Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Membership Drive

Author

Message

Denise Baker
Guest
Guest

Topic: Membership Drive
Posted: 2/15/04 at 9:53am

Over the past few years our memberships have decreased. We are looking to do a membership drive to get more community support and interest. Any suggestions?

IP Logged

KathyS
Guest
Guest

Posted: 2/16/04 at 1:55am

Just curious, what have you been doing up to now? Do you send out a reminder for members to renew each year or just count on them to remember?

IP Logged

brenda
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 8/08/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 8/08/04 at 5:43pm

The community theater I belong to has had their own growing pains. When we first started in 1989 we had no home. We now have a wonderful home and have a mailing list of approximately 1200. We use our mailing list to send out "beginning of the season" mailers. Included in the mailers is information on Season Tickets and the different levels of tax deductible donations. We also have a publicity committee. Since we are located in our downtown area we have a lot of downtown support. We also approach local businesses. And thru our members we have many contacts within the community. Our now current Mayor was once an active member of our community theater. It takes a lot of work and determination but it can be done. Hope this gave you some insight. If you need anything else just email me. Take care, Brenda

IP Logged

theatermojo
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 8/19/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 8/19/04 at 10:27pm

In addition to any print and radio advertising you must have an internet marketing campaign. This doesn't necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars on internet advertising but it does mean having a good website community and attracting web surfers to it.

Mike Dell said that there should be three C's to every website:

Customers
Content
Community

Keep this in mind when trying to ramp up your membership. Contact me if you would like additional help.

Cheers!

Aaron

My source for Theater Tickets Info:Theater Tickets

The source for New York<

IP Logged

PatrickArmagh
Lead
Lead

Joined: 10/05/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 33

Posted: 10/17/05 at 3:25pm

See my post on another topic.

http://www.communitytheater.org/discuss/forum/forum_posts.as p?TID=1483&PN=1

The important thing to remember is to give the audience what they want. It is my feeling that most theater patrons attend for escapist reason. Look at the statistic of your most sucessful shows. People love muscials, comedies and works by well known authors. Each for different reasons, but all the same it is true. I am currently on a temporary assignment in an area that has several theaters. After a reveiw of their last five seasons, it is apparent that there is an attitude that there are only a few plays. By this statement I mean that several theaters are repeating the works done by their competition. I interpret this to mean one of two things. Either the theaters are performing the same shows to prove that they are better than their competition, or it is what they beleive their audience wants. I am going for the second choice since attendance has been increasing at all theaters over the last couple of years.

Remember, sometimes you have to make some concessions to the audience to continue what you are doing, and the more new faces that attend a show they like, the more opportunities to acquire returning guest.

IP Logged

Closed Topics ( Forum Locked)
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Archives :Closed Topics

Author	Message
Denise Baker Guest	Topic: Membership Drive Posted: 2/15/04 at 9:53am
	Over the past few years our memberships have decreased. We are looking to do a membership drive to get more community support and interest. Any suggestions?

	IP Logged

KathyS Guest	Posted: 2/16/04 at 1:55am
	Just curious, what have you been doing up to now? Do you send out a reminder for members to renew each year or just count on them to remember?
	IP Logged

brenda Walk-On Joined: 8/08/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 8/08/04 at 5:43pm
	The community theater I belong to has had their own growing pains. When we first started in 1989 we had no home. We now have a wonderful home and have a mailing list of approximately 1200. We use our mailing list to send out "beginning of the season" mailers. Included in the mailers is information on Season Tickets and the different levels of tax deductible donations. We also have a publicity committee. Since we are located in our downtown area we have a lot of downtown support. We also approach local businesses. And thru our members we have many contacts within the community. Our now current Mayor was once an active member of our community theater. It takes a lot of work and determination but it can be done. Hope this gave you some insight. If you need anything else just email me. Take care, Brenda
	IP Logged

theatermojo Walk-On Joined: 8/19/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 8/19/04 at 10:27pm
	In addition to any print and radio advertising you must have an internet marketing campaign. This doesn't necessarily mean spending thousands of dollars on internet advertising but it does mean having a good website community and attracting web surfers to it. Mike Dell said that there should be three C's to every website: Customers Content Community Keep this in mind when trying to ramp up your membership. Contact me if you would like additional help. Cheers!
	Aaron My source for Theater Tickets Info:Theater Tickets The source for New York<
	IP Logged

PatrickArmagh Lead Joined: 10/05/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 33	Posted: 10/17/05 at 3:25pm
	See my post on another topic. http://www.communitytheater.org/discuss/forum/forum_posts.as p?TID=1483&PN=1 The important thing to remember is to give the audience what they want. It is my feeling that most theater patrons attend for escapist reason. Look at the statistic of your most sucessful shows. People love muscials, comedies and works by well known authors. Each for different reasons, but all the same it is true. I am currently on a temporary assignment in an area that has several theaters. After a reveiw of their last five seasons, it is apparent that there is an attitude that there are only a few plays. By this statement I mean that several theaters are repeating the works done by their competition. I interpret this to mean one of two things. Either the theaters are performing the same shows to prove that they are better than their competition, or it is what they beleive their audience wants. I am going for the second choice since attendance has been increasing at all theaters over the last couple of years. Remember, sometimes you have to make some concessions to the audience to continue what you are doing, and the more new faces that attend a show they like, the more opportunities to acquire returning guest.
	IP Logged

Topic: Membership Drive( Topic Closed)