The planning window for the 2025-2026 performing arts season is here—and with it comes an important opportunity: not just to plan your events, but to rethink how your program books can work smarter for your organization.
Facing rising print costs, shifting audience expectations, and limited staff time, building a smarter, more sustainable program book strategy is no longer optional. It’s essential.
Here’s how forward-thinking organizations are transforming their approach—and how you can too.
1. Start with Your End Goals in Mind
Before you think about print quantities or page counts, ask yourself:
- What role should your program book play in your patron experience?
- Are you using it as simply a keepsake—or as a tool for marketing, engagement, and driving future ticket sales?
- How important is it to reach tech-savvy, mobile-first patrons?
A smarter program book strategy starts by understanding that your program is more than just an event guide. It’s a critical extension of your brand, your fundraising efforts, and your long-term audience development strategy.
2. Rethink the Print vs. Digital Conversation
It’s not about “print or digital”—the smartest organizations are embracing a hybrid model.
By reducing print quantities for high-cost events and expanding with digital program books for smaller performances, educational programs, and one-night-only events, you can:
- Control costs without compromising quality.
- Offer every audience member a complete, accessible program—no matter the event size.
- Deliver real-time updates, video content, and clickable links through your digital program.
The bonus: A digital program costs nothing extra once created. You can produce programs for every performance without the budget strain of traditional printing.
3. Build Flexibility Into Your Workflow
Planning now doesn’t mean locking yourself into rigid timelines. A smarter strategy gives you flexibility:
- Update artist bios and cast changes in real time.
- Add sponsor placements or promotions as opportunities arise.
- Push urgent performance updates directly to patrons through SMS or email.
With Audience Access and Onstage Managed Program Book Services, you can pivot quickly without the stress of costly last-minute reprints or wasted inventory.
4. Use Your Program to Capture and Grow Your Audience
In the digital space, your program book can do much more than inform—it can engage and activate.
Smart organizations are using digital programs to:
- Collect mobile numbers through frictionless text delivery.
- Drive future ticket sales through well-placed calls to action.
- Engage new patrons with special offers, donation opportunities, and personalized updates after the performance.
A program book is no longer a one-night tool—it can be the start of an ongoing relationship with every audience member.
5. Partner with Experts to Streamline the Process
You don’t have to tackle all of this alone. Working with experienced partners like Onstage Publications ensures you:
- Save time by outsourcing the heavy lifting—content gathering, design, printing, digital delivery, and beyond.
- Gain access to best practices that align with the latest trends in audience engagement and fundraising.
- Build a custom plan that matches your organization’s size, audience, and resources—not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Our Managed Program Book Services are designed specifically for performing arts organizations—because your challenges (and your opportunities) are unique.
Smarter Planning Starts Now
Planning for your 2025-2026 season isn’t just about choosing shows and dates—it’s about building a better system for how you connect with your audience at every performance.
By rethinking your program book strategy now, you can:
- Save thousands on printing costs.
- Reclaim hundreds of staff hours.
- Future-proof your audience engagement for years to come.
Want a smarter program book strategy? Answer four quick questions and we’ll create a custom plan for your 2025–2026 season.
