PlayhouseSquare Debuts Their Newly Redesigned Web Site

PlayhouseSquare is pleased to launch today its new website, www.playhousesquare.org. The new site represents the culmination of months of gathering patron feedback, analyzing web statistics, integrating emerging technologies, and combining commerce with connectivity in order to provide a vastly improved online guest experience.

Traffic is not new to PlayhouseSquare - the nation's largest performing arts center outside of New York - which hosts an average of 1,000 events which attract one million guests every year. However, online usage of PlayhouseSquare.org has changed in the years since its last redesign in 2003, thus mandating improvements to the site. Today, PlayhouseSquare.org receives approximately one million unique users every year and is responsible for over 30% of all PlayhouseSquare ticket sales - practically double the percentage from 2003.

"For many guests, their PlayhouseSquare experience first begins not with their visit to our neighborhood, but instead with a visit to our website," said Autumn Kiser, Director of Ticket Sales and Marketing. "Our surveys showed that people primarily visit our site to learn about shows and to purchase tickets. With that in mind, we completely overhauled the site to best provide comprehensive show and ticket information, help people plan their visit, offer opportunities to connect with other like-minded fans, and grow understanding of our not-for-profit mission...all in a quick and eaSy Manner."

New PlayhouseSquare.org Features:
Instant access to show information; details about any event now only one click off of the homepage
Improved site navigation for quick, keyword-based search
Interactive "Plan Your Visit Guide" for previewing and enhancing the guest experience (i.e. directions, dining, parking, overnight stay & shopping information)
Increased connectivity via social media integration (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and the new "Behind The Curtain" blog
Ticket service advancements including:
o "View from your Seat" photo feature from all seating sections of multiple performance spaces
o "Live Chat" option for instant message/phone connection to a live staff person
o Online redemption of PlayhouseSquare Gift Cards
o Standardized print-at-home ticket delivery option
New media gallery with expansive audio & video content about the shows and the organization
Greater visibility of PlayhouseSquare's not-for-profit mission and its core areas of business (entertainment, arts education, fundraising, and area development)
Improved tools for online Volunteer and Donor recruitment; easy online donation process
New graphic treatments that compliment PlayhouseSquare brand guidelines

The new site is designed to be a continuously available, comprehensive repository for information about any aspect of PlayhouseSquare. Whether discovering show schedules, registering for a class, making a donation, or planning an entire evening downtown...PlayhouseSquare.org exists to make the online experience second only to the live experience at PlayhouseSquare.

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