Many audience survey reports were released over the last two months. CAPACOA read them and looked for conflicting and converging findings regarding age, comfort levels and reassuring measures.
So? Does age matter?
Many audience survey reports were released over the last two months. Here are key findings on age, comfort levels and reassuring measures.
According to the COVID-19 Sector Benchmark, by TRG Arts and Purple Seven, age does matter. Data from 260 CRM systems suggest that the greatest decline in ticket sales has been in older audiences in both the United Kingdom and the United States. In the United States, the proportion of subscribers who belong to the Silent Generation decreased from 29% pre-COVID to 17%.
However, the B.C. Patron Insights survey led by the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance found age not to be a factor at all. There were no significant differences in their level of comfort and eagerness to return to in-person activities when comparing all respondents 56 years and older with those who are 55 and younger.
In Alberta, wave 2 of the New Experience Economy reports that parents, men and middle aged adults appear to be more comfortable with crowds.
In Quebec, the July edition of the Entertainment Barometer took a behavioral segmentation approach. The report and infographics describe different personas. They suggest which ones are more likely to return to specific types of events and under which conditions.
All of these provincial audience surveys agree on a few things: physically-distanced seating and refundable tickets are both perceived as highly positive factors in ticket-buying decisions.
As you read this post, you may wonder, which of these audience surveys is right? Each one is a reliable source of information. But it depicts a different reality.
The evolution of the COVID pandemic varies significantly from one province to another. And so do its economic impact in terms of disposable income and consuming behavior.
Performing arts organizations would be best advised to consider audience surveys conducted in their own province or territory. If none are available, you may refer to these Patron Survey Tools to design and conduct your own survey.
