In theater, it’s not often the office crew gets a round of applause, but after exceeding the goal to sell 20,000 season packages, now is the perfect time to give everyone a big hand.
“We’ve actually done it!” Kevin Smith, Tuacahn CEO, said of the monumental achievement. “We knew we wanted to reach this goal this year, but we never thought we’d meet it so early in the season.”
Tuacahn has been offering season packages in one form or another for a little more than a decade, regularly selling 10 to 12,000 season packages each year. Then in 2016, Artistic Director Scott Anderson challenged the marketing team to push even harder, setting a goal to essentially double the then-current season packages sold in the next five years.
“…we’re already thinking about new goals and where we’ll be five years from now.”
~ Stephanie Fink, Marketing Director
“We started immediately putting even more of an effort into building long-lasting patron loyalty,” said Stephanie Finck, marketing director for Tuacahn.
Little did they know just how valuable that customer loyalty would be.
In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down theaters across the world, Tuacahn was forced to cancel its Broadway theater season. Patrons who had already purchased tickets were offered a variety of options for refunds, or they could hold onto their tickets and use them when the theater opened the following year.
Eighty percent of season package holders opted to hang onto their tickets, rather than asking for a refund.
“That was huge!” Finck said. “It became a clear indication of the strength of our patron loyalty. We were very fortunate to have all those people hang on with us through such a difficult time, and then join us when we opened in 2021 for our biggest season ever.”
As a reward of sorts, and as a way to come back even stronger, Tuacahn’s 2021 Broadway season featured a total of six professional musicals — four musicals in the outdoor amphitheatre and two inside the Hafen Theatre.
“Tuacahn is such a special place. There’s nowhere else like it in the world,” Finck said. “We have worked really hard to make our patrons feel special. They’re important to us; they’re not just a number. We want them to come back and experience the magic with their families and have Tuacahn be part of those memories.”
“…when they have a great experience they decide to buy in to the whole season next time.”
~ Kevin Smith, CEO
This year’s lineup, featuring Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Wonderland, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, is definitely fueling patrons’ excitement. Whether they’re purchasing season packages or single tickets.
“I call them ‘try-ers and buyers,’” Smith said. “Some come to Tuacahn for the first time and decide to try out one of the shows. Then, when they have a great experience they decide to buy in to the whole season next time. Our goal is to take the ‘try-er’ and make them a buyer and ultimately a loyal contributor to Tuacahn as a member.”
Looking ahead, both Smith and Finck say continued growth is not only possible, it’s highly probable.
“I think the 20,000 season packages each year is sustainable,” Finck said. “It’s so hard to say right now because the achievement is so fresh, but we’re already thinking about new goals and where we’ll be five years from now. I think that number will keep growing.”
Be part of the magic happening year after year at Tuacahn. The theater season runs May 13 to Oct. 22. Tickets are on sale now at www.tuacahn.org or by calling 435-652-3300.