Ravinia also provides a small financial incentive by waiving its handling and processing fees for those who order online. In return, Ravinia has experienced smoother cash flow and greater efficiency in handling ticket orders during peak sales periods. Visitors can fill out an online form and e-mail it to the box office, where it is processed like a regular order, and the company hopes to fully automate its ticketing soon. New audience members and large numbers of the existing audience use the Denver Center site as a resource. Students use the site for research about plays and Shakespeare.
Teachers can read and print study guides, and theater volunteers do online scheduling.
Customers get alerted to pre-sale periods, receive insider information on the shows and performers and gain a convenient way of purchasing or renewing their seats. Thearts groups collect valuable data on their constituency s habits, and if they are careful and respect the audience s privacy, can collect more granular and specific information about demographics and preferences. All three companies have collected audience feedback about the Web presence from season to season, strengthening the online program in response to areas of priority to the audience a lesson to any online business. Online fundraising, extranets for employees, community sites and outreach to the corporate community are some of the ambitious plans that these arts groups hope to implement soon. Theaters and other arts organizations are in the business of relationships whether it is the relationship among characters onstage, instruments in the symphony or between audience and performer.