8 Tactics to Activate a Space: From Design Tweaks to a Third Place
November 2025
How can arts and cultural organizations activate existing and new spaces to drive continuous engagement, foster community, and extend the customer experience beyond the event?
This question, posed by an ABA member, led ABA to conduct interviews with organizations across North America, Europe, and Australia. As many organizations seek to create more flexible, welcoming, and socially vibrant environments, space activation has become a powerful tool for encouraging visitors to linger, return, and build lasting attachment to place.
Key Findings:
Activation transforms space into identity: Physical environments become extensions of an organization’s mission when designed for belonging, not just function. Low-barrier programming and intentional design choices signal that everyone is welcome and express the organization’s values as clearly as events do.
Flexibility enables longevity: Spaces that adapt across time, weather, and customerneeds maintain year-round engagement. Multifunctional infrastructure and regular, off-peak activations help sustain visibility and momentum between mainstage activities.
Everyday use builds community capital: Encouraging casual, repeated use deepens relationships and turns visitors into regulars. Food, seating, and spontaneous activity support “third space” behaviors and create emotional connections that go beyond transactional attendance.
Small experiments drive scalable change: “Lighter, quicker, cheaper” pilots enable organizations to test ideas, refine what resonates, and build internal and external support for long-term transformation. Data and feedback loops help align programming with real audience behavior.
Activation becomes a bridge to destination: The most successful spaces evolve from one-off activation projects into enduring cultural identities. As activation becomes habitual, it reshapes how customers perceive and use the venue — helping it become a place to be, not just a place to visit.
The full report is available to ABA members by clicking below.
This article is related to a recently completed custom research project conducted on behalf of an ABA member. Our research team is always delighted to speak with members about tailoring research projects to your organization. To learn more or submit a custom research request, simply contact your member advisor or email us at info@advisoryarts.com.
