Nelson Civic Theatre Society Strategic Plan May 2013 Revisions 1.0 Cathy Sco* May, April, 2013 1.1 Roger Ley, May, 2013 Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 1
Table of Contents Table of Contents... 2 Background... 3 Governance... 4 Board of Directors... 4 Commi%ee Structure... 4 Strategic Framework... 5 Vision... 5 Mission... 5 Guiding Principles... 5 Strategy Timeline... 7 Strategy Overview... 7 Phase 1 - Feb. 2013... 7 Phase 2 - Jun. 2013... 7 Phase 3 - Jan. 2015... 8 Phase 4 May 2015... 8 Phase 5 Final development phase - Jan. 2016... 8 Phase 6 May 2016... 8 Funding Overview... 10 Community Fundraising... 10 Funding agencies... 10 Crowd- Sourced Funding... 11 Debt financing... 11 Strategic Goals... 12 Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 2
Background Before February 2013, when the Nelson Civic Theatre Society screened its first film, Nelson had been without a movie theatre since 2010. The Nelson Civic Theatre Society began as a group of local ci,zens with a shared vision: to restore the Civic Theatre to present first run and second run Hollywood films, independent and art films, and related ac0vi0es for the entertainment, educa0on, and inspira0on of Nelson and area ci)zens. Our objec*ve is firstly to be financially self- sustaining we intend to operate the theatre on the basis of sound business principles and secondly to be a social enterprise a business operated by a non- profit for the blended purpose of genera1ng income and achieving social, cultural or environmental goals. The society has developed a long- term facility master plan to develop a three- screen mul*- use cinema. A mul$- screen model offers greater programming flexibility, allowing films to cycle through the cinemas so as to sa&sfy distribu&on agreements with as few empty seats as possible. With the advent of digital technology, relaxed distribu4on rules, reduced shipping and box office charges, and with a member- driven community- focused programming model, we believe that the new Nelson Civic Theatre will be a viable enterprise, and a considerably different model to what our community has experienced in the past. Beyond a cinema, this new venue will represent a unique presenta7on and performance space for our community. Digital projec3on, surround sound speakers and a large stage combine to create a facility capable of hos,ng corporate tradeshows and teleconferencing presenta,ons, live performances, training seminars, workshops, and providing a community mee%ng space. Our high- defini&on projectors can show calendars of events, local adver/sing, community announcements, PowerPoint presenta/ons and locally produced promo*onal videos for visi*ng tourists. The new Nelson Civic Theatre is posi3oned as a key component of Nelson s vibrant downtown. Its situa:on as a landmark building in the downtown core offers visibility and accessibility. It offers both economic benefits (direct and peripheral) and social benefits (through partnerships with organiza7ons and business, employment policies, and benefits to other nonprofits). Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 3
Governance Board of Directors The Nelson Civic Theatre Society is an incorporated non- profit society under the Bri1sh Columbia Society Act. The society is governed by a Board of Directors, which is responsible for carrying out the tenets of its cons%tu%on. Any individual may become a member of the society and enjoy benefits of membership. Oversight of the Nelson Civic Theatre is the responsibility of its Board of Directors, and executed through its management and supervisory staff. The day- to- day running of the Theatre involves the Theatre Manager, Concession and Box Office staff, and volunteers, with support from specific Commi<ees of the Board. Committee Structure Made up almost en'rely of volunteers, the Civic theatre operates with the following commi8ees: Execu&ve Commi-ee, made up of the president, vice- president, treasurer and secretary. The Execu&ve commi,ee meets periodically to discuss ma,ers pertaining to the organiza&on, which may result in recommenda0ons to the board. Building Commi,ee, responsible for overseeing the design and construc5on of the theatre renova'on Events Commi,ee, responsible for the planning and execu5on of special events Membership Commi#ee, responsible for maintaining the society s membership base and database IT Commi(ee, responsible for maintenance and development of our website and other technical infrastructure Opera&ons Commi.ee, responsible for overseeing the opera2ons of the theatre including movie nights, external rentals, and programming Finance Commi+ee, responsible for our fundraising campaigns, grant applica4ons, budge4ng, cash management and financial repor0ng. Marke&ng/Publicity Commi6ee, responsible for member engagement, on- screen marke*ng and publicity of movies and events Volunteer Commi-ee, responsible for recrui/ng, managing and apprecia/on of our volunteer task force Technical Commi-ee, responsible for the acquisi+on and maintenance of all technical equipment within the theatre Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 4
Strategic Framework This ini'al Strategic Plan covers the first 5 years of renova'ons and opera'ons for the Civic theatre. This ini#a#ve commenced in October 2012 upon unanimous approval by Nelson City Council following presenta'on of a feasibility study and plan presented by the Society. Between that 'me and the beginning of this plan, the Society con1nued a successful membership drive, executed a community fundraising effort, and undertook the installa/on of digital equipment in the single- screen theatre. Vision We propose to restore, renew, and renovate the Civic Theatre to operate as a non- profit venture to inspire, educate, and entertain Nelson and area residents and visitors. Mission To be a self- sustaining social enterprise; a mul.- theatre venue catering to the interests of Nelson and area residents in the historic Civic Centre, located in Nelson s downtown core. Guiding Principles 1. Build a cinema theatre to help build our community - how we build is as important as what we build. Inclusive of all interests in the Greater Nelson area Complementary to the efforts of other cultural organiza2ons Collabora've with other community groups Visionary crea&ng new opportuni&es that provide broad benefits Proac#ve iden&fying solu&ons with/for governments and other partners Engaging invi%ng community input and dialogue Bold ready to try new approaches Mindful of the Civic Theatre s history and importance to the community Contribu)ng to a strong future for Nelson and Area 2. Operate a venue to give voice to our community - movies and events that reflect our community s diversity. Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 5 Programming decisions made with input from our members A mix of commercial, independent and locally made films with occasional live performance Promote a mul+- age cinema)c experience Realize broad access, including residents from all socio- economic groups Support our small town, mountain culture
Enhance our cultural sophis0ca0on Embrace our need for educa.on, entertainment, laughter, and community 3. Sound management, with a Nelson twist - a made in Nelson solu-on that is both financially viable and crea(ve. Define a unique approach to building and opera4ng a cinema theatre that will be successful in Nelson by recognizing and addressing the: o Con$nued importance of film to our community and society o Changes in the film industry that made the previous Civic Theatre model unviable o Need to be resilient and adaptable in the face of any future changes in the industry, technology and our community o Challenges and opportuni1es resul1ng from the size of our community. Use solid business principles to generate revenue while suppor5ng the needs and interests of the community, including these key points: o Reflect our community s diversity o Keep decision- making local and accountable o Hiring prac*ces including those that support youth and other individuals needing to develop employment skills o Use of volunteers to promote community engagement and ownership Treat funders as investors, including these key points: o Iden%fy and realize reasonable returns rela%ve to broad community objec%ves o Work towards self- sufficiency within a reasonable 2me period. Use a social enterprise model to reinvest profits that: o Ensures the long- term viability o Treats the community as the stakeholder Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 6
Strategy Timeline Start Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6 Feb. 2013 Jun. 2013 Jan. 2015 May 2015 Jan. 2016 May 2016 Strategy Overview Phase 1 - Feb. 2013 Now Showing at the Nelson Civic Theatre - Monthly Movie Events and Digital Implementation! The Civic Theatre s screen is lit a0er 3 years of darkness. While we learn the movie theatre business first hand through a number of special screenings and monthly movie weekends, our team focuses on internal structure, policies, prac.ces, and internal communica.on. The fundraising team takes on their first major ini#a#ve with the Community Challenge to raise the $150,000 needed for digital conversion aimed at crowd funding (small contribu3ons from a large number of community members) to encourage community ownership in the project. Monthly scheduled in house film events Other community groups can use the facility for film or other events that they wish to host, provided they are consistent with our policy on external use Phase 2 - Jun. 2013 Regular weekly movies! The Civic Theatre has upgraded to digital technology and now expands its opera7ons to regular weekly movie showings, replacing concession, 2cke$ng and cleaning volunteers with regular paid staff and a new theatre manager tasked with overseeing the regular opera4ons. Through this phase we consider new private rental and special event opportuni0es to demonstrate the range of poten0al for this new community venue. Internally we focus on maximizing bums in seats while building the technical infrastructure and team structure needed for moving to the next phase of our project. The fundraising and building commi,ees prepare for the next major construc(on phase of replacing the lobby and washrooms. Late first release films every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday nights, plus Sunday ma8nees Reintroduc+on of tradi+onal Thursday Night art/indie films Expanded private theatre rentals and fundraising movie nights with other local non- profit organiza(ons Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 7
Phase 3 - Jan. 2015 Closed for renovations The Civic Theatre closes temporarily to build theatres 2 and 3 and renovate the lobby and washrooms. Theatres 2 and 3 are designed with DCI- compliant equipment and capable of accommoda1ng small presenta(ons. Pending appropriate research and analysis theatre 3 may become an exclusive, licensed, 19 and older theatre with upgraded sea2ng for an enhanced, premium, theatrical experience. During this!me the new projec-on room for theatre 1 will be created to reposi-on the projec-on/sound/acous-c equipment allowing theatre 1 to reopen as quickly as possible while theatre 2 and 3 development con$nues. The internal technical infrastructure is upgraded to facilitate the next phase of opera1ons while, externally, the community remains engaged through periodic volunteer work/clean- up par&es and volunteer apprecia.on. Theatre closed for renova0on to upgrade lobby, washrooms and built Theatres 2 & 3 Theatre 1 reopens as quickly as possible while construc5on con5nues Phase 4 May 2015 Reopening with 3 screens, full operations and continued fundraising The Civic Theatre celebrates a grand re- opening as a three- screen mul*media presenta*on space. Three screens means more flexibility and increased revenue and the team s focus now turns to maximizing the u"liza"on of the theatre space, and encouraging external events to increase our community engagement. Brand new theatres 2 and 3 are open Theatre 1 remains open in exis+ng (original) condi+on Up to 3 movies simultaneously Increased flexibility for external, live, and fundraising event opportuni8es Phase 5 Final development phase - Jan. 2016 Renovation of theatre 1 The Civic enters the final development cycle focusing a1en2on on improving the occupant comfort of Theatre 1 and the development of expanded live performance capabili5es. Theatre 2 and 3 con5nue in opera&on during this phase. This phase marks the comple&on of Nelson s premier three- screen, cinema and mul(- media presenta,on space. NCTS focuses on maximizing u,liza,on of the mul,- use spaces with internally operated movie nights, and external rental opportuni5es. Theatres 2 and 3 remain open Theatre 1 closed for renova1on Phase 6 May 2016 Theatre renovation is complete. The Civic Theatre has a Grand Re- Opening to celebrate the comple1on of Nelson s premier three- screen cinema and mul$- media presenta,on space. NCTS focuses on maximizing u,liza,on of the mul,- use spaces Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 8
with internally operated movie nights, and external rental opportuni5es. Opera'onal revenue will be directed to ongoing maintenance of the theatre and its equipment and invested into local projects such as film scholarships, summer programs and other services to the community. Theatres 1,2,3 open for regular business Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 9
Funding Overview Funding for this project will be achieved through a mix of community and crowd- sourced fundraising, Regional, Provincial and Federal grants, and, if necessary, debt financing. Community Fundraising Our community fundraising drive will include: Seat sales: We will invite the community to purchase (sponsor) seats within the theatre. We an8cipate a total of approximately 480 seats in the renovated Civic Theatre available for sponsorship. Sponsorships: Donors (corporate or individual) may sponsor certain areas of the theatre and have naming rights, for example each of the three theatre spaces, the lobby, and concession area. Special events: Special events will serve to raise awareness and funds. These may include film nights, film fes$vals, and other related events, held at the Capitol Theatre or at the Civic Theatre once sufficiently renovated. Funding agencies Poten&al Funders may include, but are not limited to: BC Gaming City of Nelson Columbia Basin Trust Community Development Program Columbia Basin Trust Community Ini2a2ves Columbia Basin Trust Heritage Arts and Culture program Corporate funders Cultural Spaces Canada Heritage Canada Cultural Spaces Fund Nelson and District Credit Union Osprey Founda.on Regional District of Central Kootenay Southern Interior Beetle Ac0on Coali0on (SIBAC) Southern Interior Development Ini1a1ve Trust (SIDIT) The Vancouver Founda/on Western Economic Diversifica1on Canada As a non- profit society, we look forward to assis1ng the City of Nelson, as owners of the Civic Centre, in applica&ons for infrastructure and community development grants. These grants will be used to assist in financing the building s capital improvements. Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 10
Crowd-Sourced Funding During Phase 1 of our project, we successfully executed a Community Challenge where over 430 community members contributed primarily small amounts to raise the $150,000 needed to convert the Civic Theatre to digital technology. As well as local crowd- sourced funding, we are planning an addi2onal web- based fundraising campaign using successful "crowd- funding" pla,orms such as indigogo.com. Debt financing Our ability to complete this project is subject to the success of our fund raising efforts and our ability to access grants. As is common in any successful business launch or expansion, debt financing needs to be considered. Our modeling contemplates up to 20% of project costs being raised through the issuance of community bonds. Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 11
Strategic Goals Goal 1: To remain financially self-sustaining by maximizing occupancy through the delivery of movies and events that suit the diverse demographic of Nelson and our surrounding community. Strategies 1. Member Engagement: we will solicit feedback from our members and visitors to ensure our programming, events, and schedule are consistent with the viewing interests of our community 2. Trend Spo*ng: by capturing a4endance, sales and membership data we will monitor trends in weekly viewership and engagement 3. Programming and Event Diversity: we will Step out of the box of tradi=onal theatres to offer films, special events and private rental opportuni3es that reach a maximum range of unique tastes and styles 4. First Run Films: with the increased programming flexibility offered by mul.ple screens, our film programming will move to a first- run model (from late first- run) Performance Targets To meet or exceed movie industry standards of occupancy, reviewed on a quarterly basis To reach concession revenues reasonably consistent with industry standards, recognizing our non- standard lower- margin local offerings Goal 2: To create a unique multi-use, multi-media performance venue capable of showing blockbuster films, local productions, live performance and presentations catering to the interests and needs of our community. Strategies 1. By purchasing state- of- the- art DCI- compliant projectors and 7.1 surround sound systems capable of presen&ng the latest blockbusters, BluRay discs, and other mul&- media formats 2. By Inves)ng in live performance & presenta2on technologies such as laptop and microphone hookups on the stage, upgraded ligh2ng and sound equipment, draperies, and working closely with The Capitol Theatre, Selkirk College, and local businesses 3. By iden(fying new and unique ways to combine the technologies and a4ributes of the Civic Theatre to engage our audience in ways tradi0onal cinemas do not 4. By partnering with local performing ar3sts, filmmakers and educators Performance Targets Between movies, private rentals and special events the theatre will be u2lized as o5en as our staffing resources will allow To be the de facto venue for all events and performances that require projec7on and surround sound capabili-es Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 12
Goal 3: To provide a new venue for cross-sector engagement, fundraising, advertising and community awareness. Strategies 1. Engage other non- profits and community groups to fill the theatre with their supporters for private fundraising events, informa1on sharing, annual general mee1ngs, school programs, and more 2. Promote local businesses, community events, public announcements and local adver5sing on our screen prior to screenings and events 3. Working with local business sectors to promote cross- marke&ng opportuni&es with our cinema, such as dinner- and- a- movie campaigns 4. Work to provide opportuni.es for youth involvement in employment, volunteering, performances and film produc-on 5. Promo%ng our region to our audiences by presen%ng pre show local promo%onal videos Performance Targets Long term mutually beneficial rela-onships with local non- profits Posi%vely impact the local economy by encouraging our community into our downtown core To be seen as an economic s,mulator for local businesses and other non- profits using our theatre as a fundraising and awareness- raising venue To become a marquee a,rac-on in Nelson s downtown area To be seen as the place for youth to engage, work and create Nelson Civic Theatre Strategic Plan Page 13