2008 Woodie Awards
Young Auditorium brings $2.1 million to local economy
Sara Siekierski
Issue date: 1/30/08 Section: News
The Irvin L. Young Auditorium has a significant impact on the local economy, according to a study released at last Friday's first annual Arts Impact day.
The study showed the Young Auditorium brings in $2.1 million in sales to the local economy, supplies 26 jobs and provides $964,000 in labor income. The study was published by UW-Whitewater Associate Professor of Economics Russ Kashian and UW-Madison Agriculture and Economics Professor Steven Deller.
Kashian and Deller sent surveys to 1,500 adult patrons who attended events at the Young Auditorium over the past two years. From the surveys, 295 patrons responded. A majority of the patrons reported they had attended more than one event.
"Our best customers are repeat customers," Kashian said.
Kashian and Deller found that 46 percent of respondents purchased food while in the Whitewater area and nine percent purchased food at the Young Auditorium. The respondents who purchased food outside of the auditorium spent an average of $44.70 in the Whitewater region. In addition, the average patron responding to the survey was 57 years old and about 73 percent were women.
The Young Auditorium's main demographic resides in a 90-mile radius in Rock, Walworth and Jefferson counties. Patrons also come from Madison and Milwaukee. Of the 295 patrons who responded, 75 percent said they came to Whitewater to specifically attend events at the auditorium.
Kashian said the results of the survey will be used for future marketing. He suggested increasing dinner theater events and forming partnerships with area restaurants to further grow the economy.
Arts Impact Day was also an opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Young Auditorium.
The Young Auditorium has also provided several opportunities for students across Wisconsin and at the university. Interim Chancellor Richard Telfer said about 40,000 K-12 students and 1.5 million other people have attended events at the auditorium since it opened its doors in 1992. The auditorium has also provided UW-Whitewater students with 132,000 hours of work experience.
The keynote speaker of the evening was Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, who spoke about the role of the arts in Wisconsin's economy. The arts generate $400 million annually in Wisconsin and provide jobs for 15,000 residents, according to Lawton.
Lawton, who serves as chair of the Wisconsin Arts Board, said the arts are uniquely capable of helping creativity and boosting the economy.
"Creativity is the source of economic wealth," she said.
Lawton said creativity allows companies to come up with innovative ideas to help grow their businesses, and the arts are essential to the workforce.
"The arts are a renewable source of creativity energy for our economy," she said.
Using the arts is a new way of thinking about economical development, Lawton said.
The study showed the Young Auditorium brings in $2.1 million in sales to the local economy, supplies 26 jobs and provides $964,000 in labor income. The study was published by UW-Whitewater Associate Professor of Economics Russ Kashian and UW-Madison Agriculture and Economics Professor Steven Deller.
Kashian and Deller sent surveys to 1,500 adult patrons who attended events at the Young Auditorium over the past two years. From the surveys, 295 patrons responded. A majority of the patrons reported they had attended more than one event.
"Our best customers are repeat customers," Kashian said.
Kashian and Deller found that 46 percent of respondents purchased food while in the Whitewater area and nine percent purchased food at the Young Auditorium. The respondents who purchased food outside of the auditorium spent an average of $44.70 in the Whitewater region. In addition, the average patron responding to the survey was 57 years old and about 73 percent were women.
The Young Auditorium's main demographic resides in a 90-mile radius in Rock, Walworth and Jefferson counties. Patrons also come from Madison and Milwaukee. Of the 295 patrons who responded, 75 percent said they came to Whitewater to specifically attend events at the auditorium.
Kashian said the results of the survey will be used for future marketing. He suggested increasing dinner theater events and forming partnerships with area restaurants to further grow the economy.
Arts Impact Day was also an opportunity to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Young Auditorium.
The Young Auditorium has also provided several opportunities for students across Wisconsin and at the university. Interim Chancellor Richard Telfer said about 40,000 K-12 students and 1.5 million other people have attended events at the auditorium since it opened its doors in 1992. The auditorium has also provided UW-Whitewater students with 132,000 hours of work experience.
The keynote speaker of the evening was Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton, who spoke about the role of the arts in Wisconsin's economy. The arts generate $400 million annually in Wisconsin and provide jobs for 15,000 residents, according to Lawton.
Lawton, who serves as chair of the Wisconsin Arts Board, said the arts are uniquely capable of helping creativity and boosting the economy.
"Creativity is the source of economic wealth," she said.
Lawton said creativity allows companies to come up with innovative ideas to help grow their businesses, and the arts are essential to the workforce.
"The arts are a renewable source of creativity energy for our economy," she said.
Using the arts is a new way of thinking about economical development, Lawton said.
Be the first to comment on this story