Audience Survey Results

In an impressive testament to the vibrancy and viability of the arts in

the Florida Keys, the Performing Arts Network of the Florida Keys Council of the Arts today releases the results of its 2002-2003 audience survey. More than 1200 audience members and six Performing Arts Network organizations have participated in this study. These include: Impromptu Concerts, the Keys Chamber Orchestra, the Key West Pops Orchestra, the Key West Symphony Orchestra, the Red Barn Theater and the TWFAC Founders Society.

Results indicate that most people read about upcoming performances in

the newspaper. While more than half bought tickets for single performances,

Subscription Season Ticket Sales are quite important for the Key West

Symphony Orchestra, accounting for half of the total ticket sales. The

Impromptu Concerts and TWFAC Founders Society also count on subscribers for nearly one-third of ticket revenue.

Florida Keys Council of the Arts CEO Monica Haskell says, "Restaurants

and hotels especially benefit from the arts. Between 20% and 54% of an

audience buys dinner or drinks before or after a performance. And up to 15% stay in hotels and guesthouses."

Revenue is only one part of the arts equation. For while live entertainment

not only provides valuable employment and generates incidental revenue

for local hotels and restaurants, it also fills the wells of cultural need

and inspiration. The wide variety of PAN offerings draw a diverse, highly

educated audience composed of both full-time residents (working and

retired) and tourists.

The strength of support for the arts in our community is unique and

proven; more than two-thirds of those who attend one performance are bound to attend another. And the entertainment's quality is apparently high, survey data indicating a level of enjoyment that hovers between "a great deal" and "immense."