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Talking Risk and Reward with PAMC Planning Committee Chair Shelly Kleppsattel

By Kayla McKinley posted 12-07-2012 09:26

  
With IAVM's Performing Arts Managers Conference a little over nine weeks away, we spoke to PAMC Planning Committee Chair Shelly Kleppsattel about her expectations for this year's conference. PAMC will take place at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on February 9-12, 2013, and the committee has upped the ante for this year’s conference, diving into the risks we face and the rewards we chase when managing a performing arts venue. Secure your registration, the Early Bird discount ends Dec. 8! 

Question: From your website it looks like the Fox Theatre books over 300 performances a year with a diverse range of acts. How will attending PAMC help you mitigate the risk you encounter booking performances? 
Shelly: I always find it incredibly helpful to hear about the success and challenges of tours and/or artists from other venue professionals. It's easy to pull ticket sales statistics; however, one can only get the "rest of the story" from sharing experiences. A show may look great on paper; however, challenges always exist that can only be learned from industry professionals, which helps immensely in the scheduling process. 

Question: You are the chair of the planning committee for PAMC and the theme of this year's conference is RISK. What are you looking forward to most from this year's educational programing as it relates to dealing with the various risks you and your colleagues face? 
Shelly: The increasing competition and expense of performances, whether local or touring, has created an environment wherein we all have to look at ways to enhance revenue wherever possible through self-promotion, concessions, renovation and staffing. Reward cannot be achieved without some risk in terms of identifying the correct product for your market, learning how to effectively raise revenue for renovations or using volunteers. 

Question: How will being in Las Vegas impact/influence the conference? What will attendees be able to take advantage of? What performing arts education/learning/trends/industry experts that only Vegas can offer? 
Shelly: Being in Vegas is great! There are so many business models that we will have an opportunity to learn from, particularly Cirque de Soleil. Having an opportunity to learn about the Cirque business model will be eye-opening and help attendees to perhaps think outside their venue walls. Touring new venues always creates awareness in how some elements might be translated into an existing venue and that is another activity that I look forward to. Of course being in Vegas is a gamble itself! It's a city of many distractions; however, hopefully the conference content and entertainment options will satisfy all attendees. 

Question: What topics are you excited to hear about from our Keynote Speaker, Mr. Scott Zeiger? 
Shelly: Scott Zeiger has always been an innovative force in our industry, and I am looking forward to hearing about his approach to success and hopefully some "war stories" as well. 

Question: What would you say to a small performing arts venue considering attending or joining IAVM as a member? Give us your elevator pitch "why should I attend?" 
Shelly: No matter the size of a venue the challenges are the same in terms of programming, revenue, staffing, ADA, emergency preparedness — the list goes on and on. Communication with colleagues makes the best classroom and no matter how seasoned a venue professional may be, there are always new and innovative things to learn that transcend venue size and location. 

Question: When it comes to the Fox Theatre, what types of challenges do you encounter when booking groups in terms of technology, logistics, or even how your theater as a historic building impacts working with performers or holding events? 
Shelly: I think that overcoming misconceptions is probably one of our biggest hurdles. Yes, we are a historic building; however, we do provide the technology and other services that our clients have come to expect. The team at the Fox is creative and innovative, and we are typically able to come up with solutions to any of the show and client requirements that come our way. 

Don't miss your opportunity to participate in PAMC this February 9-12, 2013. Register today!
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