“Cure for Stress” Packages George Street Playhouse www.GSPonline.org

By Kelly Ryman, Director of Marketing and Public Relations Christopher Howatt, Associate Director, Marketing and Public Relations and Michelle Bergamo, Marketing and Group Sales Associate

A day at the spa, four-star dining, tickets to an evening of world- class theatre, deluxe hotel accommodations, and brunch the next morning. What could be a better way for busy friends to get away from the daily grind?

This fall the marketing department at George Street Playhouse is hoping to sell more than just theatre tickets. Tapping into the “experiential tourism” trend, our New Brunswick, NJ theatre company is now offering a line of premium packages for the entertainment consumer in search of a unique experience with the Kelly Ryman convenience of one-stop-shopping.

Four specialty “Cure for Stress” packages for groups and single ticket buyers were designed to combine our product – live theatre – with a host of other activities targeted to busy (and somewhat stressed) women, including spa treatments, yoga classes, gourmet meals and overnight hotel accommodations.

Michelle Bergamo Charging a Premium for a Premium Product While it is common for theatres and other live entertainment venues to offer discounts to encourage sales from targeted segments, conversations with our patrons during a 2003 phone campaign revealed that there was a segment of our audience that was not interested in bargains. Instead, this group put a higher value on the first-class experience that would suit their hectic lifestyle. They were less price-sensitive and more interested in having a top-of-the line experience that included VIP seating, extraordinary customer service, and convenience.

Partnering with a restaurant within walking distance from the theatre, we began to offer premium seating and a four-star dining experience in one package. The George Street Playhouse’s patron services department sells both the dinner and theatre portion of the

Case Study: “Cure for Stress” Packages, George Street Playhouse, Sept 2006 ArtsMarketing.org Page 1 packages and makes the dinner reservations for the customer. The theatre, in turn, does a weekly financial reconciliation, paying the restaurant for the dinner portion of the package.

Since they were introduced in the fall of 2003, hundreds of dinner packages have been sold. The partnership has been a win-win situation for everyone concerned: we filled seats (and NOT by offering a discounted ticket price), the restaurant sold dinners, and our patrons could turn to us for more than just a night out at the theatre.

Expanding the Premium Package Product Line Thrilled with the success of the dinner package, we decided it was time to expand our “premium package” product line. With this goal in mind, George Street’s Group Sales and Marketing Associate Michelle Bergamo attended a day-long workshop on Cultural Tourism and “packaging for today’s market” sponsored by the state’s arts advocacy organization, ArtPride, NJ in the spring of 2006.

Inspired by statistics indicating an increased interest in “active lifestyle packages” (tour groups that travel to visit spas, yoga centers and exercise facilities), and the popularity of products branded as “stress relief” (particularly with women consumers), Michelle began to devise a series of deluxe packages targeting the busy and stressed-out woman. Focusing on two of the season’s productions with strong female characters at their core, our new “cure for stress” packages put the focus on relaxation and friendship.

Upon learning that the nearby East Brunswick Hilton was hoping to gain more downtown New Brunswick business, we met with two sales directors of the newly renovated hotel. With beautifully appointed rooms that overlook a tree-lined portion of Raritan River and a shuttle service that would take patrons to the theatre without the need to find downtown parking, we found our first “Cure for Stress” partners.

The sales staff at the hotel highly recommended Boca Salon and Spa and introduced us to our next partner. The management at Boca was thrilled to join the package and worked with Michelle on a pricing structure for a short menu of spa treatments that would be offered, as well as working out the logistics of booking the reservations.

Michelle also reached out to Yoga Vayu, a New Brunswick yoga studio, Port City Java, a privately owned coffee shop, and Soho on George and Catherine Lombardi’s, two four-star restaurants. All were willing and excited partners who not only could see that our target market is their target market, but they

Case Study: “Cure for Stress” Packages, George Street Playhouse, Sept 2006 ArtsMarketing.org Page 2 also understood and embraced the benefits of collaboration among local businesses.

In structuring the packages with our partners, we decided to offer a variety of price points from $50 to $250 (individual tickets typically run from $28-64). For that reason, we also chose to make the packages available to groups, both large and small – hoping to entice participation from clubs or organizations as well as mothers, daughters, sisters or friends looking for a “girls’ getaway.”

Finally, we felt that VIP customer service would be an essential element to the success of the packages. We therefore decided that Michelle, who had created the packages and forged the partnerships, would also personally handle all package sales, rather than routing patrons through the box office.

Launching the Packages Targeting select patrons from the theatre’s database, we created a “Cure for Stress” brochure that was initially mailed to 100 “insiders” including female board members, the wives of male board members, and a small group of women that had been selected to perform a cameo walk-on role during the previous season. We were thrilled to receive congratulatory emails and phone messages about the packages themselves as well as the tri-folded self-mailer that boasts “Ladies, we’ve found the CURE for stress,” complete with an illustration of a woman wearing a contented smile on her lips and cucumber slices over her eyes.

We then turned to our press list, sending the brochure along with a release on the packages bearing the headline: PLAYHOUSE PACKAGES PAMPER PATRONS. In addition to arts writers, women’s publications were targeted, as well as bridal publications. (We think that this is a great bachelorette party idea for the classy bride and her best friends!)

Now that feature articles have begun to appear about our groundbreaking new packages, we have started mailing brochures and emails to targeted women’s groups, associations, Red Hat Society chapters, etc. The packages appear for purchase on our website, and the information was A lighthearted included in our fall season brochure as well as our season illustration and logos announcement advertising in The New York Times. An for each package were additional direct mail piece will be sent to a small rented list designed by George of culturally savvy women, segmented by zip code and Street Playhouse’s household income. Graphic Designer, Reid Uhrich An email campaign for the packages is about to be launched that will include an e-blast to our own house e-list as well as

Case Study: “Cure for Stress” Packages, George Street Playhouse, Sept 2006 ArtsMarketing.org Page 3 the e-mail lists of our partners. Marketing partners such as New Brunswick City Market (which promotes businesses in the city’s downtown) have already begun to include information on the packages in their e-newsletters with links to our website.

Our Expectations Do we expect to sell hundreds of these packages at first? No, not really. In fact, we’re ok with taking it slow. We’d like to sell a few packages throughout this first season, work out the glitches in our system to perfect the process. Like any good program, if it resonates with the public, it will grow.

In the short term, we wanted to get people talking about the packages and the Playhouse – generating a “buzz” about something new – and that most certainly has happened. We are also always looking for that “other story” that gets the Playhouse featured in the local media, promoting our work beyond (and in addition to) the interview with the playwright or leading lady. Again, that has already begun to happen.

We have an established history of working with area businesses to devise distinctive, fun promotions that help bring new customers and media attention to our revitalized city. It is always the goal of the marketing and public relations department to seek out all kinds of community partners. Before we sold a single package, we had begun to forge relationships with some valuable new friends.

Finally, we know that packaging has brought people to us who might not have come otherwise. Last season, we had a woman from the Midwest who purchased our dinner/theatre package as a gift for her parents who live in New Jersey. They wanted to celebrate a special event. She wanted to give them a first-class night-on the town. They loved the experience and have returned to the Playhouse for other productions. And that’s our ultimate goal.

The “Cure for Stress” Package specifics: Also view at: http://www.georgestplayhouse.org/discounts/special_group_packages.php

Diva’s Deluxe Retreat: offered Tues through Sun, $250/person based on double occupancy • Express Check-in at East Brunswick Hilton • Round trip shuttle service from the East Brunswick Hilton to Boca Salon and Spa • Choice of facial, massage, or manicure & pedicure • Shuttle service to downtown New Brunswick • Dinner at Soho on George • A Ticket to the evening performance at George Street Playhouse • Overnight accommodations at the newly renovated Hilton • Breakfast at the Hilton the following morning Case Study: “Cure for Stress” Packages, George Street Playhouse, Sept 2006 ArtsMarketing.org Page 4

Zen Friends: offered Thursday and Saturday matinee, $65/person, Sunday matinee- $80/person • Late morning yoga session at Yoga Vayu in New Brunswick • Post-yoga goodies at Port City Java ($10 gift card) • A Ticket to 2pm performance at GSP

La Dolce Vita: offered daily for groups less than 12, Sunday evenings for groups greater than 12- $80/person • Pre-fixe meal at Catherine Lombardi Italian Restaurant • A Ticket to the GSP performance • Gourmet chocolate gift • Applies only to The Things You Least Expect

Red Hat Chat: only Sunday 10/15 at 2pm & Sunday 3/11 at 2pm- $50/person • For members of the Red Hat Society • Ticket to the GSP performance • Coffee/Tea and pastries • Guest Speaker(s)

George Street Playhouse Facts:

About George Street Playhouse: Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint since 1997, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre. It produces an acclaimed mainstage season with a great emphasis on the development of new plays, while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists.

Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include Anne Meara’s Down the Garden Paths, the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill and the recent Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP’s Touring Theatre features five issue-oriented productions that tour to more than 250 schools in the tri-state area, and are seen by more than 80,000 students annually.

Annual Attendance, Number of Seats, Venues: 50,000 for mainstage, 80,000 students reached through educational touring productions, 379 seat mainstage, 99 seat black box

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Annual Budget: $4 million

Size of Marketing Department: Four full time, year round employees plus a seasonal apprentice and two Marketing Associates, who split their time between marketing and other departments. Patron Services (Box Office & House Management) also falls under the Marketing and PR department.

About our Market: George Street Playhouse is a LORT theatre located in the heart of New Brunswick, NJ's revitalized dining and entertainment district, and has been cited, along with our fellow members of the New Brunswick Cultural Center, as being a major catalyst for the city's rebirth. Our setting is urban, but unique in our proximity to both New York City and Philadelphia. Situated squarely between two media markets, our competition is fierce. Not only are there 22 professional producing theatres across the state, there are countless semi- professional companies and presenting houses - plus it is extremely common for our audience to regularly attend theatre in New York.

Mission Statement: The mission of George Street Playhouse is to enrich people’s lives by producing world-class theatre. To accomplish our mission, we seek: • to produce the highest quality of intellectually and emotionally challenging new works, re-imagined classics, and educational programming that speak with relevance to society; • to serve as a vital cultural institution in New Jersey and a creative force nationally; • to positively shape and be shaped by the diverse character of our community; and • to create a nurturing home for the highest level of professional in the arts.

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