Powered by community is one of the main themes of this year's National Arts Marketing Project Conference (NAMPC).  I had a conversation about what “powered by community” means - through technology and engagement, we will strive for building stronger, well connected communities for our art and organizations.  Our conversation took a turn toward the future.  What will the arts look like in the future?  How will technology and engagement push us closer to the ideal management of our arts businesses?

This had me thinking about what I would consider to be the Arts Utopia of the future.  I definitely have hopes and dreams for the arts industry.  I dig deeper today to provide you my ideals for the future of the arts, and my pie-in-the-sky dreams for the use of technology and engagement to build our communities. Our desire to build our communities serves to ignite new ideas for audience engagement programs and technology can help us to engage further than ever before. I challenge and dare all of us to consider thoughtfully how we could make some, if not all the points on this dream list a reality. The good news is, some of these points are already beginning to unfold. I look forward to discussing with you these ideals, and your ideals, at NAMPC in one of my favorite idea incubator cities, Portland, OR.

In no particular order:
 

• Social Media becomes social- A new understanding happens that blah, blah, blah marketing messages are turning away audiences.  Rather, we will be conversing with our audiences and learning from them as much as they learn from us. This new two-way street of communication will enable us to form strong relationships with them.  It will also allow us to tap into the power of social to create an awesome buzz for our events as well as an opportunity for audiences to have hands-on engagement before, during and after.
• Arts marketing becomes art in and of itself- Creative, fresh, new, eye catching, captivating and compelling - we will kick to the curb the tired and cliché and trade it in for the “I have got to see this!” reactions.
• Websites evolve to be friendly and filled with engagement- Our websites will become opportunities for audiences to easily get information, but also be hubs for them to be educated and engaged.
• One-stop Databases are here!- The technology of search and recommendation engines as well as the ability to visually track our personal connections will help us unfold who are audiences are, who they know, their preferences, and how we can connect with them further. These databases will enable people to find the right events for themselves and enlighten them with new possibilities. The one-stop databases will also come with powerful price mapping tools and offer the best pricing for our patrons for each type of event.
• Programming becomes personal- Databases will also note the artistic growth of both our audiences and our artists to allow us to evaluate and change programming at the appropriate moments. Technology will support audience crowdsourcing programs. Our audiences will continue to evolve into the roll of partners to create the programs of the future.
• There's an app for that- The arts will embrace the new mobile and digital technologies and find ways to enlighten, educate, entertain, and engage our audiences to put them in the middle of an experience.
• Exceptional customer service becomes the rule, not the exception- Again, we will learn to use technology to support our efforts to make the experiences we deliver to be more for and about our audiences. From better ticketing processes and the ability to keep in touch with our audiences before, during and after an event, we will be more strongly and continually connected with our audiences.  Thank you and follow up programs will become standard.
• Development will become personalized- Form letters will be a thing of the past. Each ask will have elements of personality, creativity, and personalization. Fundraisers will be Fun, crowdsourced and inspiring!  Everyone will want to join in, spread the word, and donate. Boards will be energized to do what they can do best. We will get smart about inviting the right people to our boards - go-getters that build connections within the community for us, act as ambassadors for our organizational events, design thought provoking strategic plans, and will be fearless (at least some of them), not afraid to ask and thank potential and existing donors. With all the right tools and people for our arts businesses, we will be powered to take our audiences to the next level of becoming supporters and partners for the arts.
• We will diversify our lives- The ideal that diversity starts with ourselves will be adopted widely. We will all place ourselves in situations that diversify our own lives. We will learn to speak another language and attend events in our community that are produced and sponsored by diverse groups in our community.  We will build stronger relationships with people from all kinds of backgrounds. The invitation and participation of the arts will be an open and communal affair.  
• We will also individualize- Branding will become standard and specific for each artist and arts organization. Due to our new found niche society, competition will be a thing of the past and collaborations will rule! Also in this process, we will show and share the love and passion for our art and attract people with our enthusiasm.
• We will collaborate with our communities- We will start this new mentality by setting up engagement and outreach programs to get to know the people within our communities. Eventually, community leaders will come to us to help provide solutions for our communities. We will be partnering with local governments and businesses since placemaking will be a norm.

In the future, the arts will be seen as the industry with the answers. We will embrace the new opportunities, rise to the challenge, and through hard work and smart work, create our own ideas and solutions for a very solid and amiable future. We will aim for providing quality and compelling experiences and bring this care to everything that we do.  We will always remember, “there's an app for that,” and if not, we will create it for ourselves.

Technology is providing a boost to downplay our capacity issues and re-spark our creativity. This new energy will catalyze our human potential and enable us to connect with, engage with, and delight our audiences, our supporters, and everyone that we come in contact with. In return, we will become powered by our community, imagine the possibilities!

Cheers to happy and loyal audiences.