If you frequent SPAC you’re going to love what they’ve got planned for you this season. If you’ve never been, this is the season to take in a show.
“I think we have a rather spectacular season, I think we will all make a fairly strong impression. We probably have as impressive a program this season as I’ve seen in many years,” said Chairman William Dake at the opening of SPAC’s Board of Directors spring meeting.
The board met on Thursday, March 29, at The Desmond Hotel to discuss financial and operational issues.
Dake , who is serving his final term as chairman after seven years in that role, then referenced studies done by the Philadelphia Orchestra that identified interaction with and education of audiences as elements of successful arts venues.
“All of the arts organizations I believe have felt the stress of what I refer to as the electronic revolution. What I’d like to point out is possibly the solution to some of the problems they’ve faced and that we face,” he said.
Part of the solution is the addition of a 15-by-26-foot projection screen that will be placed in the theater. Audiences will see coming attractions, artist profiles and a behind-the-scenes look at performances.
According to Shane Williams-Ness, SPAC’s director of development and marketing, the cost of the screen won’t be reflected in ticket prices.
“Saratoga is a place where we can test, use it as a beta site and see if it works. The market up here loves the ballet, they love the orchestra, they’re not as critical as in New York and we like to think that (SPAC President and Executive Director)Marcia (White) has a vision for this and this is something we don’t see other venues doing and we know that we constantly have to change. And change before change happens, and be ahead of the curve,” said Williams-Ness.
Williams-Ness is excited at the prospect of showing audiences shots of what it’s really like to be behind the scenes, and during the performances, for close-up shots of musicians in an orchestra, for example.
“When it comes to this team at SPAC they see what an economic engine SPAC is and how important it is to keep it vibrant and different as a cultural icon,” she said.
To keep vibrant, SPAC has become more engaged in social media and started pre-season electronic ticket sales in the last several years. The screen, in addition to a newly renovated façade, a redesigned Patron’s Terrace and a new publicity initiative – The Building of a Season – are all efforts to address the interaction and education of audiences.
The Building of a Season was discussed at the board’s last meeting in December 2011. It is meant to give event-goers a look behind the scenes and provide a seamless transition into the off season. Each Thursday, components of the upcoming season are released on SPAC’s website along with feature information on new artists or programs.
Dake indicated at Thursday’s meeting that The Building of a Season has been successful so far. In fact, this year off-season traffic to spac.org increased by 64 percent and its Facebook presence jumped by 112 percent. SPAC’s membership stands at 2,294, which is 5 percent higher than last year. They hope to reach a target of 3,000members over the rest of the season.
SPAC has also witnessed a 40 percent increase in pre-season ticket sales, but the figure does not include Live Nation events.
The board reports that ticket sales for Live Nation events have been strong with upcoming acts like Dave Matthews, The Beach Boys, Chicago and the Doobie Brothers.
Another part of SPAC, The Patron’s Terrace established in 2007,has been redesigned to address wear and tear. The terrace is near the entrance to the Hall of Springs and construction of the new design is set to start in the coming weeks and will be completed in May. Landscape Architect Todd Smith of Mandy’s Spring Nursery has contributed the design.
“Offering this benefit is a way of recognizing the support of our highest level members, whose giving accounts for 80 percent of our contributed revenue. It is also a major incentive for membership,” White said.
To become a patron and use the terrace, a donation of $1,400 per year for two people is required. There is no limit to how many times you can use the area (for ballet and orchestra programs only), and it includes wine, beer, hors d’oeuvres and chocolate fondue. Payments can be structured overtime.
Many stakeholders benefit from a success season as SPAC, like artists, the community and area businesses. Williams-Ness says the board is very “mindful of that” and attributes success during the pre-season to a number of reasons.
“I like to think that it’s because of having gone out earlier, a strong program, the economy and people wanting to get back to basics and think about the summer,” she said.
SPAC’s net assets are $5.8 million. Last year, net assets stood at $5.7 million. There are 74 corporate sponsors for the venue, an increase of160 percent since 2005.
Starting at noon on Tuesday, May 15, tickets for SPAC events can be purchased at the box office or by phone
