Press Release 12.12.02

CULTURAL MARKETING PARTNERSHIP NAMES DIRECTOR

SAN JOSE, Calif., December 12, 2002 – Arts Council Silicon Valley has named Ed Sengstack as Director of the Cultural Marketing Partnership (CMP).  The CMP is a new program designed to support and enhance the marketing and audience development activities of participating arts and cultural non-profit organizations in Silicon Valley.

Sengstack comes to the CMP from the for-profit sector with 20-plus years experience in the Music Industry.  Most recently he was the Publishing Director of Miller Freeman Inc.’s San Mateo-based Music Group, publishers of Guitar Player, Keyboard, and Bass Player, the world’s leading magazines for musicians.  A Campbell resident, Sengstack has always been an advocate for all forms of creative expression, and brings with him a true passion for the arts.  As a current member of the Saratoga Drama Group’s Board of Directors, he is also very familiar with the many business and political challenges associated with small- to mid-sized arts organizations.

Upon accepting his role as Director of the CMP, Sengstack enthusiastically stated, “I am thrilled to be able to combine my professional background with my lifelong passion for the arts.  I sincerely believe this collaborative marketing program can have a meaningful impact on Silicon Valley-based arts and cultural organizations by assisting them to maximize their efforts and grow their audiences.”

With funding from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, and the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Marketing Partnership was established by ACSV to design and implement joint marketing and audience development activities for arts and cultural organizations in the Silicon Valley region.  ACSV Executive Director, Bruce W. Davis, commented, “The current economic environment is leading to diminished philanthropic and government funding, which has been the mainstay of many arts organizations.  The CMP will help create efficiencies, and thus earnings, to make it through these tough times, while utilizing the knowledge on an ongoing basis.  We’re very excited to have Ed on board, and to begin to actively move this project forward.”

Jeff Trabucco, the CMP’s Assistant Director, added, “The Cultural Marketing Partnership is about sharing resources.  By leveraging the collective efforts of all participating organizations, the CMP’s services will help to alleviate the costs normally associated with mounting effective and ongoing marketing campaigns.  It will help organizations to compete more effectively in the marketplace and to improve the visibility of the arts throughout the region.”

Several meaningful projects will be up and running by the end of February: 1) a PR Database – providing continuously updated information to help groups maximize their media efforts; 2) a List Exchange Co-op – offering a centralized customer database to facilitate the exchange of information for direct mail marketing; 3) Collective Learning – convening organizations to share knowledge through meetings, workshops, and ongoing technical assistance; and 4) a Web site – acting as a central contact point between arts and cultural organizations, consumers, and the media.

“In addition,” Sengstack noted, “we intend to mount an aggressive listening and learning campaign with local arts and cultural organizations to ensure that future programs are tailored to fit their realities.  I’m confident that we’re now in a position to begin to make a tangible difference.”

###

Founded in 1983, Arts Council Silicon Valley is an independent non-profit organization that plays a leading role in garnering endorsements and increasing visibility for the arts.  Our mission is to build a robust cultural environment that reflects the dynamic, pluralistic, and innovative character of Silicon Valley.  Over the last ten years, Arts Council Silicon Valley has distributed more then $5.5 million to local arts organizations, artists, schools, community groups, and social service agencies.  Half of these funds directly support arts education programs for youth