Industry Pro Newsletter: Social Media Webinar Replay, Times Square Tourism on the Rise, and Reaching Millennials

March 1, 2021 -

A hopeful tone is starting to settle into the industry, even as some of the news and reports about the impact of the past year on local economies - and the creative economy as a whole - are bringing statistical information to what many of us have been feeling and experiencing the whole time. However, we've seen an increasing number of theatres announce seasons (many of them digital or hybrid, but work being produced means weeks of work for artists who have been without that for a very long time), tour dates start to find places on the calendar, and more large arts and cultural institutions find ways to reopen and get art back out for the public consumption.

In Case You Missed It: Industry Pro Webinar Replay: The Ins and Outs of Social Media for Theatre with the BroadwayWorld Social Team!

Last week, the Industry Pro Webinar featured BroadwayWorld's Chloe Rabinowitz and Taylor Brethauer discussing of the in's and out's of the various social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook Twitter, and tiktok), how BroadwayWorld has grown their accounts in the last year, what posts they've found to be successful, how best to work the algorithm, and what the biggest trends (and how to spot them) are on theatre tiktok!

If you missed the webinar, click here to check out a replay!

Creative Economy Job Losses Are Staggering

The news doesn't come as a surprise, but two recent studies show how deep the impact on the creative economy has been in two key markets in the United States: New York City and California. In California, according to a study conducted by the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, 13% of creative economy jobs were lost in California, with that number reaching 25% when you specifically looked at Los Angeles County. In New York City, the numbers are even bleaker with the creative industry jobs tied even more closely to tourism and in-person experiences. According to a report from the state comptroller's office, the creative sector has lost 66% of their total jobs over the last year. While these numbers will vary greatly across regions, these stats from the leading creative economy markets paint a very long road to full recovery for the industry.

Where have they gone? Weekend Edition Catches Up with Theatre Workers

NPR's Weekend Edition caught up with a handful of Broadway workers to find out how they've been coping with the shutdown of the industry, and what they've had to do to survive.

It's not all bad: Times Square Tourism is on the Rise

While the crowd levels are still only about 65% of what they were at this time before the pandemic, growth has continued to grow from the start of the pandemic. At the low point, daily visitors was around 35,000, and that number has recently grown to as much as 105,000 daily visitors.

Lincoln Center Joins the Effort to Bring Live Performance Back to NYC

Last week, Lincoln Center announced RESTART STAGES, their initiative to put together 10 outdoor performance spaces that will enable audiences to enjoy in a socially distanced and safe manner. Working in partnership with the many initiatives designed to reawaken the creative economy in the city, the first performance from the program is currently scheduled for April 7th - World Health Day.

Companies Find a Much Wider Audience with Streaming

The New York Times ran a piece examining the surprising ways that theatres have found success with streaming content. While much of that success is not monetary, streaming has been widely successful in reaching new audiences - particularly reaching into younger and younger demographics, and those that geographically or physically have been unable to attend a production at the theatre before this moment.

Millenials Are Not a Monolith: A New Report from the Wallace Foundation

The Wallace Foundation released a new report based on a study of millennial members of arts organizations audiences. Among the findings - millennials increasingly interact with the world through their phones. Whether scrolling social media, making ticket purchasing decisions, or hoping to access a fully digital show program, making sure you're company is mobile friendly is one important step to capturing this demographic age group. Another? Understanding that there are fast differences in terms of taste and desire to engage amongst millennials.

Are You Streaming Content?

The BroadwayWorld Streaming Calendar is the go-to resource for theatre audiences looking for a theatrical experience in their own living room. The best part? Listings are completely free of charge (with paid boosting options available). Add your streaming content today!

Need a digital program for your audiences?

Then check out Stage Mag from BroadwayWorld! This modern, fully interactive show program comes with an easy-to-use interface for building your program. Check it out at stagemag.broadwayworld.com.

Want more information about marketing options with BroadwayWorld? Request a media kit here and a member of our sales and marketing team will reach out promptly.