When Proctors Theatre’s longtime ticketing platform was acquired, the team knew they needed to find a new provider. 

Proctors, Troy Music Hall and other arts organizations in the Capital Region hadn’t planned to change systems. However, as explained in a recent article by Katherine Kiessling in the Times Union, “The consortium is switching from Arts Manager, which some participating venues had been using for nearly two decades, because another company, Spektrix, recently bought Arts Manager.”

Phillip Morris, CEO of Proctors Theatre, told the Times Union that, with Spektrix, the venues would lose access to key services, such as auto-billing. He also worried the company would be at risk of another acquisition in the future. That could put them through the labor-intensive burden of switching platforms twice in a short period of time.

Future-proofing with a nonprofit partner

The organizations decided to look for a partner they could rely on. They chose Tessitura — a nonprofit organization that can’t be commercially acquired.

Tessitura is dedicated to supporting arts and culture organizations. Its leading technology platform is designed for the sector’s specific needs. The company also offers comprehensive services and fosters a supportive community. Moreover, Tessitura’s business model means that it is governed by its users, not external shareholders. That marks a fundamental difference from other ticketing and CRM providers.

“Tessitura provides a stable foundation to better serve our communities for years to come.”
— Jon Elbaum, executive director, Troy Music Hall

The Proctors team told customers they selected Tessitura because of its reputation for excellence, security and community support within the arts sector. The platform offers advanced security and fraud detection features to protect customer data.

Improving the patron experience with Tessitura

Tessitura’s strong technology contributed to the collaborative’s decision. The switch will offer several improvements over their previous system.

“[Arts Manager] is a pretty clunky platform, from a user experience,” Jon Elbaum, executive director of Troy Music Hall, told the Times Union. “It makes the process of buying tickets or donating or doing much of anything a little more burdensome than it really should be.”

In contrast, Tessitura’s e-commerce interface is easy for audiences to navigate. Plus, arts customers in the region will use a single login for all venues and organizations in the Tessitura consortium. That will further simplify the online experience. According to Kiessler, Jon “predicts the overall ease of the new online interface will be a welcomed change.”

They selected Tessitura because of its reputation for excellence, security and community support within the arts sector.

Customers should find the switch “pretty seamless,” Jon told the Times Union. Any subscriptions, tickets and recurring donations will transfer smoothly to Tessitura.

Powerful reporting tools will elevate fundraising

“Tessitura is a popular platform among nonprofits because of its library of data reports,” the Times Union wrote. The extensive reporting and analytics capabilities stood out to the Capital Region collaborative.

Jon believes these capabilities will especially help their fundraising efforts. He told the Times Union that donations are critical for the survival of nonprofit organizations. That’s especially true amid downward philanthropic trends and changing federal grants programs.

“Tessitura stood out as the most intuitive, secure and adaptable platform for the arts, and it will allow us to provide a more seamless experience for our audiences.”
— Phillip Morris, CEO, Proctors Theatre

Taking pride in a multicity collaboration

Proctors Theatre, Capital Repertory Theatre and Universal Preservation Hall lead the consortium. Additional members are Troy Music Hall, Albany Pro Musica, Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony Orchestra and Opera Saratoga.

Philip is gratified by the synergy among so many organizations in the region. “We’re doing something together (with Tessitura),” he told the Times Union. “We’re proud to say out loud the four cities with four important performing groups are collaborating.”

“Tessitura provides a stable foundation to better serve our communities for years to come,” Jon said.

“This change is about putting our patrons first,” Philip said. “Tessitura stood out as the most intuitive, secure and adaptable platform for the arts, and it will allow us to provide a more seamless experience for our audiences.”

 

Top image: Proctors Theatre, Schenectady, New York. Photos courtesy of Proctors Collaborative.