Education equips venue professionals with the skills and knowledge required to manage complex facilities. Advocacy includes engaging state and federal leaders and educating the public on the cultural and economic value of venues. Connection creates a community of peers who share best practices, discuss challenges, and support one another throughout their careers. Mitchell notes that this community fills a unique gap.“That community is there to help them navigate through the unknown, the things that we cannot teach on, the things that come up in a what happens scenario,” he says. “Creating that community allows them to be the best professional they can be.” THE CULTURAL IMPACT OF VENUES One of Mitchell’s highest priorities is helping the public understand the value that venues bring to their communities. He often finds that people see venues simply as spaces rather than as the beating heart of cultural life. He recalls speaking with event planners who had never considered that there was an association dedicated to venue professionals.“You see the light bulbs click,” Mitchell says. “They did not even think about the fact that there was an association for people who run that.” That awareness matters because the connection between venues and community identity is profound. Performing arts centers in particular carry significance that extends far beyond ticket sales. Mitchell speaks enthusiastically about his own experience growing up in a rural town of 150 people in Southeast Missouri. During a school trip, he attended his first musical performance at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis, an experience that shaped his lifelong love of the arts. “I fell in love with the theatre,” he says. “Performing arts theatres bring people in, talking about what the venue has to offer, and connecting them to the cultural piece is powerful.” He believes that attracting diverse and nontraditional audiences is essential to the future 95 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 12 IAVM
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