Why Your Event Should Still Be Hybrid
Joseph Hall, Executive Director at Kelly Strayhorn Theatre, getting his boogie on at Hotline Ring 2021 a virtual fundraiser for 8 Pittsburgh Non-Profits…
The Hotline Ring collective was able to raise a wonderful $215,000 for KST, 1Hood Media, BOOM Concepts, Braddock Carnegie Library Association, Dreams of Hope, The Legacy Arts Project, and PearlArts.
January 26TH, 2022
Start with a catchy image, right? This still was captured after hour FOUR of Hotline Ring 2021 at KST’s Alloy Studios. As a virtual fundraiser, it was immensely successful. Plus look at the fun that we were having at that time. The best part about Hotline Ring is that it could benefit orginizations locally but had an international reach thanks to the internet.
As we enter 2022, many organizations are trying their hardest to go back to in-person-only programming. While the amount raised by Hotline Ring can be considered an outlier for your average livestream, it showcases an interesting point: a wider audience can bring in more money!
Think about an event for a non-profit arts organization. The event has 10 performers, the organization has a core group of 100 patrons, and most performers have a handful of friends and family in town. Now this doesn’t account for the hoard of friends, family, and colleagues that live out of town. A ticketed livestream can reach those people wherever they live. An online ticket of $10/stream can help offset the cost of a livestream or increase profits if it is marketed well enough. This also allows you to tap into a much larger circle of contacts to attend the event.
If folks are feeling a little sick, an online ticket option allows you to give patrons who buy an in-person ticket a hassle-free “stay home” option. This can reduce COVID-19 outbreaks at your event.
I’m often asked if people are sick of virtual events. While I think that people are sick of arguing, politicking, and putting parts of life on hold, I also think that people are loving their access to the best things that other cities and countries have to offer!
Jonathan Robert Buci
Chief Creative Technologist
