In today's pulse:

• 🎟️ Fix the Tix Is More Than Just Transparent Fees

• 🥽 Can Apple Make the Metaverse Cool?

• 🎭 Building Audiences for the Arts

• 🎶 13 Innovative Music Venue Event Ideas

• 🏢 Entertainment Industry Communications and Marketing Jobs

Read time: 4 minutes

🎟️  Fix the Tix Is More Than Just Transparent Fees

Fixing ticketing goes beyond just being transparent about fees.

The “Boss and Swift Act” attempted to regulate ticketing but had some glaring issues. The Boss Act has been attempted multiple times throughout the past decade and always fails in-part because of pushback from major artists.

Fix the Tix is a coalition led by the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) to try to come up with a better solution. NIVA has a track record of getting bills passed with their successful #SAVEOURSTAGES campaign which became the $15 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.

Up until now, we’ve all been wondering what exact solutions Fix the Tix would propose. This week shared their plan.

The proposal aims for better transparency of not just fees but also who is selling the tickets. The main target of this act are speculative ticket sellers that treat tickets like a commodity to be bought and sold for a profit— which harms attendees purchasing power and does not benefit the artists, venues, or promoters.

These proposals are extensive, but we think there are some big wins for everyone (except for ticket resellers) if the majority of these can pass.

🥽 Can Apple Make the Metaverse Cool?

Last week, Apple announced the Apple Vision Pro. Their mixed reality headset.

Meta struggled for the past few years to make the Metaverse seem cool, but maybe the founders of Facebook aren’t the best company to add the “cool factor” to something.

Apple has a track record of winning people over to new technology spaces. If anyone can do it, maybe it is them.

It’s worth noting that Snapchat (who has a massive audience of Gen Z’s) is continuing to push into the Augmented Reality.

Why does this matter to marketers? The release of Apple's Vision Pro headset provides event promoters with new tools and technologies to enhance audience engagement and deliver innovative experiences at their events.

By embracing AR and VR capabilities, event promoters can stay at the forefront of technology trends and offer unique experiences to event attendees that can be memorable and spread word-of-mouth.

🎭 Building Audiences for the Arts

APAP and The Wallace Foundation joined forces awhile ago to support arts organizations in their efforts to connect with new audiences and strengthen relationships with existing ones.

The Wallace Foundation identified nine effective practices for building arts audiences.

These practices include recognizing the need for change, identifying target audiences, removing barriers, conducting research, establishing strong relationships, providing multiple entry points, aligning organizational strategies, fostering a culture of learning, and preparing for success.

Detailed information on each practice can be found in the downloadable report titled "The Road to Results: Effective Practices for Building Arts Audiences."

These resources provide valuable insights and practical guidance for arts administrators and practitioners looking to adapt to changing circumstances, attract new audiences, and ensure the sustainability of their organizations.

🎶 13 Innovative Music Venue Event Ideas

Discover 13 creative music venue event ideas beyond bands, including silent disco parties, karaoke nights, DJ battles, and more. Plan your next hit event now. 

🏢 Entertainment Industry Communications and Marketing Jobs

There are a lot of cool job openings for communications, marketing, touring, promotion out there that we come across while writing this newsletter.

So we decided to start sharing in case you’re looking or know someone that is:

Communications Director @ New Music USA

Director of Marketing @ Omaha Performing Arts

Community Engagement Manager @ UtahPresents

Tour Marketing Intern @ The Mark Spector Company

That’s It!

If you have anything interesting you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it! You can respond to this email or send a DM on LinkedIn: Craig Heron.

Thanks for reading, and see you next time!