Alan Brown
Associate
Alan Brown is a leading researcher and management consultant in the arts industry. His work focuses on understanding consumer demand for cultural experiences and helping cultural institutions, foundations and agencies see new opportunities, make informed decisions and respond to changing conditions. His studies have introduced new vocabulary to the lexicon of cultural participation and propelled the field towards a clearer view of the rapidly changing cultural landscape.
For 2009-11, Alan’s work will follow several veins. His work on assessing the intrinsic impacts of arts experiences continues to expand and evolve, with several new studies on the horizon that aim to develop new lost-cost assessment tools for cultural institutions. Through 2011, Alan is leading large evaluation and assessment projects for the Doris Duke Charitable Trust (Creative Campus grant program) and Dance/USA (Engaging Dance Audiences). Another focus of Alan’s work is developing survey methodologies that communities can use to reliably and repeatedly measure levels of cultural engagement, using an expanded definition of ‘culture.’
Customer segmentation remains a major thrust of Alan’s work, with recent studies for the Philadelphia Orchestra, Steppenwolf, and the Major University Presenters consortium, as well as, with Baker Richards, Welsh National Opera and Glyndebourne.
Alan serves in a volunteer capacity on the Research Advisory Council of the League of American Orchestras, and has served on the organizing committee of the National Arts Marketing Project annual conference since its inception. He speaks frequently at conferences in the U.S. and Canada, as well as the U.K., Australia and New Zealand.
Prior to his consulting career, Alan served for five years as Executive Director of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. He holds three degrees from the University of Michigan: a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Music in Arts Administration and a Bachelor of Musical Arts in vocal performance.
Alan makes his home in San Francisco with a yellow Labrador Retriever named Golden Brown.
