I’ve developed successful marketing/sales initiatives for Disney Theatrical Productions, Cameron Mackintosh, Cirque du Soleil, the Music Center of Los Angeles, Center Theatre Group, Blue Man Productions, Broadway’s Nederlander Organization and for numerous Broadway shows, performing arts presenters and nonprofit arts organizations across the US.

In recent years I’ve built two successful for-profit arts businesses in Palm Springs, California, centered on the city’s world-famous collection of fine midcentury modern architecture.

I know from personal experience that finding, attracting and serving new audiences is not difficult. The hard part is replacing outdated arts industry traditions with effective new strategies and tactics. Throughout my career I’ve proved time and again that productive change is possible and that new audiences can be acquired without having to sacrifice the integrity of the art we make and sell.

If your organization is looking for ways to build larger audiences and increase earned revenue without spending more marketing dollars, I can help in three specific ways:

• Audit communications practices with a focus on content marketing
• Replace self-centered promotion with customer-centered strategic persuasion
• Train personnel to implement customer experience (CX) communications

If you want to improve the performance of your sales and marketing functions, and you’re willing to make sensible, measured changes, I will guarantee significant increases in participation and earned revenue.

I also speak at various trade gatherings and events about arts & audiences.

To learn more about the services I offer, click here.

SELECT CLIENTS

Nederlander Company

Music Center of Los Angeles

Cirque du Soleil

Center Theatre Group

Theatre Direct International (now Broadway.com)

Blue Man Productions

Disney Theatrical Productions

Goldstar

Dance at the Music Center

Peek Marketing Alliance

Bowers Museum

Autry National Center

ChinUS Cultural Productions

Laguna Playhouse

Theatreworks

EXTENDED BIOGRAPHY

Trevor O’Donnell has developed marketing and/or sales initiatives for Disney Theatrical Productions, Cameron Mackintosh, Cirque du Soleil, the Music Center of Los Angeles, Center Theatre Group, Symphony Space, Blue Man Productions, Broadway’s Nederlander Organization, The Autry Museum, Goldstar and for numerous Broadway shows and arts organizations across the US.  An internationally known authority on content marketing, brand activation, cultural tourism and strategic planning for marketing and sales, Trevor specializes in the development of new audiences, new messaging models and new sources of earned revenue for fine arts, performing arts, cultural attractions and stage entertainment.

On Broadway, Trevor developed innovative marketing and sales initiatives for Theatre Direct International/Broadway.com, an agency created by producer Cameron Mackintosh (The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Les Misérables, etc.) to sell New York and London theatre to domestic and international tourism markets. Together with sales guru Bob Hofmann, he developed and managed a groundbreaking Broadway marketing cooperative that carried the New York theatre message to audiences worldwide.

At Nederlander, Trevor rebuilt and expanded sales operations in New York and Los Angeles, and developed sales synergies among Nederlander operations in ten US cities.  His work resulted in unprecedented profitability for the company’s sales division and record sales for the two-year run of Wicked at Hollywood’s historic Pantages Theatre.

For Disney Theatrical Productions, Trevor oversaw marketing for the Company’s long-running Los Angeles production of The Lion King. The show sold more tickets than any production in the Pantages Theatre’s history, made unprecedented inroads into African-American, Latino and Asian markets, introduced numerous innovations in tourism and business-to-business sales, developed groundbreaking online initiatives and forged unprecedented synergies between the show and its numerous community partners.

Before joining Disney, Trevor developed sales initiatives for L.A.’s Center Theatre Group at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum. He also worked with the Music Center of Los Angeles on the launch of the Center’s first joint destination marketing campaigns, and with the Music Center’s dance presenting arm, “Dance at the Music Center,” marketing the world’s leading dance companies including American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey and the Bolshoi Ballet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Author of the book “Marketing the Arts to Death: How Lazy Language is Killing Culture,” Trevor is a graduate of Emerson College (BS) and Bowling Green State University (MA).  He has extensive experience with marketing and communications for non-profit arts and cultural organizations and has held marketing posts at a variety of producing theatres and arts centers including Manhattan Theatre Club, Symphony Space, the New Brunswick Cultural Center, Mattress Factory (art museum) and Pittsburgh Public Theatre.

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