Page 18 - July 2017 inLeague and Conference Program
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Wednesday, July 19, 2017 LHAT members and conference attendees after the
event.
All events at Sheraton Grand Hotel on the Presenters: Molly Fortune, Executive Director,
Ballroom Level unless otherwise noted Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC; and Kelly
Updike, Executive Director, and Kelly Maahs, Front
of House Director, Embassy Theatre, Fort Wayne, IN
7:15 - 9:30 AM
registration open ☼ Education Programs Make
(California Ballroom Foyer) Dollars and Sense: Contribute
to Your Mission, Audience and
8:00 - 9:05 AM Bottom Line
eye opener BreaKFast: lhat annual (Wiltern A)
memBership meeting While there are numerous reasons for theatres to
not offer (more) education programs, there are
(California Ballroom) even more reasons why they should, including
Kick off the last day of the conference with a their tremendous potential to contribute to mission
sit-down breakfast and the 2017 LHAT Annual fulfillment, audience growth, and financial health.
Membership Meeting. Celebrating its 41st year, This session not only makes this case to participants,
your national association is forging ahead, fueled it prepares them to make it to stakeholders at their
by members' recommendations. To achieve our venues and sets them on a course to devise their
mission - to champion the preservation, restoration own education programs. The panelists from three
and operation of historic theatres -- the League different theatres also share brief case studies of
needs your active participation. During the year's specific education programs to elucidate the
Annual Membership Meeting, learn the "2017 State thought processes behind their creation and to
of the League" and join the conversation about outline the challenges and successes of their
shaping the League's future. implementation.
Presenters: Andrew J. Douglas, Ph.D., Director of
9:15 - 10:30 AM Education, Bryn Mawr Film Institute, Bryn Mawr, PA;
tools & techniques segment 4a Allison Inman, Education and Engagement Director,
(Please note: Six concurrent sessions, four of the six Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN; Emily Simmons,
Development Director, Association for The Colonial
sessions will be repeated after a 30 minute break. Theatre, Phoenixville, PA
Sessions marked with this symbol ☼ will only be
offered once)
Not Your Father’s Annual Appeal
Sponsored by: (Wiltern B)
Scene 1. The Tired Approach. Executive
Director (while yawning): “Oh. It’s
October. Where’s last year’s appeal
letter? We need to update it, do a merge and send
it.” Did you know many cultural organizations lose
The Collision of Old Theatres & between 59% and 90% of annual appeal donors
New Technology: Please Don’t each year? It’s called attrition -- the opposite of
Turn off your Cell Phone donor retention. Learn how to structure a sexy
(Orpheum B) annual appeal and keep your donors coming back
Three seasoned historic theatre operators will for more. Scene 2. ED (with enthusiasm): “Look!
Attrition is down 50% and our donors loved last
discuss the intersection between “old school” month’s Facebook cam treasure hunt party. They
audiences and artists (for example, the “no photos” think we’re cool!”
policies) and the new migration to interactive
audience participation with phones (e.g., Twitter Presenter: Susan Palmer, President, The Palmer
and YouTube). The presenters will open the floor Westport Group, Santa Fe, NM
to the audience to discuss solutions and ways to
safely navigate this intersection, especially with
older ushers and volunteers. The presenters will
collect the ideas presented during the session and
work with LHAT staff to distribute the information to
PAGE 16 | INLEAGUE League of Historic American Theatres
