OCS Conference Funding Submission

Event Photo:

Speed Networking at the 2020 National Arts Marketing Project Conference with Robin Rothstein and Vincent Iaropoli.

Name: Vincent Iaropoli

Degree Program: EXECUTIVE MPA-PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERS

Specialization:

Conference Host Organization/Institution: Americans for the Arts

Conference/Competition Name: National Arts Marketing Project Conference

Conference Term: Fall Conference Start Date: 2020-12-07 Conference End Date: 2020-12-08

What were your takeaways from this conference/case competition?
Traditional live arts organizations like theatres need to “catch-up” to recorded media like audio, streaming, and video. By complementing live performances with strategic use of recorded media, organizations can create documentation about themselves that can be used for fundraising, collect data about audience behavior to guide future programming decisions, and create additional streams of income. There are also many guiding questions marketers can use to prioritize funding with constituents. By asking specifically-formulated questions, marketers can provide new information, reframe the way an organization is viewed, or even queue respondents to form an emotional bond to the organization’s future.

How will your participation in this conference/case competition support your professional development?
My participation in this conference is supporting my professional development by providing me with the opportunity to make new marketing connections in the non-profit arts sector and actionable tools to use in devising a fundraising campaign for a new social civic arts organization.

What are some next steps or action items this conference/case competition inspired?
My next steps are to set up virtual meetings with my new contacts to continue the discussions I started at the conference and to devise a questionnaire that engages with community members to identify their most pressing needs. Once the needs assessment is complete, I will develop a comprehensive plan (guided by community input) that will address the issues identified in the assessment. The plan will become a roadmap for efforts to incorporate the voice of the community into the programmatic work of the new social civic organization.

What are some tips or best practices that you would like to share with other Wagner students who attend a conference/case competition?
I think my best advice is to understand that you are essentially putting on a performance for the other conference attendees, so, when you are networking, how you look and what is in your background matters a lot! I don’t think you need to dress up more than usual, but I think that people might be more inclined to remember something that stands out a little. I think I stood out from other conference attendees because I wore an “NYU Pride” shirt.

Wagner Areas of Impact: Leadership, Nonprofits