Among the wide array of workshops and burning issues forums during the Association of Performing Arts Presenters 50th Annual Members Conference in New York was a so-called super session on "Engaging The Next Generation" with Rebecca Ryan, founder and CEO of Next Generation Consulting.

Although Ryan’s remarks focused on trends, facts and strategies for getting younger people involved in arts leadership, the research her team conducted with the Arts Council of Indianapolis sheds important light on positioning -- what venues and acoustic music presenters throughout the country can do to better reach those in the 20-40 age-range, assuming there’s an interest in doing so. [Click on the title in red to see the entire article]

A sound communications plan, like a good business plan, provides you with a roadmap for where you want to go. It outlines the steps you need to take and the resources you need to get there --including communications vehicles -- and provides opportunities for tune-ups along the way.

Ten steps to help drive your strategic communications planning efforts follow: [To see the entire article, click on the title in red]