Consumers have never been more informed or selective. As we grow future audiences for the world’s leading performing arts organization (with 6.5M annual visitors), it’s a priority to ensure Lincoln Center remains relevant—and relay this value to young, highly curatorial audiences.

As a nonprofit, our strategy must be lean—yet uphold our position as a major economic engine for NYC (contributing $2.4B annually). We rely on support from ticket-buyers/donors—while interactions with and expectations of entertainment are fast-changing.

Two pilot studies—on audience segmentation and performance metrics—chart a promising path for organizations to significantly connect with young audiences: by diversifying programming, improving access, and customizing outreach to targeted demographics.

Programming descriptions are generated by participants and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of SXSW.