00 Non-member ❏ Add Pre-Conference on 10/8 (See pricing above) ❏ Add Attendees and get 2 for the price of 1!

❏ $399.00 Arts Reach member or Patron Technology client Anytime or INTIX Member after ❏ $449.00 Association member (see list below if you qualify) 09/30/09 ❏ $529.00 Non-member ❏ Add Pre-Conference on 10/8 (See pricing above) ❏ Add Attendees and get 2 for the price of 1!

Revolution in the Boardroom Day (Post-Conference) Sunday, October 11, 2009PRICE PER PERSON

❏ Add Post-Conference for $115 to regular conference ❏ Register for Post-Conference ONLY for $150.00 ❏ Add Attendees and get your 3rd guest free! $75 per person if the primary person is registered for the Regular Conference, $100 per person if not. Can add as many attendees as you wish.

First Guest ($75 or $100):


Second Guest ($75 or $100):


Third Guest (free):


If registering more than 3 guests for the post-conference, call or use the online form

Payment Information: Card (circle): M/C Visa AMEX Discover

Name on Card: _______________________________ AMOUNT: _______

Card Number: _______________________________ Exp. date: ______

Arts Reach Federal Tax ID#: 34-2064958. If you wish to pay by check, mail it with this form to: Arts Reach, P.O. Box 91446, Long Beach, CA 90809, or fax this form to 714-226-9733. For customer service, please call us at 1-888-881-5861 or email us at [email protected].

Discount Eligibility: ❏ My/Our organization is a subscriber to Arts Reach, entitling me/us to the

special subscriber rate.❏ My/Our organization belongs to the association below or is a grantee of the

organization below, entitling me/us to the association rate. Current members or grantees of these organizations qualify for the discount (please check):


Go to http://www.artsreach.com/2009conferences/2009conference-location.html for location and reservation details.

❏ 4Culture (Seattle, WA)❏ Alameda County Arts Commission❏ Alliance of Resident Theatres/NY❏ Alumni of the Program in Arts Administra-

tion at Columbia University❏ American Association of Community

Theatre❏ American Association of Museums❏ Arts Council Silicon Valley❏ Association of California Symphony

Orchestras❏ California ArtBeat eNewsletter❏ California Arts Council❏ California Association of Museums❏ California Presenters❏ Chamber Music America❏ Chorus America❏ City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs❏ CompassPoint Nonprofit Services❏ Dance/USA❏ Dance NYC❏ DramaBiz Magazine❏ Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel

Tax Fund❏ LA Stage Alliance

❏ League of American Orchestras❏ League of Sacramento Theatres❏ Los Angeles County Arts Commission❏ Marin Arts Council❏ Mid-America Arts Alliance❏ Museum Association of New York❏ National Alliance for Musical Theatre ❏ NYU Steinhardt Arts Management Pro-

grams❏ Oakland Cultural Affairs Commission❏ Opera America❏ Regional Arts & Culture Council (Port-

land, OR)❏ Richmond Arts & Culture Commission❏ Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alli-

ance❏ Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission❏ San Diego Commission for Arts and

Culture❏ San Diego Performing Arts League❏ Santa Barbara Performing Arts League❏ Technology Therapy Group❏ The League of Historic American Theatres❏ Theatre Communications Group❏ Western Arts Alliance

Visit

www.artsreach.com

for details and

to register!

conference.

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