Research
Each year, ABA runs multi-month studies on the challenges members name as most pressing, aiming for breakthrough solutions. We share the high-level findings across the full membership.
See the studies ↓Facing a specific challenge? Commission a carefully scoped study that draws on ABA's network and expertise to accelerate your strategy. We develop findings for one member or a group of members, then share anonymized reports across the membership unless the work requires confidentiality.
See the projects ↓
Millennials and Gen Z (ages 18–45) are the audiences, visitors, donors and leaders who will decide the future of arts and culture. Do you know what draws them in and keeps them coming back? This study looks at what motivates the next generation, what interests them and how they engage with culture, then sets out practical strategies and case studies for reaching The New Balance.
Consumer demand for experiences keeps accelerating. This research explores the behavioral and technological forces reshaping the experience economy and gives your organization a practical framework for creating compelling, future-ready experiences.
Commissioned by an ABA opera member, this study examines how performing arts organizations design, staff and fund community engagement, from on-stage representation and audience access to physical spaces and partnerships that deepen over time. A benchmark separates organizations where engagement is core to the mission from those where it plays a complementary role.
Performing arts organizations increasingly use opening nights and subscription offerings to cultivate donors, favoring access and insider experiences over formal packages. Benchmark data, surveys and interviews show receptions are usually reserved for higher-level donors, while rehearsals and behind-the-scenes access steward top supporters and build a pipeline of emerging ones.
When participants age out, donor relationships have to outlast them. Interviews and case studies across the US, UK and Canada show how youth arts organizations and children's theatres extend engagement to families, alumni and volunteers, partner with corporations on family experiences, use storytelling to show impact, and redesign events for multi-generational audiences.
Please contact your Member Advisor or info@advisoryarts.com.
