Butler Penn Theater

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Butler Penn Theater
Redevelopment Authority City of Butler Contact
Mr. Perry OMalley 114 Woody Drive Butler, PA
16001 724.283.0116 724.283.2522
Fax racb_at_zoominternet.net
March 23, 2009
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Executive Summary

• Vision Provide a unique cultural destination
  which attracts and educates the citizens of the
  Butler Community, and a venue for community
  events.
• Mission Develop a renovated theater that will
  achieve the goals of (1) making the cultural arts
  more accessible to the public while (2) providing
  an educational resource to the community and (3)
  generating revenues.
• Objectives Serve at least 117,000 ticket
  purchases in Year Five of Operations, provide
  facilities for community events, and generate
  revenues to support the theater.

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Development Team

• Owner/Sponsor -- Butler Penn Theater Community
  Trust (501(c)3)
• Developer -- Redevelopment Authority of the City
  of Butler
• Architect/Engineering to be determined
• Legal -- John C. Davey, Esquire
• Legal -- Dillon, McCandless, King, Coulter
  Graham LLP
• General Contractor -- to be determined
• Financial Partner -- PNC Bank

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Sources of Funds
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Theater Space

• Bantam Theater -- 3,120 square feet, black- box
  facility. Films can be shown there, as well as
  plays or performances.
• Lydia Theater -- 10,980 square feet theater.
  Proposed changes will convert it from a film
  theater to a live theater and allow a variety of
  performances to occur there.

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The Bantam TheaterNear-Term Plans
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The Lydia TheaterCurrent Layout
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The Lydia TheaterProposed Layout
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Scope of Work

• Extended stage with possible movable sections.
• Removable seating in front rows.
• Multimedia/ digital capability with possible
  computer interactivity.
• Solar panels for cutting utility costs.
• Geothermal air conditioning.

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Theater Activities

• Live Performances -- Drama, Music, Dance
• Films
• Public Meetings
• Sponsored Speakers Series
• Community Themed Events
• Regional Festival Events
• Dinner Theater
• Live Sports Feed Broadcasts
• Childrens Educational Programming
• Workshops/Training Sessions
• Internships

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Business Description
The Butler Penn Theater Community Trust will
offer a wide range of community-centered theater
events to the City of Butler and the surrounding
area. This new theater begins by meeting the City
of Butlers need for a dynamic focus on
its downtown area. As a stimulus for community
interest, increased pedestrian traffic, and
heightened awareness for other downtown
businesses, the Penn Theater will serve as
a cornerstone for community development. The
development and expansion of theater activities
and reach is intrinsic to a Butler that offers
culture, entertainment, restaurants and specialty
shops as its new business focus.
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Customer Attraction Strategies

• Coordination with the Butler County Tourist Board
  provides visibility to visitors from outside the
  immediate area.
• A web site will feature schedules, visuals of the
  theater renovations, fund raising events, and
  other projects, as well as online ticketing.
• Community themed events with programs, displays,
  and activities coordinated with other members of
  the Butler arts and business community.
• Art posters and other promotion items will
  advertise theater activities and create an
  additional source of revenue.
• Visitors viewing the exterior building will see
  visuals of coming events and the renovation
  process in relation to building use. Design of
  these visuals serves to focus on the facility and
  its interaction with the community.

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Attendance Factors

• Demographics- Success for the Butler Penn Theater
  is increasing attendance among the younger
  demographics. Two groups to target are young
  working people and families with children under
  18 years of age.
• Customer Encouragement- Stress ease of access,
  make theater part of lifestyle, create a relaxed
  atmosphere for approaching the theater, make
  information easy and available, encourage
  customer responsiveness and likes, and stress the
  acceptability of changing leisure-time
  activities.
• Quality and Kind of Marketing-Direct mail to
  potential and past supporters, local papers and
  the Butler Eagle, college publications, and
  active outreach by theater staff and board
  members.

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Attendance Factors

• Cost of Events-The cost of tickets is seen as a
  major barrier to attendance among both theater
  attenders and non-attenders. For this reason the
  Butler Penn Theater will plan to keep ticket
  prices competitive with other county events.
  Additional variable pricing will be available for
  different times and kinds of events.
• Event Quality and Distinctiveness- The Butler
  Penn Theater will present events and programs
  that are distinct from its competitors. Without a
  mandate for specific forms of entertainment, a
  wide variety can be presented. The theater and
  its programs will organize activities around
  community themes each year.

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Financial Support Factors

• Earned Income
• Joint programming with other entities library,
  schools, interest groups.
• Supporting resources T-shirts, cups, posters,
  banners, books, etc.
• Catering, receptions, meetings, corporate
  affairs, auctions, e-commerce ticketing.
• Subscription program and outreach.
• Private Sector- The private sector (individuals,
  foundations, corporations) is a cornerstone of
  support for nonprofit arts organizations.

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Financial Support Factors, contd.

• Investment and Endowment- As a startup
  organization, the Butler Penn Theater will take
  advantage of opportunities for investment and
  endowment available.
• Public Sector- Public arts support is composed of
  federal, state, local, and multi-government
  agencies. Non-arts government agencies
  (housing, economic development, public safety)
  also provide grants, contracts for services, and
  contributions of personnel and services.

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Success Factors

• Success of the Attractions- The Butler Penn
  Theater Community Trust projects a stable
  attendance of at least 17,000 annually.
• Productions- The quality and appeal of the
  productions is important to retail success.
• Film Series-The attraction and quality of film
  series is important to the ongoing success of the
  theater. These series will provide the constant
  source of revenue generated from the smaller
  Bantam Theater.
• Special Events-Special events tie closely to
  community interests and are important to
  strengthening success.

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Success Factors

• Effective Theater Management and Booking-
  Managing Director will understand theaters
  mission, be experienced in the theater business,
  and be able to talk easily with both artists and
  the public. Most importantly, will have a good
  sense of suitable events across a range of
  topics.
• Theater Atmosphere-The theater design is
  concerned with customer appeal and interaction.
  Special attention is given to lighting and sound
  design because of its importance for production.
• Quality of Theater Staff and Training-Staff will
  be chosen on the basis of a genuine interest in
  the theater/cinema, as well as the purposes and
  themes of the Butler Penn Theater. The staff
  will need training about the artists and
  productions, in addition to theater procedures
  and protocol. The ticket personnel will be able
  to relay information about current and future
  events.

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Success Factors

• Effective Theater Marketing and Promotion
  Program-The theater will be presented in
  attraction-marketing with marketing strategies, a
  plan, and a budget. Marketing tie-ins to events
  (established and otherwise) in the City will be
  key. Promotions will be tied to school and
  holiday schedules.
• Good Financial Performance, Monitoring, and
  Reporting System-Daily, weekly, and monthly
  reports will show ticket sales, patterns,
  customer data, expenses, and inventory. Trends
  and problems will be identified quickly and
  needed course corrections made.
• Flexibility- The organizational and operational
  structure will be flexible in order for the
  theater to adapt to unforeseen changes.
  Productions and merchandise may change from year
  to year as the market changes. Monitoring will
  reveal patterns, and flexibility will allow quick
  adjustments.

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Results

• Increased tourism
• Improved economy
• Job Creation- in construction and permanent jobs
• Creates cultural and community events
• Creates activities and performances for all to
  enjoy
• Catalyst for Main Street Community Revitalization