||| October 16, 2025 by Janet Carl Smith

To Broaden or Deepen?

To broaden or deepen…that was the question when we started to plan the next round of learning circles.  Should we develop programs that build on previous learning so that people who’ve been participating can become more expert at using psychographics to engage and retain their audiences?  Or should we offer sessions that will attract and train arts managers who are new to the Arts Engagement Exchange?  It’s taken us several years of this project to really address this issue, the same one that you face all the time in planning your programming and plotting your audience development strategies.

Our first learning circle is focused on research techniques, easy and inexpensive

So we decided to do a little of each!  Our first learning circle is focused on research techniques, easy and inexpensive ways to learn more about your current audience and figure out how to use that information to reach new people.  Kelley Lavin and Brenda Magnetti Erickson bring vast experience in the corporate sector along with an engaging style to help you ask the right questions.  Register for this if you want to build on some of the things you learned from Chip Conley, the Obama campaign experience and the psychographics learning circles led by Deborah Johnson-Hall and Philippe Ravanas.   

Learn all you need to know about this upcoming learning circle by clicking here.

Watch for announcements about two more learning circles that will start in late January.  One will look at customer experience and satisfaction…how to treat your audience members from the moment they come through your doors so you keep them coming back.  The other will focus on keeping them engaged even when they’re not in your house.  With each, the emphasis will be on looking at the individuals you reach, not just the demographics you’ve been collecting.   

 Speaking of which, we’ve been collecting data about all of you, and hope that we’re offering important learning that’s engaging and useful.  Sign up for something and tell us what you think!

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