Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Staying Relevant

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The Toronto Symphony Orchestra: A ‘Concert’ed Effort to Stay Relevant ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- Darcy Brooks Anne Murray Scott Bailie Jing Hu Connie Bannister Tarun George Executive summary Problem Statement The Toronto Symphony (TSO) has experienced a decline in ticket sales from 2009-2011 by 4.8%, however the TSO has seen an increase in total revenue (6.9%) due in part to increasing in funding from other sources, such as government grants and fundraising efforts (Annual Reports, 2011). These sources of income are not sustainable in the long term, as government funding sources can be cut or cancelled by politicians on a whim. This was the case in September of 2011 when the Toronto City Council announced plans to cut arts funding by some $6 million, a plan which was later discarded after concerted lobbying efforts on the part of arts supporters (Knelman, Arts Grants on Chopping Block, 2011). Therefore, the TSO should look at different methods for bringing in long-term sustainable revenues, as there is no guarantee that this type of threat will not materialize again. The TSO brand must compete with many other forms of entertainment and experiences in the city of Toronto, and the brand image needs to portray the TSO as a more attractive experience for Canadians as well as visitors to the city of Toronto. Synopsis of situational analysis Our SWOT analysis indicates that while the TSO is considered to be an
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