A Conversation About Cultural Tourism:

Reframing and Redirecting the Dialogue

May 23rd, 2013

Syracuse University Lubin House
New York, New York, USA
Presented with the Syracuse Convention
and Visitors Bureau, Cultural
Tourism Advisors, LLC and the Janklow
Arts Leadership Program of Syracuse
University

Table of Contents

Introduction ..... p. 2-3

Facilitators ... p. 4-7
The Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau
David Holder
Cultural Tourism Advisors, LLC
Catherine Carter
Teri Freitas Gorman
The Janklow Arts Leadership Program
Mark Nerenhausen
Rachel Boucher
Taylor Freitas
Nol Frodelius
Caitlin Moriarty
Participants ..... p. 7-8
Pam Breaux
Jamel Hardtman
Michelle Isabelle-Stark
Derek Kwan
Steve Libman
Deborah Margol
Janice Price
Caroline Werth
Proceedings .. p. 9-16
Section One: Key Players
Section Two: Approach and Tactics
Section Three: Metrics and Measurements
Conclusion ... p. 17-18
Appreciation ........... p. 19
Appendixes ...p. 20-42
Appendix A: Preparatory and Additional Readings..p. 20-39
Appendix B: Extended Participant Biographiesp. 40-42

I always tell my team not for profit is a tax status, not an objective.
Janice Price, Luminato Festival

Introduction
On May 23rd 2013 at the Syracuse University Lubin House in Manhattans Upper East Side
neighborhood, a group of twelve, select industry professionals representing a dynamic scope of
culture, tourism, and the arts gathered in the library for a six-hour dialogue and debate
surrounding cultural tourism. Historically, there has been a lot of discussion regarding cultural
tourism within the arts sector; however, the dialogue never appears to extend beyond tactics and
tangibility measures (i.e. number of tickets sold, how many heads in beds etc.) As a result of
this very myopic perspective and approach, the arts seem to continually fall short in terms of
execution, and therefore are unable to capitalize on their measurements. What has been missing
thus far is a more strategic approach linking culture and tourism, recognizing its potential impact
on place branding, public perceptions, destination image, experience and more. The need for
such a strategy is why an exclusive group was invited together for conversation, in order to
reframe and redirect the dialogue surrounding cultural tourism and raise the best questions
possible, in the hopes that the search for answers will move the industry forward.
What the arts and tourism collectively need are common metrics, a common language, and new
models of success that are able to work in partnership with cultural tourism. To do so, both
industries need to communicate coherently and consistently. Previously, there had been little, if
any, opportunity for this cross-sector group dynamic to connect outside of their particular
industry designation to discuss these questions. This, on a much larger scale, is the cause of a
lack of understanding between the sectors, and more detrimentally, missed opportunities. If some
variation of these players assembled in the past, it has been assumed that it was in competition
for funding. Consequently, this event allowed for collective brainstorming on how the larger
industry can grow the pie of resources together, instead of battling for the largest slice. To
accomplish this, an environment was created to remove this explicit competition and instead
foster interdisciplinary cross-collaboration between all present participants.
2

The three broad topics that emerged throughout the day focused on the analysis and reimagining
of the following in an attempt to eventually develop a mutual understanding of what success
looks like, what language is needed to effectively communicate that success, and to whom
success must be communicated to:
I. Who are the key players? Who needs a seat at the table?
II. What are the best practice approaches or tactics that need to be implemented?
III. What are the relevant metrics? How do we quantify, communicate and leverage
them?
A pivotal moment in the dialogue occurred during the closing comments when the room realized
that they were all in relative agreement regarding stated concerns and priorities that need to be
addressed moving forward. Previously, one might assume self-interest from the matrix extremes
(i.e. the tourism industry fearful of the arts and viewing them as both unrelated and a financial
burden, and the arts sector assuming that the tourism industry is simply insensitive to their needs).
However, both industries are starting to realize that extremists cannot and will not
survive, and they must adapt accordingly. No one organization exists in a vacuum; one
determining indicator of success is when there is reciprocated, authentic advocacy and
collaboration between the arts and tourism sectors. This cultural tourism roundtable will
hopefully be a catalyst in developing this sense of co-creation and mutual responsibility between
the arts and tourism.

Facilitators
This opportunity was the result of the shared vision and the collaborative efforts of David Holder
of the Syracuse Conventions and Visitors Bureau, Teri Freitas Gorman and Catherine Carter of
Cultural Tourism Advisors, LLC and Mark Nerenhausen of the Janklow Arts Leadership
Program.
The Syracuse Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB), is an organization located in Syracuse,
NY whose mission is to strengthen the positive awareness of the City of Syracuse and
Onondaga County as a convention and visitor destination, to increase revenues, and stimulate
economic development and growth for the community. It serves as a destination marketing
organization that works to generate income for local business, employment for the citizens of
Onondaga County, and tax revenue for the local government.
David Holder is the President of the Syracuse Visitors & Convention Bureau. To contact David,
email him at dholder@visitsyracuse.org or phone him at 315.470.1911.
Cultural Tourism Advisors, LLC (CTA) offers integrated planning, data intelligence and
community engagement services to organizations working in the cultural tourism sector. Its
clients include visitor and convention bureaus, arts organizations, state and regional government
agencies, resorts, visitor attractions, restaurants, wineries, and more. Their offices are located in
California, Florida and Hawaii.
Teri Freitas Gorman is a Hawaii-based management consultant who specializes in cultural and
indigenous tourism, intercultural communication and is a management consultant at E Ola Pono,
LLC, a native, Hawaiian-owned company that offers cultural planning, training, education,
language and communication services to the visitor industry in Hawaii. She also boasts a
plethora of global, professional experience including: VP of Corporate Communications for
MLP, Inc.; Owner of Kapalua Resort in Maui; VP of Community Affairs for the Broward Center
for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Director of Marketing for the Aotea Centre
in Aukland, New Zealand; and Director of Marketing for the Maui Arts and Cultural Center. To
contact Teri, email her at teri@eolapono.com or phone her at 808.298.5071.
4

Catherine Carter is a top business strategist and technology planner, as well as the founder of
VenueCube. She uses her expertise in order to help clients translate strategic goals into
actionable and measurable plans. She has extensive experience and skills in utilizing analytical
tools, benchmarking, business modeling, capital planning and global forecasting. Prior to
founding VenueCube, Catherine was Vice President - Planning and Analysis for the Performing
Arts Center Authority, which operates the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL. To contact
Catherine, email her at catherine@venuecube.com or phone her at 650.762.8231.
The Janklow Arts Leadership Program is a 15-month, graduate program culminating in an
M.A. in Arts Leadership Administration, located in Syracuse University within the College of
Arts and Sciences. The program launched in 2012, and is currently celebrating its inaugural year
of operation.
Mark Nerenhausen is the founding director of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program at Syracuse
University. His extensive resume as an arts administrator and cultural leader includes top
leadership positions within organizations including: the Maui Arts and Cultural Center in
Kahului, HI; the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL; and most
recently, the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas, TX. To contact Mark, email him at
manerenh@syr.edu or phone him at 315.443.1796.

Too often in the arts we dont realize the strength we have when we come together.
Steve Libman, The Libman Group

The following are members of the inaugural class of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program.
These individuals were charged specifically with preparing pre-event materials1, recording
during the session, and preparing this report:

See appendix 1 for preparatory reading material abstracts.

Rachel Boucher
rachel.boucher@me.com

860.836.7081

www.linkedin.com/in/rachelboucher

Rachel is a member of the inaugural class of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program at Syracuse
University and will be graduating in the fall of 2013. Additionally, she holds a B.M. in vocal
performance, with an emphasis in music history from the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse
University. She is originally from Simsbury, CT, but has called Syracuse, NY home for the past
five years. This summer, she will be moving her home to Manhattan as she begins her work in
the marketing department of the New York City Center.
Taylor Freitas
freitas.taylor@gmail.com

585.752.7017

http://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorfreitas

Taylor Freitas is a Rochester, NY native currently working as a research consultant for Webb
Management Services, Inc., a New York City-based arts consulting agency. In addition to
continuing his consulting work, this summer he will be joining the Development Department at
the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2013, Mr. Freitas received his M.A. in Arts
Management from Syracuse University, where he was a member of the inaugural class of the
Janklow Arts Leadership Program. He also received his B.M. in Music Performance and Music
History and Culture from the Setnor School of Music at Syracuse University in 2012.
Nol Frodelius
nofrodelius@gmail.com

315.254.4336

www.linkedin.com/in/nofrodelius

Nol is a dual-major graduate student at Syracuse University, enrolled as a member of the

inaugural class of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program and a student of the Museum Studies
program. She completed her undergraduate degree in the History of Art from Syracuse
University, and holds a two-year degree in Photography. Her work experience includes the
Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology and the Sue Ann Genet Costume
Collection at Syracuse University. She will spend her summer working at the Seattle Art
Museum, with plans to graduate in May 2014.
6

Caitlin Moriarty
cemoriar@gmail.com

973.590.4753

www.linkedin.com/in/cemoriarty

Caitlin is a member of the Janklow Arts Leadership Program inaugural class graduating in the
fall of 2013. She has a background and degree in music industry and marketing and has
previously interned at Jazz at Lincoln Center in the marketing and creative services department
for two summers. She will be working at Carnegie Hall in New York, NY in the marketing
department and the Downtown Development Commission in Madison, NJ focusing on cultural
tourism starting in June 2013. Looking forward, she will be completing her masters capstone on
cultural ecology and pursuing full-time employment opportunities.
Participants
In addition to the facilitating participants described in the previous section, we are proud to
have welcomed the following national and international experts to this roundtable2:

Pam Breaux, Louisiana Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism

Jamel Hardtman, Government of Bermuda, Department of Tourism

Michelle Isabelle-Stark, The Office of Film and Cultural Affairs for Suffolk County, NY

Derek Kwan, Jazz at Lincoln Center

Steve Libman, The Libman Group

Deborah Margol, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

Janice Price, Luminato Festival

Caroline Werth, Turnaround Arts Management

Please see Appendix 2 for extended bios and contact information for these participants.

From left to right: (front) Nol Frodelius, Caroline Werth, Mark Nerenhausen, Pam
Breaux, Teri Freitas Gorman, (back) Taylor Freitas, Jamel Hardtman, Rachel
Boucher, Michelle Isabelle-Stark, Caitlin Moriarty, Derek Kwan, David Holder,
Deborah Margol, Catherine Carter, Steve Libman (Not pictured: Janice Price)

Proceedings
Section One: Key Players

As previously stated, those who consider themselves to be exclusively an arts or tourism

person/organization will not survive long-term. There are endless stakeholders in the
ecosystem that must be accurately identified. More importantly, we must aspire to grasp and
influence the relationships and interconnectivity between these stakeholders. For example, in
cultural tourism, the word guest is used to describe our consumers. As Teri Freitas Gorman
pointed out in this section of the discussion, the term guest implies that there must also be a
host, but we often have a hard time balancing the relationship between the two. Teri went on
to say that by focusing too much on the guest and not enough on the host, you will lose
authenticity and begin to see a divide.
Key takeaways:

We cannot understand cultural tourism until we each better understand our own context
within a larger cultural ecosystem and community agenda.

Every cultural institution should be familiar and preferably heavily involved with their local
Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB).

Strong relationships with governmental constituents are a key indicator of success.

The culinary arts sector was identified during this discussion as one that needs to take a seat
at the table and be more involved in the broader cultural conversation.

Mark Nerenhausen and David Holder opened the discussion with the expression of how we each
have multiple bosses or constituents that need to remain in consideration at all times. We must
acclimate to whatever our bosses demand of us; what is essential is to not have a close-minded
view of potential bosses in the industry. These bosses can include, but are not limited to,
funders, employers, the organization for which one works, the board of directors, advisory
boards, other players in the industry and community members. This perfectly frames the larger
challenge that we all face, which is defining the ecosystem and understanding and accepting that
each of us has multiple roles within that ecosystem.
9

To assist with solving this problem of identity, David Holder expressed the importance of
recognizing where one is located along the spectrum, whether in the arts or tourism industries.
He asked the participants to mark where their organization fell in relation to these sectors; the

Tourism

resulting graph is shown below:

Arts

One consideration in attempting to define this ecosystem is the specificity of context. In

Louisiana, for example, Pam Breaux shared that many of her efforts revolve around creative
placemaking as a means to combine culture, tourism and the arts.
Jamel Hardtman brought to the groups attention the issue that because an individual is making
$150,000 a year does not mean he/she is automatically the target demographic; there is a
differentiation between those that have money and those that spend it. His point was that once
we accurately identify who is spending the money, our job is to build the product that they are
willing to spend on. It was encouraging to see that as a group, this idea was recognized. It further
solidified the idea that arts leaders must be able to communicate value to their stakeholders.
As Steve Libman pointed out, the government is often responsible for trying to convince
stakeholders that the arts matter. However, those in attendance agreed that it is the arts
communitys responsibility, not the governments, to define why the arts matter and to whom
they matter. One way to do this is to partner with tourism constituents to prove why we matter.

10

The question then becomes how do we measure our impact and prove our legitimacy? This
question is discussed in the second section.
Michelle Isabelle-Stark expressed her frustration that there is little talk of the arts as a driver and
statement of innovation. She states that in school, there is what is known as STEM (Science,
Technology, English and Math). These are the subjects in which students are primarily learning,
and innovating within. She proposed that the arts should be added, creating a STEAM system of
education where all five major subjects can come together as a forum for students to innovate
and create.
Deborah Margol made the comment that people are always waiting to be left out. This
sentiment applies to the arts, certainly, in the context of STEM v. STEAM systems, but also on a
larger scale of inclusion within other industries. Participants agreed that persons from both the
arts and tourism sectors are hesitant to take a seat at each others table, whether due to personal
reservations concerning working outside of their own industry or the preconceived illusion that
there is no welcome space available. This meeting was brought together as a first step to break
down those barriers.

The arts should not be trying to find seats at someone elses table, but setting up the
infrastructure to facilitate and create their own tables.
Pam Breaux, Louisiana Dept. of Culture, Recreation and Tourism
To continue moving forward, key players from both tourism and the arts must be identified and
brought to work together. But who are the influencers, then, and how do we reach them?
Although no definitive answer was reached during the discussion, other sectors such as the
culinary arts were suggested as future members at the table.

11

Section Two: Approach and Tactics

Success defined by the number of visitors is inadequate. Our task is not only to have people
visit our destination, but to have it live in their minds before they arrive and after they leave.
Key takeaways:

How do we become facilitators of identity definition instead of an attraction? Mark

Nerenhausen, Janklow Arts Leadership Program

We need to become aware of the assets that cannot be recreated with money in order to
amplify authenticity.

There needs to be an integration of process and mission.

Avoid the short-term view of trying to sell an attraction.

Two-way communication is a well-understood concept in the field of public relations; however,

in culture and tourism, we are typically neglecting at least one side of the value exchange. The
new perspective delivered during this conversation framed these institutions as the storyteller,
and tourists as the audience. With this in mind, it is powerful to realize that tourism and the arts
are in a position to tell an accurate story. How we identify our industry and share this story with
others ultimately affects how we start viewing ourselves.
A successful story is an authentic one. The story we tell of our region or ecosystem must amplify
authenticity in order to avoid unconscious cultural tourism and its unintended consequences as
was described by Teri Freitas Gorman. It is in all of our best interests to be more deliberate in
recognizing and leveraging this authenticity and understanding that it will shape the context of
future authenticity.
Jamel Hardtman commented that there is a larger issue relating to sustainability and of losing
ones cultural identity. This unconscious cultural tourism results in placelessness as a generic
experience and, as Teri described, is characterized by the following features:

12

High volume

Driven by price

Is undifferentiated

Erodes the natural environment

Is shortsighted

Invades and exploits local culture

This placelessness is becoming common-place. It is a generic experience that can be obtained

anywhere. If you spend an evening at a Ritz Carlton in Miami, Florida, you will be getting the
same experience as the Ritz Carlton in St. Louis, Missouri. This is not why people travel, and
therefore local authenticity and singularity are important to bringing in new tourists.
Teri Freitas Gorman spoke about her experiences with telling stories in her home culture of
Hawaii, by referencing an experience with the Walt Disney Co. When the company wanted to
install a Lilo and Stitch-themed park on the islands, they developed a whole new approach to
their planning strategy, focusing on creating as authentic of a local experience as was possible.
By interviewing the local community and conducting extensive research into the culture of
Hawaii, they produced a place that some locals claim is more Hawaiian than Hawaii.

Homogeneous is good for milk, but bad for tourism.

Teri Freitas Gorman, Cultural Tourism Advisors, LLC

In furthering this position on authenticity, arts organizations must realize that pushing
themselves onto an area will not work unless the community finds value in their mission. All too
often, large performing arts venues move into communities without the existence of a mutual
understanding of what the members of that community want out of such a venue.
Steve Libman referenced an approach known as appreciative inquiry in order to exemplify
the process in which arts organizations need to engage with their communities. Appreciative
13

inquiry utilizes a question and answer method that assumes an opportunity exists and not that a
problem has to be solved. It is about discovering the best in people, organizations, and the
relevant world around them. In Bermuda, the Performing Arts Centre Project began this process
by interviewing over 700 individuals, asking each what they wanted out of the proposed
performing arts venue. Understanding the needs and wants of a community is the only way an
organization, arts or not, can enter into a community authentically.
Another reporting issue within the arts realized during this discussion was the fact
that, too often, arts organizations only communicate success when it is needed. Rather, it is
important for arts organizations to be proactive in communicating successes, and to do so not
only when it is beneficial, but each and every time success is met. This aids in making the
organization more authentic in the sense that the organization is then viewed as truly successful,
rather than only successful when the need arises (i.e. when referring to funding opportunities).
When an organization can communicate its successes consistently they become more legitimate
to their stakeholders.
Another topic that everyone in attendance agreed upon was communication, and the difficulty in
finding common wording among the different industries. The vocabulary we use to tell our story
must be re-evaluated. Similar to the language barriers between different cultures, we are
constantly facing language barriers not only externally with our consumers, but also internally
between sectors. For example, the word arts is no longer in the vocabulary of many
organizations due to the negative connotations of alienation associated with it. In its place is the
broader reference to culture. One question of terminology that was raised was are we still arts
administrators or should we start referring to ourselves as cultural developers?

14

Section Three: Metrics and Measurements

We are wasting time measuring things that do not matter. We must begin to understand that
the act of measuring something is also a way to draw conclusions about the success of a
particular locality, business or industry. Metrics and communication are not aligned in the
arts or tourism, and we continue to fail at measuring the most relevant data indicative of
success.
Key takeaways:

You manage what you measure. Mark Nerenhausen, Janklow Arts Leadership Program

One indicator of success is unsolicited playback of the narrative.

Measure the intangibles.

The arts sector, perhaps more than any other industry, loves to talk-the-talk but as we have
found time and time again, struggles to walk-the-walk. As arts organizations have become
more reliant on metrics as a tool for garnering funding and support from its many constituents,
the question are the arts measuring the right things has become all too familiar. While
measurements regarding economic impact and ROI have become an integral part of nearly every
aspect of an organizations programming, we have found that these benchmarking activities
actually may not be the best forms of measurements. Of course these results are an important
component of measuring the success of an organization, but they remain one element of a much
larger picture.
Catherine Carter was quoted, the actual outputs of measurements such as ROI are not really that
important, rather, it is the thinking that goes into creating the measurements that matters. She
went on to explain that, during her time at Proctor and Gamble, it was a given that every new
product had to meet a minimum ROI. Rather than focusing on the number itself, it was the
process of developing strategies to achieve and surpass that minimum ROI that was crucial. By
establishing an organizational culture where both deliberate observation and creative
measurement co-exist, the act of creating strategic processes of measurement will enhance an
organizations ability to measure the right things.

15

Current metrics portfolios fail to include economic impact, a mix of cultural tourism as a
percentage of total tourism, and place branding hitting on issues like time horizon, civic pride,
preservation, and awareness. But even if portfolios included these measurements, would ROI or
these economic impact studies be enough to understand the value exchange between organization,
ecosystem, and community?
One factor that was raised as being absent from the metrics was vibrancy (i.e. artists per capita).
Steve Libman also mentioned a desire to explore ways of quantifying consumer satisfaction
after a cultural event. The issue at hand is how do we measure these metrics?
Finally, Catherine Carter pointed out that arts organizations do not do a good job of taking
credit for those things that happen off stage. Metrics should be considered before, during, and
after an event, to fully grasp the personal and economic impact.

16

Conclusion

By the close of the six-hour discussion, several key points and conclusions had been
established by the entire group. These key points were concentrated around authenticity,
transparency, collaboration, self-awareness and re-definition.
Key takeaways:

The dialogue cant be happening solely in the context of the arts, but where the community
vision is. Deborah Margol, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs

We face the challenge of higher agendas that prioritize healthcare, education and social
services before culture.

At the end of the day, we need to create the opportunity for transformational experiences.
Steve Libman, The Libman Group

There is a need to create industry-wide objectives with a local way of expression.

In order to be influential, we must be authentic. We must be aware that cultural tourism can
impact how a particular region views itself, and as a result, the experiences given by those
regions can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If the experiences cultural tourism provides are
not an authentic representation of the culture of the region, then that region itself becomes
inauthentic. Furthermore, it is essential to understand that sometimes tourism becomes too
customer-centric, resulting in an unauthentic representation of a region. Michelle Isabelle-Stark
expressed how effective tourism truly is at building and capitalizing on the strengths of an
authentic experience. In doing this, regions must use what they have locally to create their
experiences, and understand that they are what they are, not what they do. Most importantly,
once a community is happy and knows who they are, then you can invite in tourism. Of course,
as Teri Freitas Gorman pointed out, it comes down to authentic storytelling. If you know the
stories of your region, and can deliver them as an authentic and meaningful experience for
visitors, you have succeeded.

17

Transparency is another key point in creating success for cultural tourism. This idea goes hand
in hand with metrics. Far too often in the arts, not only is information such a donor lists kept
secret, metrics are often not reported until they are necessary. This and other information needs
to be shared between both the tourism and arts industries. Agendas need to be clear, and there
needs to be honest communication between everyone in order for this collaboration to work.
Collaboration between the arts and the tourism industry is essential. The arts as an industry can
no longer operate on outdated assumptions and models; we have suffered far-to-long from smallmindedness and shortsightedness. Tourism is not synonymous with hotels and transportation,
and arts and culture is not exclusively a local symphony orchestra or museum. These two
industries must realize that they can exist together. They can share their data, and they can all sit
at the same table. Futhermore, Michelle Isabelle-Stark suggested that cultural development
should be a part of economic development.
As was pointed out in the discussion, a fish does not recognize the water around it. For the arts,
this often holds true. The arts sector repeatedly fails to be self-aware, and consequently, does not
understand where they fit into the larger picture. This is often because of the passion which many
arts leaders have for their job. Instead of existing for the people it can influence, the arts often
exist in an egocentric vacuum; love and adoration for the product may go a long way, but it is not
able to carry a business. The arts and tourism sectors both need to understand the world in which
they exist, and be aware of the trends surrounding them.
And finally, all in attendance agreed that there must be a re-definition of the terms used between
the arts and tourism sectors. Culture, tourism, and cultural tourism all need to be redefined
within this new context. In order to keep a coherent and consistent dialogue, we hope that there
will be an expansion of physical and digital roundtables in the near future to continue on this
path towards more specific problem solving outcomes. To do this, as Deborah Margol pointed
out, we simply must follow up and continue to engage.

18

Appreciation
A huge thank you to all participants for their time and insights, to the Syracuse Convention and
Visitors Bureau, Cultural Tourism Advisors, LLC, and the Janklow Arts Leadership Program for
facilitating this opportunity, to Gail Wein of Classical Music Communications for her time and
coverage of our event and to the Syracuse University Lubin House for allowing us to use their
beautiful space!

19

Appendix A: Preparatory and Additional Readings

Sponsorship
Arts, Culture and Business: A Relationship Transformation, a Nascent Field
Bernadette McNicholas (International Journal of Arts Management; Fall 2004; 7, 1;
ABI/INFORM Global pg. 57)
Over the last decade, there has been a paradigm shift in the relationship between the arts and
business away from the more transactional value exchange of traditional sponsorship and
aspiring towards a more long-term relationship characterized by a shared vision and set of core
values between organizations. One explanation is the postmodern effects of globalization, such
as a diffusion of barriers, borders and boundaries. Another explanation McNicholas identifies is
that the publics of these organizations are less influenced by image, branding and hype and are
now motivated by the pursuit of knowledge, certainty, and ethics.
McNicholas points out two trends in the evolution of this relationship and the emergence of a
leading edge, 6th level of strategic cultural partnership with levels 1-5 showing the lower
breadth of activity and effect of more traditional sponsorship models. The first trend is a back-tobasics approach, which emphasizes sincerity, knowledge and ethics and offers customization
for a more integrated and dynamic partnership. Second is the growth of cultural entrepreneurship
and the impact on governmental relationships and economic venture creation.
Four factors of success for building these relationships include: 1) Strategic matching of core
values and outcomes, 2) Relationships that are interactive and practice 2-way communication, 3)
Longevity of commitment solidified by a sense of security and sincerity and 4) Creativity and
customization for the greatest sense of authenticity in the partnership. The Luminato Festival
team in Toronto, ON is a leader in understanding and employing this concept by eliminating the
word sponsor from their corporate vocabulary with the understanding that they are searching
for true partners or what McNicholas refers to as dynamic complex adaptive relationship
systems.
Key takeaways:
1. The sponsorship model is outmoded and there are and will continue to be new forms of
partnerships developing and evolving over the next decade and resulting in new horizons for
arts and cultural funding.
2. The customization of the partnership is a generative process, and it is increasingly a key
factor in successful outcomes for business and the arts.
3. Optimal business outcomes may no longer require traditional marketing, branding, advertising
or promotion.

20

See Also:
http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/pepsi-and-beyonce-the-new-sponsorshipmodel_b52383

Cultural Identity
Culture, Authenticity, Place: Connecting Cultural Mapping and Place Branding
Greg Baeker and Jeanette Hanna (Municipal World; February 2009; 119, 2l ProQuest Central
pg. 9)
In order for communities to attract people, investment and visitors the ecosystem must identify
and communicate distinctive authenticity. City builders have recognized the synergy between
cultural mapping and place branding as the vital tool to create and brand a community where
people want to live and work resulting in desired these outcomes; not vice versa. In effect, these
city planners must play the role of anthropologists, economists, and geographers. Patrick Geddes,
urban planning visionary, insists that these city planners map before you plan.
The process of cultural mapping is a place-based approach to developing and leveraging local
cultural assets for economic and other community benefits and enables people to fully
understand the cultural and identity assets that make a community distinctive. Within this
process there is resource mapping which identifies and records the tangible cultural assets and
resources and identity mapping which explores the more intangible stories, traditions, and
sense of place. Place branding gives the community the capacity and confidence to capitalize on
its one-of-a-kind advantages. The Shaw Festival, for example, has identified and capitalized on
their relationship with their local wine industry in Niagra-on-the-Lake.
The methodology for both cultural mapping and place branding begins with research and survey
of community and interested stakeholders leading to the synthesis, analysis and workshop of the
results. Finally a story of place is built that connects past, present, and future, clarifies the role
of the community, identifies opportunities, and articulates brand relevance. Over time, these
processes will yield different results and communities must adapt for the greatest overall impact.

Key takeaways:
1. The key to disarming local skepticism of place-based brands is authenticity.
2. Resource mapping and place branding must invite people to looking forward and reimagine
the kind of community they want in the future.
3. The main question to be answered is: What does my community/ecosystem have that cannot
be replicated with money?
See also:
21

http://www.academia.edu/1639644/Thinking_Culturally_About_Place
http://mappingauthenticity.com/work/resources/concepts/cultural-mapping/

Cultural Heritage
The Role and Importance of Cultural Tourism in Modern Tourism Industry
Jnos Csap (University of Pcs, Institute of Geography; Hungary)
It is first important to adequately define both culture and cultural tourism so as to provide a
context for research.
Culture: One of the first scholars to describe culture, E.B. Tylor in 18471, defined it as that
complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Anthropology, however, stated
early on that cultures are exclusive, unique, and static, a rather controversial definition. More
recent research, however, postulates that culture changes over the course of many generations
through individual and group striving. Culture further can refer to aspects of life such as
language, arts and sciences, spirituality, social activity, and interaction.
Cultural Tourism: Defining cultural tourism is problematic as there are almost as many
definitions of cultural tourism as there are cultural tourists. While there are varying definitions
of cultural tourism, they primarily focus on movement, need for diversity, experiences,
geographical space, and the role of the local population. The mostly widely accepted definition
of cultural tourism is a genre of special interest tourism based on the search for and
participation in new and deep cultural experiences, whether aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, or
psychological.
The Cultural Tourist Cultural tourists are not those who travel away from home to gain similar
experiences, but those who travel with the motivation to learn a new cultures social and
landscape values. The experience the tourist seeks, as well as the importance of cultural tourism
in the decision to travel play a huge part in what type of tourist they may be, of which there are
five types. They are, in order from most motivated by culture to least: the purposeful cultural
tourist, the serendipitous cultural tourist, the sightseeing cultural tourist, the casual cultural
tourist, and the incidental cultural tourist.

There are seven types of cultural tourism: heritage tourism, cultural thematic routes, cultural city
tourism/cultural tourism, traditions and ethnic tourism, event and festival tourism, religious
tourism/pilgrimage routes, and creative culture/creative tourism.

22

Cultural tourism has both negative and positive aspects especially as it continues to rapidly grow
and develop. Positively, it can help develop regional culture, protect natural habitats, accentuate
and extend tourism regions and seasons, and it is an important for of sustainable tourism.
Negatively, culture can become commercialized, the environment can be destroyed or altered,
there are carrying capacity problems, and it is hard for it to stand on its own as a valuable,
sustainable program.
Key Takeaways:
1. Culture is a part of the lifestyle, which multitudes of people are sharing.
2. Motivations play a huge role in who is a cultural tourist and who is not. Simply visiting a
cultural site does not make one a sustainable cultural tourist.
3. Cultural tourism is beginning to become commercialized. Research has indicated that smaller,
more authentic experiences are more impactful on tourists.
The Louisiana Cultural Economy: 2007 Status Report
Mt. Auburn Associates (prepared for the Office of the Lt. Governor, Department of Culture,
Recreation and Tourism ~ Office of Cultural Development; 2007)
The cultural sector needs to establish a common identity and agenda, develop industry
associations and networks, and foster the synergies that result in innovation in cultural products
and processes.
Following the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the State of Louisiana focused on the
planning and recovery of cultural talent and enterprises through the Cultural Economy Initiative.
The Louisiana Cultural Economy: 2007 Status Report was not intended as a research project, but
as the beginning of the next stage of action, and made priorities and goals clear.
Cultural tourism increased in 2006, with 350,000 visitors reported at Mardi Gras, with large
numbers from the region, 10% of whom had never attended before. Support for the states artists
and musicians, and new artworks inspired by the disasters, grew exponentially. The Concert for
Hurricane Relief was televised and offered global exposure. A shift in location for Louisiana
artists and musicians was also reported, showing increases in programming and attendance in
Lafayette and Baton Rouge.
The film industry was cited as the most promising area of cultural economic impact in 2007,
with 100% job recovery and growth in production. Significant investments were made in the
infrastructure needed for a strong film industry in Louisiana post-Katrina. The music industry
has suffered, but many artists and production companies have returned. The performing arts
remained at below-Katrina levels, with fewer resources, audiences and staff. Foundation support
has been stronger in the music industry than in the performing arts. The literary arts have seen a

23

strong decline in publishing companies, but events have remained at pre-Katrina levels. Other
cultural areas, such as preservation and culinary arts were also listed, both showing declines.
By recognizing the strengths and weaknesses within these cultural areas, the State of Louisiana
began to consider new collaborations to build up declining sectors. Close to 20 cultural
organizations collaborated on an Arts Patron list, sharing resources and metrics to better
understand audiences. The Getty Foundation funded seven cultural institutions to do scenario
planning, looking at collaborative programming and back office cost sharing. Post-Katrina
grassroots organizations were created to house displaced nonprofit organizations, providing
resources and managerial services.
Government programs, such as The Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation (LCEF) and the
Bring New Orleans Back Commission were founded, linking culture to economic growth
directly. Geographic programs, such as the Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP) and NOAH were
created to provide support to displaced artists and musicians.
Key takeaways:
1. Culture as a part of the healing process is identified at the individual and economic level.
2. Support of the origination and sustainability of authentic Louisiana culture was linked to
economic recovery.
3. The growth and enhancement of Louisiana cultural products was seen as positive for other
sectors, building the technical workforce and market.
4. Culture builds accountability and trust, which brought benefits to the State economy as a
whole.
See also:

http://www.911memorial.org/
http://www.wmf.org/project/east-japan-earthquake-heritage-sites
http://travel.cnn.com/tokyo/life/japans-new-tsunami-zone-tourist-trade-973959

Utilizing Tax Incentives to Cultivate Cultural Industries and Spur Arts-Related

Development
Mt. Auburn Associates (A report prepared for the Louisiana Office of the Lt. Governor and the
Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, Feb. 2007)
The cultural industries have increasingly been recognized as one of the leading economic
clusters in the Louisiana economy (p. 3). In total, the nonprofit institutions, individual artists
and performers, and commercial businesses in this cluster provided at least 144,000 jobs in
Louisiana prior to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. As the state seeks to rebuild its cultural
economy and make culture a core engine of the states recovery, it needs to look creatively at all
24

of the potential economic tools to (1) help bring its creative talent back, (2) promote the growth
and development of cultural production within the state, and (3) support entrepreneurial
development with the cultural economy (p. 3).
This report recommends a bold and comprehensive set of legislative initiatives aimed at
supporting individual artists and cultural industries. They are as following:
1. The Status of the Artist Act: Modeled after similar legislation proposed by UNESCO, this
would provide special tax exemptions for individual artists, musicians, writers, and
performers.
2. Cultural Industries R&D and Promotion Act: This would expand current tax credits to all
industries defined as being part of the cultural economy. It would also ensure that R&D
credits be applied to the cultural industries.
3. Community Cultural Development Act: This would target artist housing, historical
preservation, and sales tax-related exemptions to specified cultural development districts
within the state.
The report then examines current worldwide best practices in tax incentives aimed at promoting
the development of the cultural economy. For purposes of the study, tax incentives are divided
into three categories: artist-based incentives, place-based incentives, and industry-based
incentives.
Key takeaways:
1. Individual artist-based tax incentives, given to those artists who live and work in designated
arts and cultural districts, help to attract exceptional artists to areas of low creative capital (p.
6)
2. Place-based tax incentives help to revitalize urban communities and historic homes/districts
through smart growth goals; additionally, according to the American Center for the Arts,
more than 100 cities in the U.S. have planned or implemented arts/cultural districts,
positioning the arts as the center for their urban revitalization strategies (p. 10)
3. Industry-based tax incentives assist in the stimulation of investment, industry infrastructure
development, and job creation.
See also:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574067606010362
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/10/post_27.html

Visitor Business Driving The Recovery

Jorge Pesquera, President and COO of Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau
(Palm Beach Post; Monday, May 6, 2013)
25

As part of National Tourism Week, the Palm Beach Post published this article on Palm Beach
County tourism, exploring the impact that tourism and travel has on the economy. This year
marks the 30th anniversary of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau, who have
looked into their research archives for comparisons with past projections and current numbers.
The Great Recession and BP oil spill have had negative effects on the tourism industry in Florida,
but recoveries have been noted across the board since late 2009.
Tourism has a direct impact on the economy, which trickles down to the individual level. $836
million in federal, state and local taxes are generated each year, which means that the average
household saves $890 in taxes annually. The job market is also impacted, supporting roughly
45,000 local jobs in Palm Beach County. 8% of the local working population is involved in the
tourism business. For every 100 visitors to the area, another job is created. tourism jobs have
led the way in the dramatic reduction in our countys unemployment.
Projections made in 1988 cited visitor spending to the area at $554 million, equivalent to $1.57
billion in todays dollar value. The actual number is $5 billion in spending. Estimated visitor
numbers have multiplied by over 400%, with more than 5 million coming to Palm Beach County
annually. That has equaled to $28.8 million in tourist tax revenue, more than double what it was
in 1988.
Key takeaways:
1. Tourism has a direct impact on the economy, at the federal, state and individual level. Taxes
are just one example of savings earned through tourism.
2. Tourism is an upwards cycle of positive economic impact: more visitors mean more jobs
created, and more jobs mean more opportunities for more visitors.

Cultural Heritage Tourism Website

Evernote Web (American Express Company, Brand USA, National Trust for Historic
Preservation; https://www.evernote.com)
This website collects cultural tourism information, resources and news. The front page contains a
featured survival story of a struggling cultural organization, with links to a Tourism Survival
Toolkit and guide to hosting a Tourism Survival Boot Camp.
The Survival Toolkit uses a database of case studies to formulate action plans for declining
cultural institutions, which users can search by type of attraction/organization and strategy. The
National Trust for Historic Preservation was given funding by the NEA to create the toolkit,
which includes 11 survival strategies pulled from hundreds of interviews on a national level, case
studies that illustrate those strategies in action and links to other online resources.

26

The 11 survival strategies in the toolkit include an emphasis on researching and understanding
your audience/consumer and the product. Finding new ways to leverage the product, such as
emphasizing anniversaries and other celebrations, was also recommended. Balancing the budget
was mentioned, with other strategies related to collaboration and free technology/social media.
Finally, was serving the local community through your organizations resources.
The Survival Boot Camp is a program designed to provide training on identifying and
approaching challenges in cultural organizations. The half or full day course is an enhancement
of the Survival Toolkit, bringing the research and survival strategies to people directly and
engaging them in conversation. This is designed both for management and volunteer workers.
Key takeaways:
1. Lessons can be learned by looking at case studies and learning from others successes and
failures.
2. By following a few simple steps and maintaining your trajectory, most cultural institutions can
recover.
A Growing Percentage of Foreign Visitors Participate in Arts and Culture While Visiting
the US
Americans for the Arts (US Travel Association; US Department of Commerce, 2012; page 14)
This short report focuses on the growing numbers of foreign visitors participating in arts and
culture within the US. The data was divided among art gallery/museum attendees and
concert/play/musical visitation.
According to the International Trade Commission in the Department of Commerce, arts
destinations, help grow the economy by attracting foreign visitor spending effectively making
the arts an export industry. Cultural tourists often stay longer, travel more, and out-spend other
types of international tourists, making them the most desired by the tourism industry. On average,
cultural tourists stayed three nights over the general international traveler in 2004. In 2003, one
in three international tourists were reported as a cultural tourist.
Aside from the international tourists, local American adults also reported high numbers of
cultural tourism while on a trip of 50 miles or more, one-way, in 2002. Two-thirds of American
travelers, equal to 92.7 million people, traveled to cultural destinations within the US. 32% of
these consciously add extra time to their stay to participate or attend cultural events and
destinations.
Key takeaways:
1. Cultural tourism creates more earned revenue through longer hotel stays, increased travel, and
spending in other sectors (restaurant, gift shop, etc.) than general tourism.
2. Many international tourists are now coming to the US for cultural tourism.
27

3. Two-thirds of American adult travelers will spend money and time in their local economy
attending cultural events and destinations.
The Awful Truth: Michael Moore is a capitalistin his own way
Crains Detroit Business (Evernote Web, May 2013; https://www.evernote.com)
For better or for worse, capitalism, a social system based on principles of laissez-faire and the
free-market, has come to represent the American business model. Despite its enlightened values
of individual rights and objective laws, many Americans would argue that capitalism oftentimes
acts as a breeding ground for greed and deception.
Michigan-native Michael Moore, a successful capitalist in his own right, has created a brilliant
formula that has witnessed the marriage of community engagement and capitalism. Moore
focuses on the development and re-development of old downtown movie theaters that then act as
anchor institutions for downtown revitalizations. In Traverse City, Michigan, Moore undertook
the mission of refurbishing the State Theatre; five years later, the Theatre is now home to the
Traverse City Film Festival, which, according to Doug Luciani, president and CEO of the
Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce, [has] resulted in the infusion of millions of dollars
to the Grand Traverse region (p. 2).
What differentiates Moores theaters from the corporate multiplexes at malls across the country
revolves around one thing: community involvement. By reaching out to the public from the start
of the project, Moore is able to galvanize the community around the idea of not just another
movie theater, but instead, a place for all kinds of community gatherings (p. 2). For Moore,
The actual effort of restoring a magnificent facility like the State demonstrates a great deal of
local pride, prompting local residents to take a greater interest in all of downtown (p. 3).
Despite the balancing act of Moores anti-capitalist rhetoric and his ability to attract capital in
Michigan, his business model has been wildly successful, with roughly 20 other communities
around Michigan expressing interest in similar downtown projects.
Key takeaways:
1. Greed is not good and, ultimately, even harms the overall goals of capitalists (p. 2)
2. For the most part, citizens of any community feel a sense of pride about where they live. With
this being said, without the unwavering support from the community at-large, the development
of any arts facility is completely futile.
3. The arts offer perhaps the most obvious platform for the marriage of capitalism, civic
engagement, and community revitalization.
See Also:
http://capitalism.org

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Theres More to Life Than Being Happy

Emily E. Smith (Atlantic Mobile, January 2013; m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/theresmore-to-life-than-being-happy/266805/)
In his bestselling 1946 book, Mans Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl, a then prominent Jewish
psychiatrist and neurologist, writes about his experiences in Nazi concentration camps, and what
ultimately led to his survival. According to Frankl, everything can be taken from a man but one
thingthe last of the human freedoms to choose ones attitude in any given set of
circumstances, to choose ones own way (p. 1).
According to a recent Gallup report, the happiness levels of Americans are at a four-year high (as
is the number of best-selling books with the word happiness in the title). However, according
to the Center for Disease Control, about 4 out of 10 Americans have not discovered a satisfying
life purpose (p. 2). In fact, it is proven that the single-minded pursuit of happiness is ironically
leaving people less happy. It is the very pursuit of happiness, Frankl knew, that thwarts
happiness (p. 3).
If being happy for ones own sake actually decreases life satisfaction, what then will fill this
void? The answer of course, is leading a meaningful life. Happiness without meaning
characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life writes the authors of a
forthcoming study in the Journal of Positive Psychology (p. 3). According to this
characterization, the happiest man on earth can also be the most selfish and superficial.
In all actuality, we humans are not so different from animals. Like us, they too have needs and
drives, and when those things are satisfied, they too feel happy. What really distinguishes human
beings apart from animals then, is not the pursuit of happiness, but instead, the pursuit of
meaning, the act of engaging with something that is larger than oneself. By expressing this
fundamental truth of humanity, that devoting our lives to giving rather than taking, only then
can we truly know the meaning of fulfillment and satisfaction.
Key takeaways:
1. In the meaningful life you use your highest strengths and talents to belong to and serve
something you believe is larger than the self (p. 4)
2. Meaning is not only about transcending the self, but also about transcending the present
moment (p. 4)
3. Being a leader in the arts community requires extraordinary levels of meaning in ones life. I
would be hard-pressed to say that I got into this business for the money or fame. Rather, it was
that undeniable truth that somehow, I am a part of something much greater than myself,
something that, while oftentimes is not monetizable or even tangible, will transcend our time and
continue to touch peoples lives for years to come.
See also:
29

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/under-the-influence/201203/the-happinesschronicles-i-is-there-dark-side-happiness
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200812/the-pursuit-happiness

Place Branding
Talking About Art(s): A theoretical framework clarifying the association between culture
and place branding
Marinda Scaramanga Journal of Place Management and Development, Volume 5 Issue 1
Place branding is the practice of applying brand strategy and other marketing techniques and
disciplines to the economic, social, political and cultural development of cities, regions and
countries. While, fundamentally, these place brands are different from product brands, it could
be treated similarly as a corporate brand. The practice of place branding addresses multiple
groups of stakeholders, has a high level of intangibility and complexity, needs to take social
responsibility into account, deals with multiple identities, and needs long-term development.
Branding is able to create powerful associations, attributing to almost everything that takes
place in the city a symbolic value, next to its functional value.
Culture is a particular system of art, though, and customs of society at a particular point in
time. It has also been described as a fragile phenomenon due to its habit of constantly
changing or getting lost as a result of only existing in our minds. Scaramanga shares Ashworth
and Kavaratziss (2011) three major types of cultural contributions that are used as placebranding instruments: 1) Signature buildings and design, 2) Personality association and 3)
Hallmark events.
We should not forget that while we develop programs which seek to attract new people to our
cities we must remain focused on the fact that what makes our city interesting in the first place
are the people who already occupy it and the culture which they produce. (Gibson 2004) As a
result of globalization, the distinctive cultural assets must define local identities and that these
assets provide a ready made set of positive images on which to base a reconstruction of a less
than perfect city image. Methods to identify these cultural resources include: Cultural audit and
mapping and cultural planning. Those communities that do not stay true to themselves struggle
maintaining a brand where more organic and joined-up approaches to identity building are
typically more successful.
Key takeaways:
1. Culture plays a critical role on a place branding campaign, as long as the residents produce
the authentic cultural elements.
2. The cultural field has already deployed practices used by local authorities in urban
regeneration, such as cultural planning.
30

3. The cultural aspect is related with the pre-existing reputation of a place.

4. Both culture and place branding seek the same principal point: authenticity.
5. Urban planners should look at communities from the perspective of users and not uses with
an awareness of quality when adopting a cultural approach to place branding.

See also:

Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class, Basic Books, New York, NY.
Kunzmann, K.R. (2004). Culture, creativity and spatial planning. Town Planning
Review, Vol. 75 No.4, pp. 383-404.
Landry, C. (2006). The Creative City: A Toolkit for Urban Innovators, Earthscan,
London.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120522-one-world-order

Creative Placemaking
Creative Placemaking
Anne Markusen and Anne Gadwa
Revitalization via creative initiatives that animate places and spark economic development is
addressing the structural changes and residential uprooting facing American communities. These
issues are the result of an integrating world economy, technological advances, and an American
proclivity to move which unsettles communities, which diminishes returns on past infrastructure
and network investments. Through this revitalization, we are seeing gains in livability,
diversity, jobs, and incomes as well as cultural innovation. Safety, aesthetic, expressive, and
environmental concerns are being addressed with people who live, work, and visit. Arts and
culture at this historic juncture are proving their power as economic and social catalysts.
Markusen and Gadwa identify the following challenges for creative placemaking: forging
partnerships, countering community skepticism, financing, regulatory hurdles, ensuring
maintenance and sustainability, avoiding displacement and gentrification and developing
metrics. However, if these challenges are met you are left with successful creative placemaking
characterized by a leader with innovative vision and drive, tailored strategies highlighting
distinctive features of place, mobilized public will, buy-in from the private sectors, cultural
leader support, and interdisciplinary, dynamic partnerships.
The creative economy consists of three overlapping domains: workers, industries, and places
with enterprise being a strong driver of results. Despite the recession, creative placemaking has
increased through initiatives and collaborations with unlikely partners. The individuals most
31

responsible for sparking arts development and revitalization efforts come from a surprising
range of backgrounds.
Key takeaways:
1. In creative placemaking, partners from public, private, non-profit, and community sectors
strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, city, or region
around arts and cultural activities.
2. Creative placemaking animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and
streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people
together.
3. New partnerships are looking beyond physical alterations and instead are paying more
attention to the animation of places with economic and cultural activity.
4. Creative places nurture entrepreneurs and arts-related revitalization cannot take place without
significant input of time, talent, and financial commitment on the part of the arts community.

Ecology
Strategy as Ecology
Marco Iansiti and Roy Levien
Business success relies on the collective health of the network components that influence the
creation and delivery of a product or service, and the ability of an organization to understand the
role it plays within the ecosystem. Companies like Wal-Mart and Microsoft realized early on and
employs this concept by creating platforms that other members of the ecosystem have access to
and use to enhance their own performance. Over time, these symbiotic relationships result in
investment in and interdependence on the network for their own success. Attempting to draw
boundaries of an ecosystem is impossible but organizations can and should be strategic in
picking other companies with similar visions to connect and determine the dependencies that
are most critical to [their] business.
With the creation of the Internet, companies could enjoy efficiencies in operations and
innovations and present new opportunities to a large network of businesses. The implosion of
this Internet bubble, which originally had seemed to automate exponential growth, left many
questioning the decision to rely on business networks and depend on an ecosystem.
There are three critical measures of ecosystem health: 1) Productivity or the ability to convert
resources into new products 2) Robustness or the ability to provide durable benefits to the
species that depend on it and 3) Niche creation or diversification within the ecosystem. Keystone
organizations continually try to improve the overall ecosystem and are crucial in the achievement
of productivity, robustness, and niche creation by providing a stable and predictable set of
32

common assets. It is important to realize that this ensures their own survival and prosperity
and the purpose is not altruistic but purely strategic.
A firm that takes an action without understanding the impact on the ecosystem as a whole is
ignoring the reality of the networked environment in which it operates. It is also important to
note that the role an organization plays within an ecosystem is not static.
Key takeaways:
1. Each member of a business ecosystem ultimately shares the fate of the network as a whole,
regardless of that members apparent strength.
2. It is important to understand that the companies that inhabit an ecosystem will extend beyond
the boundaries of a particular industry.
3. A companys choice of ecosystem strategy keystone, physical dominator, or niche can be
decided by the future vision for the company but also the business context or complexity of
its relationships in which it operates.
4. Integration now represents a critical form of innovation.

Economic Development
New Engines of Growth: Five Roles for Arts, Culture, and Design
National Governors Association
http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1204NEWENGINESOFGROWTH.PDF
At long last, the arts, culture and design industries have been recognized as crucial components
of economic growth and as a result, we are seeing an all-hands-on-deck approach to include
state arts agencies in the creation and implementation of policies and programs to drive
economies forward. Solutions are needed for both long-term and short-term issues including
competing with leading innovation economies in Asia, anticipating volatile global markets,
combating talent migration to select cities, and adapting to the demand and distribution of select
skills for an evolving employment climate.
Five primary roles have been identified for the arts, culture, and design sectors in the quest for
economic growth:
1. Provide a fast-growth, dynamic industry cluster.
2. Help mature industries become more competitive.
3. Provide the critical ingredients for innovative places.
4. Catalyze community revitalization.
5. Deliver a better-prepared workforce.
Provide a fast-growth, dynamic industry cluster
33

Creative economies must be redefined to reach beyond traditional artists and include arts,
culture, design, entertainment, publishing, fashion, and more. To leverage these creative
ecosystems for a competitive advantage these creative enterprises must be identified, supported
in various ways (funding, training, and professional development) and then included in
development and economic task force meetings. Supporting a cluster is about cultivating a
well-developed ecosystem or habitat of the type that Silicon Valley embodies and that Austin
and San Diego have created over the last two decades or so which means states should also be
looking for and filling in gaps and facilitating connections between cluster members.
Help mature industries become more competitive
Manufacturing and tourism are two industries that are benefiting from building relationships with
arts, culture and design. For example, after financial and operational management, design was
listed by manufacturers as the third most important factor in business success. Tourism in the
state of Oregon results in $7 billion annually for the state and 90,000 jobs. States are offering
cultural tourism grants, developing tour and trail programs, and supporting and exploiting local
talent. Festivals attract approximately 102 million individuals annually with 77% taking place in
communities with fewer than 250,000 residents and 39% under 10,000 people making it a huge
opportunity for small to mid-sized communities.
Provide the critical ingredients for innovative places
States are redesigning spaces and establishing networks to link artists more strategically with
one another and with creative businesses and property developers. The goal is to support open
innovation business models, foster co-location, and promote easy and constant interaction among
different industries and workers. We want people and industries to be close enough to visit one
another before the cup of coffee gets cold. Proximity reduced the overall costs of collaboration
and makes it easier for the collaborators to respond to and revise new opportunities. To create
these hubs of innovation and creativity, states must build a mass of creative talent, facilitate colocation or geographic clustering of complementary industries and remove barriers to
collaboration, whether physical, social, or cultural.
Catalyze community revitalization
Artists often are pioneers who lay the groundwork for the next stage of revitalization for
distressed neighborhoods. Historic rehabilitation efforts funded by tax incentives and grants are
returning economic benefits measured in property values and tourism dollars. Twenty-seven
states (90+ municipalities) now have public art or percentage-for-art policies in place to the
benefit of visual landscape and enhance the character of a state or city.
Deliver a better-prepared workforce
Recognizing the value of art and design in the development of workforce skills, most states have
integrated formal requirements for arts and creativity into K-12 education. The challenge
34

remains for states to actually implement arts learning policies and practices for the purposes of
dissuading youth from engaging in criminal activities, and prepare for better education and
career experiences as both education and business leaders are increasingly emphasizing the
importance of adding the arts and design to the workforce preparation mix.
Key takeaways:
1. Specifically in the United States, individual states are facing these challenges in various ways
to create jobs and boost their economies in the short run and transition to an innovationbased economy in the long run.
2. To create these hubs of innovation, collaboration and creativity, states must build a mass of
creative talent, facilitate co-location or geographic clustering of complementary industries
and remove barriers to collaboration, whether physical, social, or cultural.
3. Economic development, education, and arts and culture agencies are natural partners in
workforce development, but execution remains an issue.
4. Communities need to invest in arts infrastructure as a means of boosting local economies and
addressing quality of life issues.

Tourism in Toronto
Torontos Vital Signs Report 2012.
Toronto Community Foundation. (Toronto Star; October 2, 2012; pp. v4-v5)
This study summarizes the economic climate of Toronto, and breaks down vital signs of the
economy into 10 categories: the gap between the rich and the poor, safely, work, health and
wellness, environment, getting around, housing, learning, arts and culture, and leader/civil
engagement and belonging.

Torontos population is slowly changing. Toronto houses over 20% of Ontarios population and
nearly 8% of the total population of Canada. Population growth in the city of Toronto in the last
five years has been 4.5%, 4.7% slower than the growth of the entire Toronto region. Furthermore,
the median age of Torontos population is slowly rising, and by 2031, it is estimated that there
will be approximately twice as many seniors than youths in the Greater Toronto Region. Close to
half of those seniors will reside in the city of Toronto. By 2031, 80% of Torontos population is
expected to be immigrants.
While Toronto has many indicators of good economic vitality such as a Aa1 credit rating
(equivalent to S&Ps rating of AA+, one rating lower than the highest possible credit rating), a
declining number of personal bankruptcys, a raising number of city building projects, and a
healthy tourism industry, there are also signs of economic vulnerability. The citys operating
budget has declined by nearly $20 million between 2011 and 2012. Capital funds can only
35

support 20% of the overall budget. Overall, neighborhoods are declining with middle-class
neighborhoods expected to fall to 20% by 2025. There will be a huge disproportion between high
and low income neighborhoods.
Key Takeaways:
1. Gap between rich and poor - The gap between the rich and the poor in Toronto is getting
larger, with the most disparate growth in the amount of low-income seniors, and households
with a disabled person.
2. Safety - Overall, the feeling of safety, both in schools and communities, has risen
significantly over the last few years. The only crime statistics to increase were gun violence
in the summer of 2012, and sexual assaults in 2011.
3. Work - Toronto tends to be a highly attractive city for young workers. However, new jobs
creation is not keeping up with the population rise, and the unemployment rate for young
adults has been hovering around 17% in the past few years. Toronto also has a high
percentage of job requiring a high level of education and skills, leaving the minorities
looking for entry-level jobs highly overrepresented. Earnings for immigrants has also
significantly declined over the last 25 years.
4. Health and Wellness - Health and wellness is an ongoing struggle in Toronto and Canada as
a whole with nearly 43% of Torontonians reporting being overweight (based on BMI).
5. Environment - Toronto has a goal of diverting 70% of its trash away from landfills. They
are currently at 50%. Toronto is pushing to make their buildings eco-friendly, and has a deep
commitment to a green future.
6. Getting Around - Torontos public transit system is in need of much funding to improve it.
Ridership has increase, and citizens are open to many funding options with regards to
improving transit. Interestingly, in 2011, Toronto removed more bike lanes than it created.
7. Housing - Housing affordability has declined by 40% since 2004, and Toronto has not yet
found a way to bring public housing into good repair. 68,505 families remain on the active
waiting list for public housing as of December 2011.
8. Learning - While high school graduation and post-secondary education has risen in the past
decade, 1 in 5 school spaces in the Toronto area are unfilled. Furthermore, more english
language support is needed in many elementary schools.
9. Arts and Culture - While Toronto lags behind other large Canadian cities with regards to
growth in cultural investment, their film, television and commercial production has
rebounded in 2011. However, the city budget for grand funding to cultural organizations for
$16.3 million has not changed between 2011 and 2012. Torontos library system is extensive
and is the largest in the world. More than 18 million people attended city-funded or cityprogrammed cultural events in 2011.
10. Leadership, Civic Engagement and Belonging - Elected officials in Toronto do not reflect
the diversity of the city population. Though voter turnout is up since 2008, it is only at 62%,
and the least likely to vote are recent immigrants, and single parents of young children. The
sense of belongingness and pride among the citys population is high.
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See also:
www.tcf.ca

Culture Continues to Drive Ontario tourism: Report

Vinay Menon (Toronto Star; May 9, 2013)
According to a new report commissioned by the Ontario Arts Council, arts and culture continues
to drive tourism and the economy in the province. This data was compiled from several existing
travel surveys.
Key Takeaways:
1. Arts and culture are a key part of Ontarios tourism industry.
2. Arts and culture tourism has a significant impact on Ontarios economy.
3. Arts and culture tourist stay longer and spend more, especially if they are overseas tourists.
4. Arts and culture is a primary motivator for travel among North American tourists.
5. American tourism has not reached the levels prior to the 2003 SARS outbreak.
6. The data used in the report was complied from existing surveys from the travel industry and
then applied to the arts sector. This provides a different perspective on the impact of cultural
tourism, and represents a willingness to collaborate with the travel industry in measuring the
economic impact of the arts.
See also:
Ontario Arts and Culture Tourism Profile Executive Summary
http://www.arts.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=8780
Full Tourism Report
http://www.arts.on.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=8778

Toronto Visitor Market Report 2011

Tourism Toronto 2011
The purpose of this study was to describe the various aspects of tourism in Toronto. The various
topics covered are: a breakdown of Canadian visitors, U.S. visitors, overseas visitors by country,
meetings and conventions and their impact, and finally hotel performance in Toronto.
General Overview of Visitors - roughly 60% of visitors to Toronto are same-day visitors.
However, those staying overnight spend three times as much money per trip than same-day
visitors. 65% of all visitors in 2011 were Canadian, 21% were from the U.S., and 14% were
overseas. Of that breakdown, Canadians spent the most money on their trip, while overseas and
37

U.S. visitors spent about the same. Most visitors, both overseas and in North America, travel to
Toronto during the summer months.
Visits for pleasure - 63% of those visiting for pleasure are Canadian, 21% from the U.S.,
and 16% from overseas. 40% of visits for pleasure occur during the summer months.
These visitors spend most of their money at restaurants and attractions, primarily in the
Eaton Center (the mall downtown) area of Toronto. They stay an average of 3 nights.
Overseas visitors stay the longest at about 6 nights. Average spending is lowest for
Canadian visitors and highest for overseas visitors (2.5 times the amount spent by
Canadians).
Visits for Business - 49% of those visiting for pleasure are Canadian, 37% from the U.S.,
and 14% from overseas. These visits are spread evenly across all four seasons. These
visitors spend most of their money at restaurants and bars, primarily in the Eaton Center
area. They stay an average of 3.3 nights. Overseas visitors stay the longest at about 8.5
nights. Average spending is lowest for Canadian visitors and highest for overseas visitors
(3.5 times the amount spent by Canadians).
Visits for Friends and Families - 75% of those visiting for pleasure are Canadian, 14%
from the U.S., and 11% from overseas. These visits are spread fairly evenly across all four
seasons. These visitors spend most of their money at restaurants and stores, primarily in the
Eaton Center area. They stay an average of 4.1 nights. Overseas visitors stay the longest at
about 14.8 nights. Average spending is lowest for Canadian visitors and highest for
overseas visitors (5.8 times the amount spent by Canadians).
Key Takeaways:
1. In 2011, Toronto welcomes 9.8 million overnight visitors, which increased 1.4% from the
previous year. Those visitor spent $4.6 billion during their visits.
2. Overnight visitors spent the most. Canadians spend the most on food, Americans on
accommodations.
3. U.S. visitors now arrive more often by air than car. Overseas visitors primarily arrive via air.
4. The overseas visitor market is increasing the most. The fastest expanding markets are China
by 25%, Australia by 20%, India by 19% and Brazil by 10%.
5. Restaurants were the primary spending activity by all visitors, regardless of location.
6. Tourism has a high impact on Ontarios economy with regards to generated taxes. For both
federal and provincial governments, tourism generated nearly half a billion dollars in tax
money, which a consistent increase each year between 2009 and 2011. The municipal
government received 3 million dollars in tax money. That number has also increased over the
last three years.
7. It is important to understand and capture the motivations of your visitors in order to cater to
them.
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a. For example, visitors to Toronto from Great Britain tend to visit for pleasure, stay for
12 days, primarily during the summer months, whereas visitor from India visit to see
friends and family, stay for 18 days, primarily during both the spring and summer
months.
b. Of those visiting for conventions, 45% stay in Toronto longer than the requirements
of their meeting or convention. 51% of those who stay, stay an average of two more
night.
c. There are three main travel motivations to Toronto - visiting friends and family,
pleasure, and business.
See also:
Understanding the Behavior of Cultural Tourist: Towards a Classification of Dutch
Cultural Tourists
http://www.tram-research.com/atlas/Rami%20Issac%20PhD.pdf

39

Appendix B: Extended Participant Biographies

Janice Price is the CEO of the Luminato Festival (http://luminatofestival.com/), a

summer arts festival in Toronto, Canada. Prior to that position, she served as president
and CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, and interim
executive director and vice president of marketing and communications at New Yorks
Lincoln Center. She is also an active board member and change agent on the Canadian
Festivals Coalition, Toronto Arts Council, and International Society for the Performing
Arts, and is a member of the national steering committee of Canadas Culture Days. To
contact Janice, email her at jprice@luminato.com or phone her at 416.368.3100 ext. 223.

Jamel Hardtman is the Business Development Manager for the Government of Bermuda
in the Department of Tourism (http://www.gotobermuda.com/default/). The Bermuda
Department of Tourism focuses on increasing, identifying, expanding, enhancing, and
developing opportunities for Bermuda as a tourist destination. He has also previously
worked for Radio Disney out of Pawtucket, RI, Hall Communications in Providence, RI,
and Inter-Island Communications as the Executive Vice President. Jamel holds two
associated degrees, a bachelors of science in Business Management Technologies, and an
MBA in Global Business Leadership. To contact Jamel, email him at
jhardtman@bermudatourism.com or phone him at 212.818.9800.

Pam Breaux serves as Assistant Secretary for Cultural Development at the Louisiana
Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism (http://crt.la.gov/). She is instrumental
in leading state efforts to improve archaeology, arts, cultural economy, historic
preservation, and creative place making. Previously, she led the Department of Culture,
Recreation and Tourism as its Secretary and spent six years as the executive director of
the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana. Currently, Pam also serves as
First Vice President of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and on the board of
the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts and the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation.
To contact Pam, email her at pbreaux@crt.al.gov or phone her at 225.342.8200.

Deborah Margol is a native New Yorker who now serves as the Deputy Director at the
Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs (http://www.miamidadearts.org/).
40

She conceptualizes and develops innovative programs and policies for community
cultural development and oversees cultural initiatives with other departments of MiamiDade government, municipal, state and federal governmental agencies and the private
sector. Previously she served as the Festival Coordinator of Festival Miami at the
University of Miami and also had positions at both the Philadelphia Orchestra and the
National Symphony in Washington D.C. To contact Deborah, email her at
debo@miamidade.gov or phone her at 305.375.2577.

Derek Kwan is the Vice President of Concerts and Touring at Jazz at Lincoln Center
(http://jalc.org/). Previously, he served as the executive director of the Interlochen
Presents at Interlochen Center for the Arts. He is a voting member of the Recording
Academy boasting over 60 album credits including a Grammy, NY Times Album of the
Year and Latin Grammy. To contact Derek, email him at dkwan@jalc.org or phone him
at 212.258.9896.

Caroline Werth is the founder and managing partner of Turnaround Arts Management
(http://turnaroundarts.com/) with over twenty-five years of experience heading up and
consulting for a diverse range of organizations. Prior to founding TAM, Caroline served
as the Chief Executive for performing arts centers in top markets like New York City,
Washington D.C. and New Haven, CT. Over the course of her career she has garnered
praise from institutions like The New York Times, the Kennedy Center, and the Institute
of Arts Management. She was also a Tony voter for 11 years, was a founding member of
the Independent Presenters Network, and is a member of The Broadway League,
International Association of Venue Managers and Association of Performing Arts. To
contact Caroline, email her at cwerth@turnaroundarts.com or phone her at
562.477.3030.

Steve Libman is the founder of The Libman Group (http://thelibmangroup.com/) and

boasts thirty years of experience leading major arts organizations with extensive
knowledge of producing dance, theatre and presenting multi-disciplinary performing
arts series. He is recognized on a national scale for his entrepreneurial and creative
approach to strategic planning, programming, branding, marketing initiatives,
institutional growth, and problem solving. Prior to founding The Libman Group, Steve
launched the new $175 million, three-venue performing arts center in Carmel, IN as well
as served as the Chief Administrative Officer at the Tony Award winning La Jolla
41

Playhouse and top leadership positions at the Pittsburgh Ballet. Other entrepreneurial
endeavors Steve has been involved in includes producing the Emmy nominated PBS
special entitled Michael Feinstein: The Sinatra Project and is the creator and co-host of
a radio show called The Voice of the Performing Arts that appears weekly on public
radio WICR in Indianapolis. To contact Steve, email him at stevenlibman@gmail.com or
phone him at 317.564. 8164.

Michelle Isabelle-Stark is the Director of The Office of Film & Cultural Affairs
(http://www.suffolkartsandfilm.com/) for Suffolk County, NY with over twenty years of
experience in strategic planning, program management and product development for
arts, visual media and technology organizations. She is responsible for promoting and
growing the arts and visual media sectors of the Suffolk County economy. Additionally,
she administers a competitive grant program for non-profit arts organizations and
independent film production companies and works with communities in developing
cultural facilities and tourism programs. To contact Michelle, email her at
michelle.startk@suffolkcountyny.gov or phone her at 631.853.4834.

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