TeleTrend Workshops
TCG is pleased to announce a new opportunity for our member theatres to directly interact with, and learn from, experts across the country in an intimate and focused venue – your own phone! TeleTrend Workshops are an excellent opportunity to find out about the newest and most productive trends in theatre management and how to implement them at your theatre. These workshops have a different focus each week, based upon the expertise of the presenter, and are interactive and informative. This is a perfect opportunity for members of your staff who are not typically able to attend the TCG National Conference, to have access to new and exciting information in the field.
The most recent TeleTrend Workshops took place on selected Mondays between February 11, 2008 and April 7, 2008 at 2:00pm EST, and last one hour. Below is a breakdown of session details, including presenters and dates. There was NO COST to register; participants were only responsible for the cost of the phone call. Participation was limited to three staff from each TCG member theatre.
Descriptions from 2008 Winter/Spring Teletrend Workshops:
February 11, 2008: Setting the Stage: Building the Framework for a Successful Strategic Plan
Lynette Turner and Christopher Caltagione,
AMS Planning and Research
This session will explore the key components of long-range organizational planning and identify the essential internal capacities and external resources needed to launch a successful strategic planning effort. The facilitators will then encapsulate the processes necessary for the development and implementation of a successful strategic plan. The purpose of this session is to acquaint participants with clear and concise techniques for overcoming barriers and advancing organizational goals.
February 25, 2008: Your Theatre, Your Needs
Kristen Sweet,
PES Payroll
"Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." (Hamlet, Act 2 Scene 2)
Has your theatre company ever used or wondered if you might benefit from using a payroll company? Did you know there are different types of payroll companies, offering different types of services? Understanding the differences is the first step in understanding how your choices will most benefit your organization. Do you need to payroll a year round staff? Do you need your production based talent and crew to have appropriate workers compensation coverage and receive their payroll per union specifications? Do connections to universities limit or prohibit you from signing theatrical union agreements? During this session you will get information to help you understand different types of payroll service offerings, determine if outsourcing your payroll is a benefit to your organization, and if so, decide which type of payroll company is the best fit to meet your unique needs. Bring your questions or just listen in, we look forward to talking to and hearing from the TCG member organizations.
March 10, 2008: Maximizing Sales from an Inbound Call Center
Philip Miller, DCM
Inc.
Does you box office staff simply take orders or do they up sell
patrons to higher priced seats and, more importantly, subscriptions?
Are they recommending other performances and cross selling into
them? Are you capturing names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses
of every person who purchases tickets from your box office? Are
you limited by the hours in which your box office is open? Operating
a proactive inbound call sales and customer service center can greatly
increase your ticket and subscription revenue. Whether you are using
in-house staff or outsourcing, learn to maximize revenue through
inbound up selling and cross selling.
March 17, 2008: Practical Lessons for Incubating Innovation
Richard Evans, EmcArts
Inc.
EmcArts will lead a workshop introducing some practical lessons
from our experience of incubating innovation at organizations across
the entire arts sector. This interactive session will combine presentation
and discussion, inviting participants into the experience of developing
innovative ideas, asking you to apply these lessons to the real
innovations you are considering for your theater. Did you know that
research tells us that an organization's capacity to adapt effectively
and imaginatively to changing circumstances - "adaptive capacity"
- is what underlies the ability to successfully bring an innovative
project to fruition? Any organization can develop their adaptive
capacity, we'll share some lessons to effectively get you on your
way to incubating your next innovation.
March 24, 2008: Everybody Must Get Paid: Do your Payroll Choices Decrease your Liability and Minimize your Cost?
Alan Gregory, NPI
Production Services, Inc.
Join us in a discussion that examines your payroll processing options
for your talent, crew and staff. This session will place emphasis
on how your choices affect your liability and your cost. Topics
of discussion include workers’ compensation coverage and audits,
payroll tax withholdings, and filings, quarterlies, unemployment
insurance, W2 and 1099 processing and pension processing and reporting.
March 31, 2008: How to Insure a Non-Profit Theatre
Dick Schweickert, Schweickert & Co.
Insurance is a subject that is sometimes confusing, even to an experienced manager. The objective of this workshop is to provide a refresher course in the basics of insurance for those who are responsible for buying the insurance for a non-profit theatre or other performing arts organization. We will cover the basics of general liability, real property (buildings), personal property, theatrical property, business income/interruption, non appearance, directors and officers liability, employment practices liability, workers compensation and media liability.
April 7, 2008: Annual Fund Donor Benefits: Designing a Structure that Works– Both Short and Long Term
Paul Larson, TAYLAR Development
We will discuss how to use tangible and intangible benefits for your annual fund donors to drive the activities you want and to ensure donor retention. Keep your donor benefits clear and meaningful for your donors. Make certain your benefits are aiding donor longevity and increases in giving. Additionally, we’ll discuss how these or separate benefits can be used to help motivate the acquisition of new annual fund donors.
If you have any questions please contact Heather Heels, National Conference Assistant, via e-mail at hheels@tcg.org or phone at 212.609.5900 x 270.