Background
Playhouse Square is the largest performing arts center in the U.S. outside of New York City, attracting millions of visitors annually. In 2018, they adopted AudienceView to modernize their ticketing and fundraising operations by unifying these processes into one integrated platform.
Before the switch, donor presales relied heavily on phone transactions, creating friction for donors who wanted to book online and leading to:
- Long wait times and high call volumes
- Manual transfers between departments
- A confusing and outdated online experience
The development team saw an opportunity to change this narrative by making donor engagement easier, faster, and more intuitive.
“We are hyper-focused on enabling patrons to engage with Playhouse Square however they choose. Whether it’s calling the box office or logging in online, we want every touchpoint to be seamless, intuitive, and pleasant.”
– Leanne Dewyer, Assistant Director of Development
The Solution
Playhouse Square launched a strategic communication campaign to educate donors about the new system and encourage online engagement. This included:
- Email Outreach: Step-by-step guidance on logging in and updating account details.
- Highlighting Benefits: Clear messaging about early access to single-ticket presales.
- Personalized Access: Giving-level-based presale schedules to enhance exclusivity and reward loyalty.
With AudienceView’s integrated platform, donors could log in and instantly access presale tickets, eliminating the need for multiple phone calls and manual verification.
The Results
The impact was immediate:
- 83% of new donors purchased tickets online, driven by the presale benefit.
- Nearly 30% of all donors completed presale purchases online.
- Zero complaints or questions during presale weeks about the purchase process.
- Reduced call transfers: Non-development teams could now sell tickets directly, accounting for 45% of presale transactions.
Donors embraced the convenience, and staff enjoyed a more efficient workflow, saving hours previously spent on managing calls and manual transactions.
“Our donors love how easy it is to purchase their presale tickets online. We can’t wait to continue to roll out new features and provide our patrons with a top-quality experience.”
– Leanne Dewyer