What goes on in NYC doesn’t stay there

I am getting ready for my annual trip to New York City to the APAP (Association of Performing Arts Presenters) Conference this weekend. I know I’ve talked about this before, but each year presents different scenarios and challenges.

The APAP Conference occurs each year around the middle of January — just about when all the beautiful Christmas decorations are taken down in New York City.  About the only thing left are discounted goofy looking 2016 glasses!

I enjoy going to New York City, but I have to admit it is a lot of work and the challenges mount each year. I will be gone for about four days and will be on the run from booth to booth, appointment to appointment, and agency to agency much of the time.

Now I will admit that if I have to work so hard, I might as well do it in the Big Apple. That may be one reason why the conference is scheduled in NYC!  Quite honestly, though, midtown Manhattan is where most of the big, and even some smaller, performing arts agencies are located.  So we go to them.

This season at the Niswonger has been a tremendous one: kudos to our Programming Committee. It, however, makes things challenging for me to come back with some more great options to help create another blockbuster season. You, the ticket buyers and loyal supporters of the Niswonger, have high expectations.  I know it and appreciate it and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Although sellouts don’t always calculate into successes (success can be measured many different ways), it is certainly one of the barometers many people use and can identify with. This season, it appears that by the time we are finished with our concert season on April 30, we will have had over a dozen sold-out concerts.  This would be a record for us, and a very enviable one for many performing art centers!

I have often mentioned how variety is a key component for our success. Some venues and organizations pretty much offer the same type of entertainment year after year.  The only thing I want to offer year after year is quality! I believe people can trust quality and good character.

Sometimes it is difficult to deliver all the time, but it is certainly our goal as we begin to develop a season. As much as some may think that I get to see everything we book, that is not the case. Occasionally, I will get the opportunity to see something or someone in person, especially the lesser-known performers, but most often you have to talk with others and their agents and formulate your own opinions.

So, off to New York City I go for yet another year. Each year I think we will run out of ideas, but each year there are many performers waiting to be booked.  I also find that the money we pay in Van Wert is very much like the money from other places.  As they say … “it all spends!”  That being said, over the nearly 10 years of presenting concerts at the Niswonger, we have built a nice reputation with many performers and agencies. Their experiences and the venue we offer make most of them want to return to Van Wert.

Once in a while you will see return performers, but like I said, there are a lot of performers out there — and many I want to share with our audiences.

So keep your fingers crossed as I take to the Big Apple and look for ingredients for another spectacular season. With the help of our Programming Committee, I am confident we will make the 10th season at the Niswonger something to talk about.

Some of what goes on in New York City this weekend will be coming to Van Wert, Ohio, soon!

FINÉ.