Arts & Culture Benchmark Orchestra Update November 2024

In our latest webinar, Eric Nelson of TRG Arts and Karen Yair of The League of American Orchestras shared Benchmark insights into revenue, ticket sales, subscriptions, and donor behaviour, based on aggregated data from over 50 U.S. orchestras.

While the data revealed exciting growth in many areas, it also highlighted some challenges, offering opportunities for orchestras to innovate and adapt.

1. Revenue Growth on Par with Rising Costs

Orchestras continue to see positive trends in revenue growth:

• Single Tickets: Compared to pre-pandemic data, revenue is up 27% across orchestras, showcasing a sector-wide recovery.
• Subscriptions: A standout figure showed subscription revenue up 40%, with orchestras seeing significant commitment from patrons.
• Donations: While revenue from donations remains slightly below pre-pandemic levels, there has been a 21% increase in the number of donors, providing opportunities to cultivate long-term donor relationships.

These insights highlight the importance of leveraging data to identify growth areas and refine revenue strategies to maintain this trend into 2025.

2. Understanding Consumer Behaviour

Key data points from the webinar painted a picture of evolving patron behaviour:

• Ticket Buyers: New customers accounted for a significant portion of recent single ticket sales, and a larger percentage of the most loyal subscribers are attending six or more performances annually.
• Challenge: While new attendees are coming through the doors, retention remains a concern. Mid-level loyalty—the step between first-time attendance and becoming a regular patron—has softened. Fewer patrons are attending 2–5 performances, leaving a gap in building a sustainable audience pipeline.
• Opportunity: Creating tailored messaging and offers to re-engage these mid-tier patrons, can foster incremental commitment with incentives like loyalty perks, flexible ticket packages, or targeted invitations.

While attracting new patrons is a vital first step, retaining them and guiding them toward deeper engagement is essential for building loyalty and generating consistent revenue. Mid-level patrons represent a critical stepping stone between infrequent attendance and long-term loyalty, yet their reduced engagement threatens long-term audience stability.

3. Donations: Growth in Numbers but Decline in Gift Size

While the number of donors has increased by 21% since pre-pandemic levels, the average gift sizes have declined when adjusted for inflation. Strategies to address this might include:

• Clarifying donor asks to resonate better with values and interests.
• Fostering relationships with first-time donors to encourage repeat giving.
• Strengthening year-end giving campaigns, which have shown strong potential for growth across the performing arts sector.

The sector-wide success in growing donor numbers suggests a robust pipeline for future cultivation. It’s important to consider how these donors are effectively nurtured to deepen their engagement and transition them from one-time contributors to long-term advocates for your organization.

4. Innovative Subscription Strategies

Eric shared examples of subscription innovations across the TRG clients within the sector:

• Dynamic Messaging: Minnesota Orchestra’s sought feedback from existing subscribers asking: ‘Why do you subscribe?’. Using this feedback, they tailored marketing language and imagery, resulting in a 35% increase in orders.
• Simplified Packages: The National Ballet of Canada put its patrons at the heart of a revamped subscription structure, doubling their new subscriber numbers.
• Membership Models: Phoenix Theatre have introduced memberships alongside traditional subscriptions, seeing increased engagement and attendance.

These success stories underscore the need to reimagine traditional models to meet modern audience preferences.

If you’re looking to better understand your organization’s data, and the opportunities to deepen engagement and grow patron retention – let’s talk.

5. Looking Ahead

The data paints a picture of recovery and resilience, but also highlights key challenges that orchestras must tackle to ensure sustained growth:

• Cultivating Loyalty: Building relationships with first-time attendees and converting them into loyal subscribers and donors is critical.
• Aligning with Values: Donors and patrons increasingly seek alignment with their personal values. Tailored messaging and programming can tap into this trend.
• Optimizing Opportunities: With year-end giving campaigns on the horizon, orchestras can capitalize on donor sentiment to bridge gaps in giving.

Discover how data can empower better decision-making in your organization by connecting with the team at TRG Arts. Join the free Arts & Culture Benchmark and explore our data tools, designed to help your team make informed, strategic decisions that drive meaningful success.