Are Subscriptions and Membership Programs Still Viable Strategies

Friday, June 8, 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

We've all heard the constant drum beat: subscriptions and memberships are dying and one-time transactions are king. Is customer loyalty dead, too, or does it just look different? Hear from three organizations that have created vibrant customer loyalty programs for today's marketplace, matching program benefits with customer values and driving revenue. Come be inspired to ask and answer, "What could we be doing differently to build customer loyalty?"

Moderator
Deborah Obalil
Executive Director
Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design
Providence, Rhode Island

Deborah Obalil is the Executive Director  for the Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD), representing 42 specialized colleges of art and design across the US and Canada. She has more than 15 years of experience as an arts manager and organizational development specialist, focusing on providing nonprofit arts organizations, small creative businesses, and independent artists with assistance in strategic business planning, marketing planning and research, and executive coaching. She is a nationally renowned speaker on marketing strategy, especially engaging GenX and Millenials. Deborah received her B.A. in history and dance from Illinois Wesleyan University and completed the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders-Arts at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University.

Session(s):
Are Subscriptions and Membership Programs Still Viable Strategies

Presenters
Kristen Denner
Director of Membership
Whitney Museum of American Art
New York, New York

After 10 years at Sotheby’s auction house in New York, Kristen Denner joined the Whitney Museum of American Art in 2008 as the Director of Membership and Annual Fund. In the context of a challenging economy, her team has restarted the growth in membership through online initiatives and innovative strategic marketing projects. She launched the Whitney’s innovative and award-winning "Curate Your Own Membership" program and is also responsible for the online microdonation fundraiser CLICKISTAN, an art project created by digital media artists Ubermorgen.com. Kristen’s recent honors include a Marshall Memorial Fellowship from the German Marshall Fund in 2010. She holds a B.A. and a M.A. from The George Washington University.

Session(s):

Are Subscriptions and Membership Programs Still Viable Strategies

Laura Zabel
Executive Director
Springboard for the Arts
St. Paul, Minnesota

Laura is the Executive Director of Springboard for the Arts, an economic development organization for individual artists--serving artists in the Upper Midwest and beyond. Springboard applies the creative process to reframe conversations, develop unconventional partnerships, and devise simple solutions. One of Springboard’s newest initiatives is a Community Supported Art (CSA) project based on the Community Supported Agriculture model which connects artists directly with patrons through a three-month farm-share program. This program has been replicated in more than 20 communities nationwide. This year, another Springboard-led initiative, Irrigate, was recognized as a national model of creative placemaking by the new funder collaborative, ArtPlace, and awarded one of 30 inaugural grants. In 2010, Laura was named one of Twin Cities Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty and Springboard won the Social Entrepreneur’s Cup award which recognizes Minnesota's most innovative and effective social entrepreneur and the organization they lead. Laura was recently selected as one of 100 executive directors to participate in the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program.

Session(s):

Are Subscriptions and Membership Programs Still Viable Strategies