Approximately 40 non-profit cultural organizations from Palm Beach County gathered on Thursday, September 8, 2005 for the first Cultural Marketing Committee Collaboration Workshop. The event was hosted by the Palm Beach County Cultural Council and held in the Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park. Julie Peeler, Vice President, National Programs for Arts and Business Council of Americans for the Arts and Founding Director of National Arts Marketing Project, which is sponsored by American Express, was the workshop speaker and facilitator.
This bellwether gathering was designed to unveil various marketing cooperation opportunities available to Palm Beach County’s cultural organizations.
“The Cultural Council has led many marketing collaborations in the past. With this workshop we wanted to focus early in the season on the traditional opportunities, plus expose possible new ways our members can collaborate with different partners and further develop our cultural audience,” said Bill Nix, workshop host and Palm Beach County Cultural Council Vice President, Marketing and Government Affairs.
To help encourage and expand the cross-promotional environment among Palm Beach County’s cultural organizations, Julie Peeler delivered a keynote address, “What are other organizations doing, and how can we work with them?”
Ms. Peeler began the half-day session by simply asking, “Why collaborate?” The multitude of answers, such as reaching a wider audience and better use of funds launched her presentation. She then touched on how other cultural communities around the country collaborate and some of the benefits they’ve shared from working closer together.
The workshop went beyond coop-advertising and featured some new ideas about cross promotions, particularly among non-traditional partners such as for-profit organizations. There was also an overall cooperative spirit generated among the group. This was fueled by the notion of continued and expanded collaborations would lead to broader audiences.
After her address, Ms. Peeler facilitated a brainstorming session where workshop participants discussed specific projects where they could possibly collaborate.
Ms. Peeler has nearly two decades of experience in both the for-profit and non-profit arenas. At National Arts Marketing Project she specializes in helping non-profit arts organizations understand their marketplace and develop innovative and effective marketing plans.
The event was partially organized by the newly formed Marketing Collaborations Committee, which consists of Stacia Smith, Florida Atlantic University; Gail Vorsas, Florida Atlantic University; Kirsten Braaten, Palm Beach Opera; Debbie Wemyss, Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park; Arleen Dennison, Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Mark Alexander, Duncan Theatre, Palm Beach Community College.
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Photos:
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Bill Nix, Julie Peeler, Debbie Wemyss
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Workshop Attendees Collaborating
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Marketing Collaborations Committee, Kristi Rand, Kirsten Braaten, Stacia Smith, Gail Vorsas, Arleen Dennison, Mark Alexander, Debbie Wemyss
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For additional information, please contact:
Larry Boytano
Public Relations Coordinator
Palm Beach County Cultural Council
1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 300
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Tel. (561) 471-1601
Fax (561) 687-9484
lboytano@pbccc.org
www.palmbeachculture.com
