Building audiences for a performing arts organization is a multi-faceted endeavor. But theres one common thread that, to me, is indispensable for helping the performing arts organization create and maintain connections with its audience, its staff and volunteers, and the general community within which it operates.

That common factor may be described as personalizing the performing arts group, whether theatre company, dance company, jazz trio, cabaret troupe, or chamber music ensemble. Personalizing involves putting a face on the company; it is being mindful of the vital role of communications in everything from your box office staffs interface with ticket buying public to keeping your audiences informed of news about your organization and having your staff members participate in other cultural and service associations in the community.

A team of Oliver Wyman consultants applied cutting-edge customer-based strategy methodologies to find out what drives symphony concertgoers to return or churn. They found a sobering trend:

* 90% of first-time concertgoers never return

* 60% of occasional concertgoers dont purchase tickets the following season

Now, symphony orchestras across the US are applying solutions from the Audience Growth Initiative (aka "Churn Report") to entice first-timers back and develop a new generation of orchestra supporters.

A bill to let counties use sales tax money to help struggling arts groups has had trouble getting traction in the legislature, despite broad support. The measure failed to make last weeks Crossover Day deadline, meaning it could die if not attached to another bill already approved by the House. That would be only the latest blow to the arts in metro Atlanta and Georgia, which are feeling the pain of a weak economy in many ways.

Public arts funding is being slashed. Corporate and foundation giving is down as businesses salve their own red-ink wounds or refocus giving on social causes. Attendance is off for many arts groups. Layoffs are up. A few organizations, such as the Atlanta Opera, are presenting less of their art to avoid production costs they cant afford.

In November 2009, Technology in the Arts launched a survey of arts and cultural organizations learn about their ticketing needs and to gauge how well current ticketing tools are meeting those needs.

Nearly 900 arts and cultural professionals completed the survey to evaluate their satisfaction with over 50 ticketing software tools.

Social media tools are fun, hip, sexy, cheap and easy to use. Its not too surprising that arts organizations are quick to embrace the ever-evolving world of social media. While I believe a social media presence is almost always necessary, when I work with an arts organization or get asked a question about social media tools, my first response is to ask some key questions such as:

Who is your target customer?

What is your current message?

What are your competitors doing?

Are you trying to reach a new market segment?

What are you trying to accomplish?

PRACTICS. See Mobile See Practical is a 3-year project coordinated by the Finnish Theatre Information Centre which joined forces with ten other cultural organisations from six EU-countries with the aim to facilitate the provision of information about EU cross-border mobility in the cultural sector.

Its election time in the United Kingdom. Most polls predict that after 14 years of Labour Government, the Conservative Party will soon reign again in Downing Street. Labour and the current Prime Minister Gordon Brown are so unpopular in the country that it will take more than a small wonder to snatch the electoral win away from David Cameron and the Tories. Although very little is known yet about their actual policies, British voters consider the Conservative Party as more competent and better equipped to tackle present and current challenges in virtually every field of policy. Even cultural policy, a field that has traditionally been regarded as an area of Labour expertise, seems to be falling to the Tories.

Transform, transforming, and transformative are common terms for describing museum spaces, the creation of objects on display, and experiences for visitors. But is there evidence that museums profoundly change visitors through their objects, collections, exhibitions, public programs, and websites?

The Society of London Theatre and the Theatrical Management Association are seeking a new joint Chief Executive. They have appointed executive search firm Odgers to assist in the appointment process.

The current Chief Executive, Richard Pulford, has announced his intention to retire from the role around the end of the year. He was appointed in 2001 in succession to Rupert Rhymes. Richard will continue to work as an arts consultant on selected projects.

The Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellowship provides 10 mid-career arts managers with academic training and practical work experience at the nations cultural center, one of the worlds largest and most dynamic performing arts institutions. Fellows study with senior staff in weekly seminars (strategic planning, development, finance, and marketing), and complement that study with practical work rotations in three departments.

Communicating the Museum was created in 2000 by Corinne Estrada, Managing founder of Agenda. The event originally taking place in Paris gathered a group of 15 French-British attendees in order to discuss communication issues. 8 years later, the conference peaked to a record 278 participants from all over the world after being welcomed by some of the most prestigious cultural venues in Europe including Paris, Madrid, Rotterdam, Venice, Malaga, Turin, and Valencia.

Within ten years, Communicating the museum has asserted itself as the leading event for senior museum communication professionals to meet, exchange, network and work on problem solving key-issues.

Fortaleza/CE, in the northeast of Brazil, is going to feel the cultural manifests of all over its country this month. The TEIA 2010 Digital Drums is going to take place at the Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture from March 25th until the 31st.

The TEIA2010, as the name implies (Teia means Network) is a tangle of cultural events of different regions of Brazil. It is an opportunity to reveal the many different Brazilian cultural manifests through the decentralization of production.

The program will count with the completion of the Third National Forum of Cultural Points, seminars, panels, debates, round-tables discussions, among others. Still, the program counts with audiovisual exhibitions and scenic presentations and an Economic Solidarity fair.

Arts Management Network, the worldwide network for arts and business, is now active on twitter. Follow http://twitter.com/amnweimar and you will be connected with the latest news from the international arts management scene.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Culture Minister Margaret Hodge today announced a two-year grants programme to provide at least 40 internships with established arts companies for graduates from low-income backgrounds. The initial £600,000 programme will begin in September and be managed by the Jerwood Foundation.

The 23rd annual Arts Advocacy Day is the only national event that brings together a broad cross-section of Americas cultural and civic organizations, along with hundreds of grassroots advocates from across the country, to underscore the importance of developing strong public policies and appropriating increased public funding for the arts.

This exciting new collection of essays by leading international museum practitioners focuses on the across-the-board innovations taking place in some of the world's most forward-thinking museums - and charts the new directions museums will need to take in today's increasingly challenging and competitive environment.

Heritage Impact 2010 is the fifth international symposium on the socio-economic impact of heritage organised by the University of Brighton Business School. The symposium on 22 - 23 April, 2010, brings together some of the leading stakeholders in the heritage sector to consider the impact of heritage sites on society and the economy.

Culture Jobs International (CJI) is a new European website that offers a two-fold information: on employment offers and recruitment opportunities in the cultural field in Europe. A service provided by ArtsProfessional, in collaboration with Changing Room, it is intended as a trans-European project to stimulate international cross-border mobility of cultural professionals; it provides a bimonthly publication and a list of job offers for artists and cultural operators.

From march 11th until the 14th, Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, is going to be the main stage of the II National Cultural Conference II CNC - were artists, cultural producers, investors, managers and representatives of civil society throughout the country will discuss, refine and formulate cultural public policy area.