Happy New Year to you! I have seen a few predictor posts and articles for 2016. I was thinking of writing about my predictions as well, but then I thought I rather share what I would like to see happen instead what I think will happen. There is a slight difference. And maybe, just maybe, with sending out my thoughts into this vast space, some of these hopes and dreams will come true.

• Awareness that we are all people wanting to be treated with kindness. I believe the days of mass marketing are winding down and more authentic, organic ways of reaching people and building relationships will take its place. Everyone matters and how we treat people matters. Discounts can continue to get curious people into the arts; following up and following through with kindness will end the majority of churn.
• Audience development is at least added to everyone’s marketing plans. Building relationships really do build audiences and support. More people will become savvy to this concept and reap the benefits many fold!
• The arts get added as a solution to community challenges. This is already happening. I hope that this trend will become a mainstay so the arts are solidly inserted into our communities again.
• The arts become an example of inclusiveness. Equal pay, more diverse offerings, the hiring of people based off of abilities…The arts can lead the way to our society thinking in terms that people are people, and we all deserve to be considered and compensated for our talents and gifts equally.
• People are becoming more open to positive change. We have been running our arts businesses the same way for decades. The world has changed, and we will change with the world. There are so many bright and shiny opportunities. We will experiment more, take calculated risks based off of solid data, and we will learn and grow to become successful businesses!
• The 4 C’s will continue to grow: Connections, Collaborations, Community and Caring. This growth will usher in more positive opportunities for success.
• We will all realize that there is room for everyone to succeed and allow competition to end and be replaced by collaboration and caring for one another.
• People will once again see the value of the arts and what a big part the arts play in their lives on a daily basis.

These are my hopes and dreams for 2016, for you and for me. What hopes and dreams do you have for this promising new year? 

Cheers to happy and loyal audiences,
Shoshana

Shoshana Fanizza
Chief Audience Builder, ADS

My second book, The Tao of Audience Development for the Arts will be going into print soon!