ANNUAL REPORT SAMPLE NIGHT LIVE, INC. 2011 WWW.SAMPLENIGHTLIVE.COM BARBE MARSHALL PRODUCER I’m proud to write this letter today, as Sample Night Live begins its fifth season. In 2007, this project was only an idea, but today Sample Night Live stands tall as a unique organization connecting artists and audiences in new and innovative ways. In our first four seasons, we provided free promotional opportunities to more than 300 arts organizations, featured more than 1,400 individual performers in our shows and connected nearly 6,000 audience members with art they never knew they’d love. We’ve honed and perfected our shows with talented and skilled staff who make it possible to present a brand new, two-hour showcase nearly every month. In 2009, Minnesota Monthly named Sample Night Live “Best Variety Show.” W Our vision of what Sample Night Live can do is simple: Sample Night Live can increase public awareness for the wide array of quality arts offerings in the Twin Cities, encourage a healthy arts ecosystem by increasing participation and raising arts visibility, and contribute to the growth of the Twin Cities performing arts community. This vision drives every decision we make, and in the coming year we’ll be working hard to find and feature great new artists, spread the word further to grow our audience and, of course, present fun, innovative and high-quality shows. W None of these efforts would be successful without your loyal support. Thank you for being such a vital part of Sample Night Live’s success, and for making the work we do possible. Barbe Marshall March 2012 GREG VANSELOW MANAGING DIRECTOR It is exciting and gratifying to be able to provide you with a summary of Sample Night Live’s success from our first four seasons. In the best of times, it can be a challenge to build a new organization — and the last four years, of course, have not been the best of times. But the strength of Sample Night Live’s mission has continually spoken to our partners and audiences who, through their support and patronage, have built Sample Night Live into a solid, thriving company. W Fiscal year 2011 was perhaps our most challenging year, as philanthropic budgets continued to be tight and start-up funding for Sample Night Live began to wane. However, the success Sample Night Live has demonstrated and our growing audience continues to sustain the organization and provide for the future. Furthermore, we have worked hard to ensure Sample Night Live has a quality infrastructure that is strong and flexible, allowing us to carefully control costs and maximize resources dedicated to delivering our mission. W As we launch our fifth season, we will continue to focus on sound operations to support mission delivery and a conservative fiscal strategy to minimize risk and maximize potential. We will strengthen our existing relationships and engage new partners to grow our audience and continue providing monthly shows unlike anything else you’ll see in the Twin Cities. W All this is possible with your continued support. Thank you for believing in this idea, and we’ll see you at the next show! Greg Vanselow March 2012 HOW IT WORKS It’s been called “art in a trial size,” “bite-sized art” and, even, “a smorgasbord of art teasingly proferred like theatrical channel surfing.” However you choose to describe it, the concept of Sample Night Live is simple: Create a place where artists can give a free preview of their work, and where audiences can sample a wide array of Twin Cities arts offerings with a single ticket to see what might interest them for their next big night out. W Movie studios have it easy. Their product is easy to distribute and even easier to cut down into a shorter version to lure audiences. With the proliferation of YouTube and Facebook, live artists are beginning to have these capabilities, but nothing can replace the experience of seeing artists do what they do best: live entertainment. That’s where Sample Night Live comes in. For no fee, artists have the opportunity to present a sample of their work in front of a live audience to promote their work and gain new fans. It’s a turn-key marketing opportunity requiring nothing but showing up and doing your best. W For today’s Twin Cities audiences, the arts marketplace is crowded with potentially jaw-dropping offerings. But where to spend your well-earned night off? And what happens when the play that looked so interesting turns out to be a waste of two hours and 40 bucks? Again, that’s where Sample Night Live can help. In a single evening, audiences can sample a wide variety of Twin Cities performing arts companies to find art that appeals to them. And with a check of the box, Sample Night Live offers an easy signup to mailing lists so new fans can follow their favorite groups and buy tickets to their next gig. W That’s what’s special about Sample Night Live: It’s a win-win for both artists and audiences. Read on to find out just how easy it us to reap the benefits of Sample Night Live! BUY A TICKET The first step towards reaping the benefits from Sample Night Live is, of course, reserving your spot! Ticket sales for the 2011 season increased 6 percent over the previous year, totaling 1,872 reservations. Subtracting patrons who weren’t able to use their reservation, and adding participating artists who stayed to watch the remainder of the show after their set, the total number of people who experienced a Sample Night Live show climbed to 1,959 — an 11 percent increase over 2010. Revenue from ticket sales totaled $8,536, or 12 percent of all operating support. Since the 2008 season, 5,326 tickets have been sold and 5,854 people have attended a show. W Promotions aimed at introducing Sample Night Live to new audiences have been key to the success. Our partnerships with the Saint Paul Public Library and MELSA Libraries provide free tickets to library card holders, and engaging local charities to promote their missions at the shows draws their constituents and enables the Sample Night Live community to make a difference beyond the arts scene. $7,817 $8,110 $8,536 $2,633 816 2008 Ticket Revenue 1,314 2009 Attendance 1,765 1,959 2010 2011 SHOW UP One you’ve reserved your ticket, the next important step is coming down to the theatre. W While Sample Night Live’s main focus is live performing arts, the move to the History Theatre in December 2008 allowed us to expand both the benefits we can offer to participating artists and the type of artist who can be a part of Sample Night Live. Arts organizations presenting a sample on stage have the option of creating a lobby presence to further promote their work by distributing literature, selling merchandise or just working the crowd. Sample Night Live also offers lobby space to visual artists — painters, sculptors, woodworkers, crafters, etc. — who can display and even sell their work before the show and during intermission. W Sample Night Live begins as soon as you walk through the doors, with this carnival-like atmosphere full of amazing art and opportunities to learn more about and support the artists you meet. At some shows, magicians and comedians even set up to entertain the pre-show crowd. The American Association of Woodturners annually makes a lobby appearance and creates beautiful turned-wood masterpieces on the spot, in addition to offering wonderful pieces for sale. And, most memorably, Sample Night Live hosted Cirque du Soleil’s Whooza Kooza Crew in July 2009. The costumed Cirque du Soleil performers worked the crowd to promote the touring Kooza show, delighting audience members with their antics and even snapping photos with fans. ENJOY SAMPLES OF A DOZEN PERFORMING ARTS EVENTS Now here’s where we get to the meat and potatoes of what Sample Night Live is all about. Take your seat, relax and let the art come to you. Every show features Sample Night Live’s amazing house band, The Smarts, as well as a professional host to introduce each performance and keep the evening moving along. The first half of each show features family-friendly performances; the second-half performances may contain adult content, themes or language. Tickets to Sample Night Live are good for either or both halves of the show, and parents can purchase half-price tickets to bring their children to the first half only (children always get in free). W Sample Night Live employs a network of curators to seek out artists in a variety of genres to fill each show. Theater, classical music, dance, novelty acts, vocalists, puppetry, stand-up comedy, improv, jazz, film, spoken word, bands — nothing is off limits. We bring our audiences a fastpaced, fun-filled show featuring the best artists from a huge variety of genres. In 2011, we featured 100 artists and arts organizations 147 times, including performances by 380 individual performers. USE OUR PLAYBILL TO OPT-IN, VOTE AND WIN! Playbills at each Sample Night Live show feature a ballot insert, allowing audience members — with a simple check of the box — to provide their contact information to the featured arts organizations they like and want to hear from. Sample Night Live takes care of providing each participating artist with all their sign-ups in one easy report, streamlining the process for both artists and audiences, and making it painless for artists to reach out to their new fans. W On the same insert, each patron votes for their favorite artist of the show. The winner is invited to perform at the annual Audience Favorites Show in December, which is the finale of each season featuring the best of the best — the performances our audiences loved most throughout the year. The Audience Favorites Show is our most popular event each year, drawing nearly 20 percent of our entire audience for 2011. W Participating artists have the opportunity to provide prizes for the audience — CDs, T-shirts, free tickets and even prints from visual artists. Each ticketholder has a chance to win prizes throughout the show, and everyone who turns in a ballot is eligible for the evening’s grand prizes: free tickets to shows at the Guthrie and the Ordway! COME BACK NEXT MONTH! But wait — there’s more! Sample Night Live does this nearly every month, with a brand-new show of amazing art and a fun evening unlike anything else out there. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE In 2011, Sample Night Live’s revenue totaled $54,402, a 36 percent decrease over 2010. Of this $30,000 decrease, $15,000 from a one-time grant and $10,750 of other foundation and corporate contributions were received in 2010 but restricted for use in 2011. This increased total 2010 revenue above what was expected to be received in that fiscal year. As these funds were released and used to fund operations as restrictions were satisfied, they decreased net assets. Some of this decrease was offset when recurring gifts were made at the end of 2011 for use in 2012; however, the $15,000 one-time funding was not replaced with other sources, contributing to an overall decrease in assets for fiscal 2011. The organization’s financial performance for the two-year period ending Dec. 31, 2011 resulted in an increase of net assets totalling $8,332. W The organization was, in particular, very successful in continuing to increase support from individuals, creating greater diversity amongst revenue channels. Individuals, through charitable gifts or ticket purchases, generated more than 30 percent of the organization’s total revenue for 2011, up from 21 percent in 2010 and an area on which mangement will continue to focus as our biggest revenue opportunity. W Despite being a growth year programmatically, expenses for the organization were kept essentially flat to minimize risk from potential underperformance in key revenue areas. Overall expenses for the year totalled $62,253, a decrease of 10 percent from 2010. This decrease is mainly attributable to one-time facility rental charges in 2010 that the organization did not incur in 2011. FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE 2011 2010 Revenue and Support Support from Institutions Support from Individuals Earned Income Others Total Revenue and Support 37,620 8,129 8,536 117 54,402 66,450 10,183 8,110 239 84,982 Expenses Production Expenses Marketing & Promotion Administrative & Operating Others Total Expense 6,740 7,818 47,695 0 62,253 10,183 8,300 50,314 0 68,798 Total Increase (Decrease) in Net Assets (7,852) 16,184 Total Operating Expenses FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE Total Operating Revenue W Shows 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Total Shows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Attendance 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 816 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,314 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,765 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,959 Total Attendance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,854 Donors Institutional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Total Donors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 SPONSORED BY FEATURING HOUSE BAND 2-color option – PMS171 (orange) & PMS1955 (red) PARTNERS & SUPPORTERS 1-color option – PMS1955 (red) DONORS Christina Akers Brian Alexander Archie D. and Bertha H. Walker Foundation Barbara Ashton Ronai Brumett Jeff Bullerman Ben Chadwick City of Saint Paul Hiram and Liz Cochran Mary Cochran Brenda Cornelius John, Jr. and Sage Cowles Samantha Crosby Norajean Crowley Corey de Danann Sandra Derheim Nancy and Fred Dietze Don McGuire Real Estate Co., Inc. PJ Doyle Katie Driscoll Steve and Coleen Ebner Ronelle K. Ewing Ecolab, Inc. F. R. Bigelow Foundation Danielle and Michael Ferrin Laurie Flanigan-Hegge Ann Forstie Peter Goedert Greta Grosch Doug Hill Jean Iwen Jennifer and Brian Johnsen Shauna and Randy Johnsen Haley Johnson Sue Kappenmann Laurel Lapore Jerry Lee Jonathan Liang and Jennifer Gavin Liang Paula Manzuk Barbe Marshall Judy and Ron Marshall Rod and Marilyn Marshall Metropolitan Regional Arts Council Sandra and Steve Meyer Minnesota Historical Society Padilla Speer Beardsley Inc. Nancy Pajunen Jeanne Papin Janis Peabody Jeff Peterson and Jill Catherwood Amy Pfankuch Dale Pfeilsticker Bill and Kitty Pursley Linda and Peter Quinn Shona Ramchandani and Matthew Sherman Tom Reed Rhen Marshall, Inc. Tess Samudio Bill and Susan Sands Jarrod Schoenecker John Schomaker Kurt Schultz Connie Shaver Barbara Shelton Richard Shields Tonia and Neil Anthony Shupien Steve Soler Kathleen Spehar Noel and Rhianna Stave Chuck Steffel Dan Steiskal Kathy Steiskal Pam and Wally Swanson The Saint Paul Foundation Megan and Tom Tarnow Family The Travelers Companies, Inc. Laura Toth Tiffany Ann Tripp Andrew and Corinna Troth Betsy and Kevin Vanselow Greg Vanselow VSA Minnesota Kathrine Walter Will Weisert Western Bank Lisa Westmiller Kimberly and Todd Williams Laura Williams Maria and Roger Wolfsteller Mary Wright Abby Zimmer Visit SampleNightLive.com for show dates and line-ups. Cover photo: Kristen Lancaster W Production photos: daniel j. moore