Spring Conference 2021

Hop on to Hopin early to make sure your computer is happy, visit the NAMT staff at the Help Desk, and say hi to your colleagues in the Networking Lounge and Speed Networking.

For more than thirty years, Seth Godin has been trying to turn on lights, inspire people and teach them how to level up. His blog has been appearing daily for more than a decade. He is the author of 20 bestselling books, most recently The Practice and This Is Marketing, both bestsellers. He is in the Guerrilla Marketing Hall of Fame, the Direct Marketing Hall of Fame and, just recently, the plain old no-modifier Marketing Hall of Fame. Which is pretty cool. You can read his free ebooks on the placebo effect and education. And there are five TED talks.

Our traditional kick-off cocktail party gets an online makeover! We’ll have trivia hosted by TheaterMania, a cocktail-making lesson, a lounge for first-time attendees and new members to get oriented (or just dive right in), other theme rooms, or just schmooze and network freely!

Indie-folk duo Abigail and Shaun Bengson create an intimate evening of storytelling through song. In dark times, people have long found solace in the sound of their shared voices around a small light, and The Bengsons invite you to lean into the glow of your screen as they explore living fully even in moments of fear, choosing to love fiercely, and cultivating joy as a form of personal activism.

The Bengsons Married duo Abigail and Shaun Bengson are composers/ performers. At Actors Theatre: Where the Mountain Meets the Sea. Regional Theatre: Hundred Days at La Jolla Playhouse, Z Space, The Arsht Center, The Straz Center, and Know Theater of Cincinnati; Hurricane Diane at Two River Theater; Anything That Gives Off Light at Edinburgh International Festival and Virginia Tech, you’ll still call me by name at Jacob’s Pillow. Off-Broadway: Hundred Days at New York Theatre Workshop and The Public Theater’s Under the Radar Festival; The Lucky Ones at Ars Nova; Sundown, Yellow Moon at WP Theater; Iphigenia in Aulis at Classic Stage Company; Hurricane Diane at New York Theatre Workshop. TV: So You Think You Can Dance. Additional Credits: Recipients of the Jonathan Larson and Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater, nominated for Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk and Drama League Awards. For more information, please visit thebengsons.com or follow @thebengsons on Instagram.

Sponsored by Broadway Licensing

Hop on to Hopin early to make sure your computer is happy, visit the NAMT staff at the Help Desk, and say hi to your colleagues in the Networking Lounge and Speed Networking.

How are theatres making sure our development and marketing practices and narratives are following through on our EDI and anti-racism statements? What can we do to reimagine or move away from subscription and donor-centric models that may uphold white supremecist ideas? What sort of accountability is in place in all departments to make sure everyone is on the same page in doing this work, and in communicating that to our patrons and donors?

Moderated by Orlando Morales (The 5^th Avenue Theatre), with Mary Cook (La Jolla Playhouse), Josh Ford (Olney Theatre Center), Eric Keen-Louie (La Jolla Playhouse) and Adam Qutaishat (Music Theatre of Madison).

Concurrent Panels and Discussion Groups

Engagement with Purpose
Is the goal if community engagement just audience development, or is it truly to serve your community and build partnerships? We’ll hear from some members about work they’ve done in the past year that’s had a true impact.

Moderated by Jeannie Lukow (Porchlight Music Theatre), with Thembi Duncan (Shea’s Performing Arts Center), Kelli Foster-Warder (Theater Latté Da), Drew Francis (Red Mountain Theatre Company), Alexander Santiago-Jirau (New York Theatre Workshop) and Phil Santora (Theatreworks Silicon Valley).

From Transactions to Relationships: Making the Case for Musical Theatre
This year has changed the way many of us interact with our donors. What happens when contributions can no longer be given in exchange for traditional perks like tickets and VIP lounges? How are we building relationships that will last and making the case to give for giving’s sake?

Moderated by Nancy Altschuler (Goodspeed Musicals), with Wynne Fedele (Pittsburgh CLO), Danielle Franich (Village Theatre), Nancy Rubin (Uptown Players) and Frank Stilwagner (Village Theatre).

Getting Your Board on Board
Best practices and success stories for working with your board and getting their support when change is necessary.

Moderated by Betsy King Militello (National Alliance for Musical Theatre), with Elisbeth Challener (ZACH Theatre), Elisabeth Kensek (WaterTower Theatre), Michael G. Murphy (Shea’s Performing Arts Center), Stephanie Rhoads (42^nd Street Moon) and Adam Rei Siegel (New York Theatre Barn).

Women of Color in Theatre: Our Experiences and Initiatives for Greater Audience Inclusion
How can we create greater audience inclusion? A panel of women of color discuss challenges & triumphs in diversity initiatives and share examples of marketing and fundraising ideas for greater BIPOC audience participation.

Moderated by Grace Kosaka (Dreamerz Development), with Toni Israel (The Realemn Productions) and Alia Jones-Harvey (Front Row Productions).

Where are we now and what do we think the next six months will look like? As we look towards reopening or — reimagining for a longer stretch of time — what are our priorities for communicating with patrons? How are we staying in touch? What will they need to know about coming back? And what do we want a fully open future to look like? What did we learn from the past year? What didn’t we realize we can do that we can do now?

Moderated by Amelia Heape (The Hollywood Pantages), with Marsha Brooks (Brooks & Distler, Attorneys at Law), Sue Frost (Junkyard Dog Productions), Toni Isreal (COVID Theatre Think Tank), Al Stilo (Aurora Theatre) and Paul Stancato (Timber Lake Playhouse).

This enchanting new British musical explores the extraordinary world of a sorcerer and his rebellious daughter, as she discovers the explosive possibilities of her newfound magical powers.

Against the backdrop of the Northern Lights, a small town has been pushed to the brink of collapse in a bid for progress and prosperity. To rescue Midgard from certain destruction, father and daughter must heal their relationship and work together. This gripping family-friendly story sees brooms coming to life and love blossoming anew.

Sponsored by Stellar

Hop on to Hopin early to make sure your computer is happy, visit the NAMT staff at the Help Desk, and say hi to your colleagues in the Networking Lounge and Speed Networking.

Case studies from your colleagues who have received NAMT Innovation & Exploration Fund grants for marketing and fundraising projects. Learn what your colleagues have been working on and how you can adapt these great ideas to your own theatre.

Moderated by Adam Grosswirth (National Alliance for Musical Theatre), with Elissa Adams (Theater Latté Da), Jeff Coon (Fulton Theatre), Andrew Leshovsky (Theater Latté Da), Peter Rothstein (Theater Latté Da) and Lizzie Stern (Playwrights Horizons).

Concurrent Panels and Discussion Groups

Online Fundraising Event Success Stories
Despite the challenges of the past year, many NAMT members held successful galas and other fundraising events online. Hear case studies about these projects, and how they might inspire us to rethink the definition of what a benefit looks like in the future.

Moderated by Cassie Hakken (Cardinal Stage), with Julia Foster (La Jolla Playhouse), Mac Ingram (Ars Nova), Daniel Thomas (42^nd Street Moon) and Katie Wasserman (Goodspeed Musicals).

Innovation & Adaptation: Lessons from the Digital Pivot (Presented by Instant Encore)
The past year brought extraordinary challenges and changes for the arts and culture industry. We all learned how to work together remotely during quarantine. Many organizations pivoted from physical to digital patron engagement with livestreams, web series, and archival content. Others reopened with new protocols and digital tools to reduce contact points and create a safer environment for returning audiences.

Presentation by David Dombrowsky (Instant Encore).

Pushing Through the Pandemic: A Look Back on Annual Fundraising Fundamentals and Results/Trends (Presented by Blueprint Advancement)
We’ll look at two years of annual fundraising results from several arts organizations across the US.  By examining broad based annual fund results from the 12 month periods before and after March, 2020, we will look at best practices for fundraising and how Covid has shifted some tactics in surprising, and sometimes beneficial, ways. We will also “look forward” to how these recent trends may impact annual fundraising efforts as performing arts organizations return to more normalized operations with marketing efforts resuming and in-person attendance becoming the standard once more.

Presentation by Paul Larson (Blueprint Advancement) and Kyle Steigerwald (Blueprint Advancement).

Staying Connected in Disconnected Times
What innovative ways have members found to really connect with their audiences over the past year? How can these continue to drive greater engagement and relationships even when we’re able to be together in person again?

Moderated by Kwofe Coleman (The Muny), with Chris Alleman (Lake Dillon Theatre Company), Joe Barros (New York Theatre Barn), Angela Cassette (Music Theatre Wichita), Dev Janki (Live & In Color) and Kaitlyn Loy (Pittsburgh CLO).

From the beginning, consumers – not government or businesses – had ultimate say in how the pandemic would unfold and, eventually, end. And with a faint light at the end of the tunnel, it’s easy to daydream about a sweeping return to normal. But if we’ve learned anything from the COVID era, it’s that different groups of people will proceed differently, at different speeds. Join CivicScience Founder and CEO John Dick (keynote speaker at the 2018 Spring Conference) for a discussion about the state of the consumer right now, their plans and expectations, and what we’ve learned over the past year to help us plan – and thrive – as the curtain falls on COVID.

Concurrent Panels and Discussion Groups

Marketing Digital Content and Hybrid Seasons
What will patrons expect from us when we return, especially if capacity or willingness to engage is limited? How might filmed or streamed live events play a role in the future of theatre? How will that affect pricing, and how will we value the at-home experience versus the in-person one?

Moderated by Mark Fleischer (Pittsburgh CLO), with Jon Héd (Barrington Stage Company), Jim McCarthy (Goldstar), Dan McMahon (Goodspeed Musicals) and Eric Nelson (TRG Arts).

Bringing Traditional Patrons to Nontraditional Venues
How are subscription institutions with long histories and ingrained habits preparing for a summer and fall of outdoor venues and social distancing? How are you communicating the new rules (and new perks!) to your long-time patrons?

Moderated by Kate Galvin (Cardinal Stage), with Michael Baron (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma), Wayne Bryan (Music Theatre Wichita), Matthew Hawkins (University of Notre Dame) and Drew Nebrig (ZACH Theatre).

Capital Campaigns During a Crisis
Case studies from NAMT members who have continued, completed, and even launched capital campaigns in the midst of a year of crisis and upheaval.

Moderated by Nick Luckenbaugh (Atlantic Theater Company), with Dan Breen (Ogunquit Playhouse), Kimberly Dye (Gulfshore Playhouse), Jennifer Jaquess (Red Mountain Theatre Company) and  Matt Morrow (Diversionary Theatre Productions).

Audience Outlook Monitor (Presented by AMS Planning & Research)
Join AMS Principal Steven Wolff to hear about the Audience Outlook Monitor, an ongoing study that captures real-time audience feedback on intent to return to performances, attitudes toward digital, key safety preferences, and more.

Presented by Steven A. Wolff (AMS Planning & Research)

The space is virtual, but the cocktails are real! BYOB and spend some time with your NAMT friends and colleagues until we can gather again.

At 6:30, join us on the Hopin Stage for Paper Mill Playhouse’s production of Some Enchanted Evening.

Some Enchanted Evening
The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein

Directed by Mark S. Hoebee, Paper Mill Playhouse Producing Artistic Director

Direct from the Paper Mill Playhouse stage, Some Enchanted Evening is a stunning collection of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved compositions. This production showcases five magnificent Paper Mill singers in a glorious parade of hits from Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, and more. Starring Belinda Allyn, Ashley Blanchet, Donna English, Nicholas Rodriguez, and Billy Harrigan Tighe. This event was captured on our stage and delivered virtually.

Some Enchanted Evening was presented through special arrangement with Concord Theatricals.