Denver Arts & Venues
Environmental Scan and Strategic Planning
Challenge
Denver Arts & Venues plays a critical role in advancing Denver’s economic vitality and quality of life. Formed in 2011 following the merger of two city departments, the agency operates Denver’s most iconic venues, programs and events, including the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater, Five Points Jazz Festival and Denver Public Arts Program.
When COVID hit, large-scale events and facilities temporarily closed, and the agency redeployed its staff to aid the pandemic response. As staff began returning to their regular roles, agency leaders decided it was time for a strategic reset and realignment.
Project
Denver Arts & Venues is an unusual government agency. Although it operates within a city government, it is entirely self-funded, and its staff works remotely and on site at venues stretching across the Denver metro area. Given its unique structure and funding, the agency sought experienced strategists with expertise in both government and entrepreneurial ventures to help guide a strategic planning process.
SageRiver Consulting emerged as the best partner for the project. Working collaboratively with Denver Arts & Venues, SageRiver designed and delivered a multifaceted program to help the agency align around a shared purpose.
The program included:- Conducting an extensive Environmental Scan, which included hundreds of internal and external stakeholders via surveys, in-depth interviews and focus groups to assess perceptions about Denver Arts & Venues and its programs and services.
- Completing a benchmark study comparing Denver to four peer cities to assess how Denver fits within the national arts and entertainment ecosystem and how Denver contrasts with other cities of comparable size.
- Establishing a cross-functional working group and designing and facilitating a data review, S.W.O.T. analysis and synthesis that resulted in five strategic goals, along with associated strategies and tactics.
- Engaging the entire Denver Arts & Venues staff during an off-site experience at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater to inspire them to own the plan and envision how they could thrive in their individual roles and as an arts and entertainment agency. The off-site experience included a breakfast, posterboard session in which employees identified the goals that inspired them most, and time spent sharing where they felt their agency could make the greatest impact.
- Producing a visual report outlining Denver Arts & Venues’ strategic agenda for the next three to five years, including a comprehensive “Plan on a Page” roadmap.
- Guiding development of a strategy monitoring tool and Strategic Management Process to bring the strategic plan to life inside Denver Arts & Venues.
- Designing a strategic plan implementation kick-off with Denver’s mayor and the Denver Arts & Venues staff.
Results
The new three-year plan—“Time to Thrive”—is already producing results. The Denver Arts & Venues staff has identified their strategic priorities for this fiscal year and begun forming cross-functional teams to execute the work. Those priorities line up with the five “Time to Thrive” strategic goals: Access, Align, Assess, Advance and Amplify.
Just as importantly, the strategic planning process has realigned and re-energized the staff around their shared direction and purpose.
“The morning we spent with SageRiver at Red Rocks was magical,” said Ginger White Brunetti, executive director of Denver Arts & Venues. “It felt like we were sloughing off or shedding old thinking. There was a forward-thinking energy, and we were all galvanized in a way we hadn’t been before. I now see evidence that people understand how their jobs connect to our larger vision. Thriving is no longer an abstract idea or something we’re projecting onto others, but rather something we’re experiencing and manifesting ourselves.”
Story Categories: Marketing Strategy, Strategic Planning, and Team Building. Story Tags: Benchmarking, Custom Facilitation, Employee Engagement, Go-to-Market Planning, Government Agencies, Market Research, Marketing Communications, Marketing Planning, Marketing Strategy, Research, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Plan Development, Strategic Planning, Strategy Sessions, and Team Building.
