He draws parallels to how other venue types quantify their economic contributions. “Much like sporting venues, much like convention centers, we need to talk about the dollars that are coming into the destination based on those events,” Mitchell explains. “While attending events is largely done by locals, it also has some transient traffic—people from out of town or people who are traveling.” The economic angle offers compelling storytelling opportunities. “There’s an opportunity here for performing arts to talk about that impact from an economic standpoint,” Mitchell says.“By the theatre existing, how many people are they employing? How is this contributing back to the local economy through the ticket sales that they’re generating? How is it helping to add to the taxes collected that goes back to fund other things?” Beyond finances, Mitchell emphasizes showcasing community engagement efforts. “The second thing is how the performing arts are really connecting venue operators. “There’s always going to be this question about how to lower operating costs while increasing revenues, while also not pricing out people,” Mitchell observes.“You can’t add more seats inside a performing arts theatre, so you’re restricted. I think we might see a little bit of AI coming in. We might see reconfiguring things. Some of the more tech security stuff we’re seeing come through may help reduce overhead.” INCREASING VISIBILITY AND POSITIVE COVERAGE For venues to thrive, the public must understand their value. Mitchell identifies two pivotal approaches to boost positive public perception of performing arts venues. “I think the biggest opportunity we have to increase positive performance to the public is actually two things,” Mitchell says. “One, reporting about the impact it has on the community it surrounds and the city it has.” 98 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 12, ISSUE 03
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