Everywhere we look, audiences (and their expectations) are changing. In museums and theaters alike, we struggle to stay top of mind in the sea of digital distractions and competing leisure-time activities. So, how can we better connect with the people who care about our organizations? The answer is closer than you think.

On September 29, 2017, GSCA and Museum Playbook hosted the GSCA Marketing Symposium, an engaging day exploring consumer trends, new ideas and helpful tools focused on increasing theater attendance and revenue. Symposium video recordings and presenter materials are available below. 

Member login required

Click on "member login" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen and enter your GSCA user name and password. Once you log in, links to the presenter videos and materials will appear below the session descriptions. Contact kelly@giantscreencinema.com if you do not have a member login. 

Museum Playbook presents an interactive summary of the challenges and opportunities that museums and theaters face, with insights gathered from site visits, visitor interviews and member surveys. Insights shared—including the dangers of overlooking audience engagement blindspots—are informative to all GSCA members. 

Presenter: Charity Counts, Museum Playbook

Charity M. Counts is an experienced museum project manager and creative team leader. Charity discovered her passion for museum work while finishing her undergraduate degree at Ball State University, and landed her first museum gig at the local museum—Minnetrista—serving as collections assistant. Her career in the museum field has included a variety of roles associated with market research, visitor insights, exhibition development, design and tour management. Most recently, she served as associate vice president of exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis where she led numerous exhibition projects, such as Take Me There: China, Terra Cotta Warriors: The Emperor’s Painted Army, National Geographic: Sacred Journeys, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Secrets of the Sewer. 

Presenter: Despi Ross, Museum Playbook

Over the last 15 years, Despi Ross has been a museum educator, digital content creator, marketer and technologist. She's always had one foot in the museum field and one outside - giving her a rebellious attitude and a unique perspective on audience engagement, museum marketing and how to match mission with revenue goals.

Part 2: Audience Engagement

How to Find Audiences (You Already Have!)

Learn how to create data-driven audience personas that can help you identify niche segments within your primary audience—and target the right audience for every film. 

Presenter: Jodi Harris, Content Marketing Consultant

As an experienced content marketing strategist and program manager, Jodi's focus is on helping companies analyze their content needs and opportunities; build their editorial guidelines and processes; and share relevant, engaging stories across multiple media channels. Working with professionals across a wide range of industries, she has helped shape the evolution of clients' businesses, their digital footprints, and their audience relationships.

15 Audience Engagement Ideas in 15 Minutes

15 quick research-backed suggestions to better engage audiences. 

Presenter: Despi Ross, Museum Playbook

Over the last 15 years, Despi Ross has been a museum educator, digital content creator, marketer and technologist. She's always had one foot in the museum field and one outside - giving her a rebellious attitude and a unique perspective on audience engagement, museum marketing and how to match mission with revenue goals.

Connecting with New Audiences

Thinking about diversity isn't enough. In order to reach new audiences, we have to kick those ideas into action. This presentation focuses on ways to turn ideas into engagement.  

Presenter: Doug Harris, The Kaleidoscope Group

Doug Harris is the CEO of The Kaleidoscope Group with almost 30 years of experience in the field of diversity and inclusion consulting. As the leader of The Kaleidoscope Group, Doug empowers organizations to achieve their diversity and inclusion goals. His knowledge and expertise guides organizations through the creation of customized strategies that address the specific diversity needs of the business. Doug also actively works with Chicago-area communities and organizations to create mentoring and youth leadership programming, to promote education and help students build self-esteem.

Turn Your Visitors Into Marketers

Research has shown that word-of-mouth is the most powerful marketing vehicle for films. This session will teach you how to use great customer service experiences to turn your visitors into powerful brand ambassadors. 

Presenter: Jackie Huba, author of Monster Loyalty (How Lady Gaga Turns Followers Into Fanatics)

Jackie Huba is the author of four best-selling books, including three on customer loyalty. Her book Monster Loyalty: How Lady Gaga Turns Followers into Fanatics was hailed by Publishers Weekly as “a thought-provoking, well-executed look at one of the biggest music sensations of this generation” that “deconstructs Gaga’s strategies and offers advice on how to Gaga-ize any business.” Jackie coined the term “customer evangelism” with her first book Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force. Her research on highly engaged customers led to the theory of the “One Percenters,” a small but very influential part of one’s customer base, outlined in her book Citizen Marketers: When People are the Message. 

Part 3: Maximizing Revenue

Box Office Rally

Improv actors Mookie Harris and Kelsey VanVoorst perform scripted and improvised scenes with audience suggestions and real-life box office situations that propose creative ways to upsell.

Presenter: Mookie Harris, Actor

Mookie has been performing improvisational comedy for over 25 years. Through ComedySportz he has worked in dozens of cities all over the country, from Chicago to San Jose to Washington, DC. He currently plays in his hometown of Indianapolis, where he also works at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, leading interpretation in the Dinosphere dinosaur fossil gallery. He has taught improv workshops to clients like Butler University, Eli Lilly and Company, and the Indiana Pacers/Fever.

Presenter: Kelsey VanVoorst, Actor

Kelsey is Mookie's long-time friend and colleague in comedy. She’s been performing improv for over 11 years. Kelsey is also the Welcome Center Interpretation Manager at Conner Prairie interactive history park in Fishers, Indiana.

15 Ways to Stretch Your Marketing Budget in 15 Minutes

15 real-life, hands-on, down-and-dirty ways to make every dollar count. Session will include findings/recommendations from site visits. 

Presenter: Despi Ross, Museum Playbook

Over the last 15 years, Despi Ross has been a museum educator, digital content creator, marketer and technologist. She's always had one foot in the museum field and one outside - giving her a rebellious attitude and a unique perspective on audience engagement, museum marketing and how to match mission with revenue goals.

Practical (and Creative) Ways to Increase Ticket Revenue

Part 4: Digital Marketing Tips and Trends

Social Media Tips and Trends

Do you find social media to be a paradox? Brimming with opportunity but difficult to get results? This session will be focused on specific actionable tips to get you on the right track. 

Presenter: Brian Siddle, Strong Coffee Marketing

As Director of Community and Content at Strong Coffee Marketing, Brian’s primary focus lies in social media strategy, community management, and content planning. He helps to develop strategic direction for clients and conducts numerous digital marketing workshops and presentations for local businesses.

The Power of Search

Visitors find film showtimes through online search more than any other method. This session will offer tips to optimize your website, use Google Adwords and other third party tools to make sure you show up when your visitors are looking.

Presenter: Mary Hartman, Hanapin Marketing

Mary is a born and raised MidWesterner, having grown up in Michigan and currently located in Chicago, IL. During the span of her early career, she worked in traditional advertising and lead generation before developing a passion for PPC management and strategy in 2012. She has managed campaigns for a wide variety of industries from local to B2B, for over 5 years.

Email Gold

Email tips and tricks to increase conversion and revenue. 

Presenter: Mike Christie, Good Health Copywriter

Mike Christie specializes in direct response copywriting for email. He helps businesses sell more of their products and services through WORDS. Over 30 years ago, Mike started writing sales letters for investment products on Wall Street, where he learned the magic art of persuasion and influence. Mike is certified by American Writers and Artists, Inc. (AWAI) as a direct response copywriter, and received his training as an Email Marketing Specialist from Hubspot. If you own an email list, even a small one, then he'll help you turn it into a GOLD MINE of conversions.