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What is the League, and why should we join?
Membership in the League positions your theater in a long Chicago tradition. Founded in 1979 by a handful of theaters, the League's membership today includes more than 170 theaters, nearly all of Chicago's dynamic and diverse theater community. Members range from tiny storefront shops to major cultural centers with multi-million dollar productions.
As a collective, we can leverage our strength to build partnerships that help develop new audiences; expand government support for our art and our businesses on the local, state and national levels; expand earned and contributed revenue sources for theater; provide quality goods and services pro bono or at affordable prices; and, gain extensive local and national media coverage (features and reviews) in print, radio and television.
In short: it is our mission to provide the support and leadership to help our theaters thrive. We are an alliance that advocates for and promotes Chicago's theater industry locally, nationally and internationally.
Your membership helps make our community strong.
What's next for the League? This is a "fill in the blank" question, as the League is a direct product of its membership. Whether your interest is marketing, operations, advocacy or artistic exchange, the Board of Directors encourages you to join the League in making our new initiatives a reality.
Hot Tix
A strong marketing tool that sells nearly 100,000 tickets/year, and returns over $1.8 million dollars annually for a full range of local theaters, Hot Tix is one of the most successful audience development tools available to League members. All League members provide a minimal number of half-priced, day-of-show tickets weekly to maintain variety. In addition, we also sell full-price Ticketmaster event tickets. We now offer an opt-in, daily email of Hot Tix listings, plus full-priced tickets for all member shows and advance half-priced tickets, as available. We have a total of seven Hot Tix outlets with locations in Chicago and the suburbs.
Chicagoplays.com
You've found us! Welcome to Chicagoplays.com, which has been praised by the Toronto Star as "a model of centralized theatre information," includes a searchable show database for patrons and links to member theaters' home pages (including on-line ticket sales for those offering this service). This site is the most up-to-date, comprehensive source of information of Chicago theater information on the web.
Chicagoplays Theater Guide
This comprehensive, bimonthly Chicago area theater listing has a circulation of approximately 60,000 and mirrors the information on the website in an attractive, easy to carry format. It is widely distributed through hotels, corporations, airports, Hot Tix, travel agents, tourist centers, member theaters, and local audiences as their source for show information.
Cooperative Advertising
To encourage small to mid-size theaters to advertise, this program pools their resources for discounted rates from area print and radio media. We place more than $1.8 million in advertising/year in the Chicago Tribune, Sun-Times (includes Pioneer Press, The Doings, the Star and the Daily Southtown), Reader, New City, the Daily Herald, the Onion, WBEZ radio, Key Magazine, and new this year, Time Out Chicago. Savings to theaters can be as much as 40% off the open rates and League members have no minimum contract requirement to receive these discounts.
Theater Thursdays
This new promotion has added-value experiences to make Thursday night "the" night for new audiences to enjoy Chicago's live theater scene. Created to help target new audiences, this event adds a social element to the theater experience. Every Thursday one Chicago theater will host the main event. Other theaters are encouraged to participate as well by offering special ticketing discounts to increase attendance on Thursdays. This popular new program gained citywide attention when Mayor Daley and the City Council honored this program, officially naming Thursdays "Theater Thursday" for all of Chicago in February 2005.
Play Money Gift Certificates
These certificates are an audience development tool that make great corporate and personal gifts. In denominations of $25, Play Money can be redeemed at theater box offices throughout the Chicago area (more than 75 member theaters accept them) and at our Hot Tix locations. They are sold online at www.chicagoplays.com, and by calling the League offices. There are also packages available with select partner hotels.
Advocacy
The League interprets its advocacy role broadly, striving to raise the profile of Chicago theater and our industry's involvement in all major sectors. We raised theaters' business sector profile via a recent publication "Live Theater is Big Business in Chicago" (in partnership with the Illinois Arts Alliance). This brochure documents the theater industry's economic power and continues to generate new opportunities for promoting theater and creating new partnerships to benefit our membership. We maintain active partnerships with such civic groups as State Street Council, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Greater North Michigan Avenue Association and arts organizations such as the Technical Assistance Providers Network (coordinated by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs).
Government Relations
The League facilitates government relations for live theater and drives the push for a simpler and less burdensome license and code process for performing arts venues. Our achievements include reduced costs for smaller theaters by simplifying Electric Code and zoning standards, the exemption of all non-profits from the cumbersome accounting and extensive liabilities our non-profits face when processing gift certificates, and we are now finalizing plans to streamline the licensing procedure through creation of a new Performing Arts Venue license type. The League works closely with government agencies to expand the role of theater in City programs. As partner to the Department of Cultural Affairs, we provide show listings on information kiosks, and we serve on several urban development committees for the Department of Planning.
Professional Development
We host a variety of community-wide social events as well as networking meetings that bring together theater professionals in such areas as marketing and box office professionals. We also provide extensive one-on-one consultations, supporting members' staff and board in all areas of management. Through these personalized relationships, we are able to connect theaters with new resources they might not otherwise find.
Member Communications
One of our commitments is to keep our members up-to-date regarding community and citywide events. Broadcast emails contain important League information including forms for inclusion in our publications and programs, time sensitive information from other members, job listings, fundraising listings, Opening Night information and Industry Nights, as well as requests for proposals on unique promotional opportunities.
For information about Membership in the League of Chicago Theatres, contact Ben Thiem, Member Services Manager at (312) 554-9800 or Ben@chicagoplays.com.
Membership
Membership Application Form (for new members only)
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